Naval Postgraduate School's Small Robotics Technology Initiative: Initial Platform Integration and Testing.

摘要

Tbc Naval Postgraduate School's Small Robotic Technology (SMART) initiative is an ongoing research effort within the Combat Systems Science and Technology Curriculum that engages in forward-looking applications of small robotic technology for military employment. The goal of the program is to develop a multipurpose robotic platform that is capable of hosting varied sensor packages for military research. This thesis successfully modified a Foster Miller Learning tracked vehicle: Payload volume was increased to allow for ease of systems testing and access while incorporating a method for deploying varied sensor modules on a towed sled. Original micro-controller hardware has been replaced with a COTS system that allowed for simplified interfacing with a Honeywell digital compass and a Motorola G.P.S. card. Communications with the Robot were provided through the internet via a modem. A control interface for use on a personal computer was implemented by creating a JAVA application; the control interface has also been converted to a JAVA applet that the Robot is capable of downloading to a user via a web interface. Follow on research will fully integrate the Robot with a variety of sensor packages including a synthetic array seismic sonar, visual and infrared devices and chemical detection devices.