Unmanned Aerial
Reconnaissance Vehicle

Military EOD personnel require the ability to conduct remote reconnaissance of hazardous locations beyond the reach of current ground robotic systems. This effort will be to provide EOD personnel with a readily available, hover-capable, small aerial platform to conduct incident site reconnaissance in areas inaccessible to unmanned ground vehicles and to maintain operational and situational awareness when engaged in EOD operations in hostile or high risk locations. The EOD community will conduct initial operational assessment and feasibility testing and evaluation which will further support the development of tactics, techniques and procedures.

Self-Developing X-Ray Film

The X-ray film currently in use by the Joint Service EOD and the civilian bomb squad communities will be discontinued in the near future. Therefore, EOD personnel need replacements for their twopart wet film, film cassettes, and film processors. EOD technicians use this equipment to confirm the contents, configuration, and arming status of suspect packages, devices, and munitions. This effort will provide the EOD communities with the ability to X-ray large packages and devices without using multiple cassettes and building mosaics with multiple photos. Secondary operational advantages include the simplification of radiography procedures and a significant reduction in the equipment required. The enhanced film will be self developing with no post-exposure treatment required. The film will be easy to cut, immersion-proof, scratch-resistant, stable in the light or dark, and usable in temperatures from 32 to 120 °F. The goal is to provide this film with a cost per sheet that will be comparable to current Polaroid 803 film.

Real-Time Radiography for Large Improvised Explosive Devices

A real-time radiography (RTR) system for use in imaging large IEDs (LIEDs) was developed and is undergoing evaluation. The system will allow EOD Technicians to rapidly identify internal components of an LIED and to aim disruption tools to prevent it from functioning as designed. This system is computer-controlled, moving the digital imager automatically and creating a composite image from several adjacent X-ray images taken individually.

Extendable Camera Boom for Robotic Platforms

EOD and security personnel require the capability to search hard-to reach areas for the presence of explosive threats. Applied Research Associates designed an extendable camera boom that allows remote inspection inside the passenger compartments of vehicles as well as other areas previously beyond the reach of existing systems. The Extendable Camera Boom mounts to a variety of existing military robotic platforms used by EOD and security personnel. Prototypes are being delivered for initial user evaluation.

Digital Camera / X-Ray Combination System

To allow EOD personnel to transfer information at a greater range and with improved targeting information, SAIC integrated a digital camera and a fiber-optic link with their Real-Time Radiography (RTR) systems. The SAIC system integrates a commercially available compact digital camera with the RTR-4 and the Advanced Radiography Systems, both of which are in use with the U.S. military. Additionally, SAIC incorporated fiber-optic technology into existing RTR hardware and software, providing the capability to transfer X-ray data from the imager to a laptop computer at a 1000-foot stand-off distance, a significant improvement over the previous configuration of two fifty-foot spools of coaxial cable. These enhanced systems will allow EOD personnel to superimpose digital photographs over X-ray images to determine the exact location of internal components using external reference points. Additional information is available at http://www.saic.com.

Bombot: Expendable Robot for IED Neutralization

Increasingly sophisticated IED threats are confronting U.S. and coalition forces. In response to this, the Air Force Research Laboratory developed the Bombot, a low-cost stand-off robotic tool to help EOD and convoy operations defeat the increasing number of IEDs and booby-trapped unexploded ordnance used overseas. The Bombot provides EOD operators with a low-cost, expendable means to remotely deliver explosive charges to counteract roadside IEDs, saving military as well as civilian lives. The Joint IED Defeat Task Force approved an urgent procurement of over 2400 of these robotic systems for EOD forces engaged in operations in Iraq. For product availability, contact the West Virginia High Technology Consortium Foundation at http://www.wvhtf.org/about/contact/.

Dual Frequency IDentification SONar (DIDSON)

The Dual Frequency Identification Sonar (DIDSON) uses acoustic lens technology to provide high-quality beam-forming versus digital beam-forming which requires electric power for digital computations. While the acoustic lens technology is intended for diver-held sonar, the DIDSON has proven ideal for remote vehicle applications.

• View the SCUBA divers in motion

Ordnance Penalty Simulator

The Ordnance Penalty Simulator is a training aid that is being developed by the Naval Surface Warfare Center-Indian Head for use at the Navy EOD School House at Eglin Air Force Base. The simulator will be used during EOD training scenarios to provide a realistic and objective means of evaluating students/technicians who violate safety precautions. The system will be designed to function like an ordnance item to provide real-world simulations. The simulator will have the ability to transmit and receive raw data from each sensor. The computer will translate, analyze, and log raw data to provide objective feedback to the instructor and trainees. This system will be available for military use only.

Large Package X-Ray Apparatus (LAPAXA)

The LAPAXA is a portable system for x-raying large-scale targets such as 55 gallon drums. Standard 8" x 10" exposures are reassembled after film development to form a single image. LAPAXA systems have been fielded for evaluation and testing.

Remote Mini-Reconnaissance Vehicle (MRV)

The TALON MRV is a small, lightweight, fast and extremely mobile remote controlled platform. The TALON has been fielded to the Army and USMC EOD, and deployed in Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom for remote placement of C-4 and initial approach in locations where tripwires, landmines, or enemy fighters may have been present.