Improvised explosive devise [device] placement detection from a semi-autonomous ground vehicle

• Main Author: Miller, Benjamin D.
• Other Authors: Harkins, Richard
• Format: Others
• Published: Monterey, California. Naval Postgraduate School 2012
• Subjects: Robotics; Improvised explosive devices; Physics
• Online Access: http://hdl.handle.net/10945/2476

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) continue to kill and seriously injure military members throughout the Iraqi theatre. Autonomous Ground Vehicle (AGV) seeks to identify the human presence placing the IED and then report that contact to a unit of action. This research developed a semi-autonomous platform that can navigate to waypoints, avoid obstacles, investigate possible threats and then detect motion that triggers a visual camera. The information is then relayed back to the user and can trigger a variety of actions. AGV has been tested in a numerous environments with a wide range of success. It is limited by the communication range from its standard 802.11G router and the continuous availability of the global positioning system. Terrain with extensive peaks and valleys is not ideal for the current platform. However, for detecting the human presence that is consistent with IED placement, AGV is well suited.