locate enemy positions, look at the objec- tive and establish a plan before launching an attack. “Why send soldiers into harms way if we have the technology?” Hollister asks rhetorically. Not only has the Raven proven itself in
combat, it can be valuable in search and rescue missions, such as those undertaken in the wake of natural disasters in Haiti and Japan. It takes about 80 hours of classroom and
flight instruction during a 10-day course in order to learn to effectively operate the system. “It’s not all that hard a system,” Hollister says. “It can be set up in less than five minutes with a properly trained crew. Currently two soldiers are required in order to fly the Raven, but developers are working to reduce that to one.
SUGV Te SUGV is the land-based equiva-
lent of the SUAV. The Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle is a lightweight vehicle capable of conducting military opera- tions in urban terrain, tunnels, sewers and caves. It is tracked like a tank and is designed to ascend and descend stairs and
other obstacles. Te SUGV weighs 32 pounds and is
capable of carrying a payload of up to six pounds. It is equipped with multiple cam- eras and sensors, including a 300X zoom camera, thermal camera, infra red illumi- nator and laser range finder, and is capable of receiving and transmitting two-way audio, enabling the operator to identify threats and increasing situational aware- ness. It can be used to safely clear buildings of booby traps or search for IEDs. Training on the SUGV has been under-
way at Fort Benning for about a year now. Staff Sgt. Richard Long is the mas- ter trainer. He explains that the operator wears glasses and through a screen can see what the robot sees. According to former trainer Staff Sgt.
Robert Kline, it’s not complicated and is like a video game. “If you are good at video games, you’ll be good at this. You have to have the ability to trust your instincts while looking though a screen.” Like the Raven, the SUGV has been used
on the battlefield and has proven it will save lives and add a lot of capabilities for the Army.
Currently, iRobot, the company manu-
facturing the SUGV, is developing a fol- low-up model that would offer additional processing, communication and sensor capabilities. C
Raven being launched during a Hands On Training Exercise (HOTEX)
August 2012
Columbus and the Valley
29
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