Lightweight Reconnaissance Vehicle

ARA Engineers have developed a Lightweight Reconnaissance Vehicle (LRV) for tele-operation use, which is able to climb and descend stairs, rocks and rubble up to 11” in height. This small agile robot has the ability to operate as a stand-alone robot (man packable), or as a mission module (marsupial robot, one that is deployed from a larger robot). 

This vehicle uses a polymorphic locomotion system having the ability to act as a wheeled vehicle to traverse moderate terrain quickly and a rough terrain mode for efficient maneuverability up stairways and over rubble. The platform has an optional pivoting body capable of moving 30 degrees relative to the other side, allowing great mobility in the wheeled mode. The vehicle is able to traverse a wide range of environmental conditions such as: steps, rocks, building obstacles, building debris, level ground, compound slopes (successfully tested up to 45°), sand, rocks, and ice surfaces.  In addition this vehicle has been fully tested at the Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) Robotics Test Bed.

Patent Pending

LRV availability:  Summer 2005

Related 

	Download brochure
	Video clip: LRV climbing rocks
	Video clip: LRV climbing steps and reconnaissance of vehicle

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