An Advanced Telereflexive Tactical Response Robot

Abstract

ROBART III is intended as an advanced demonstration platform for non-lethal tactical response, extending the concepts of reflexive teleoperation into the realm of coordinated weapons control (i.e., sensor-aided control of mobility, camera, and weapons functions) in law enforcement in urban warfare scenarios. A rich mix of ultrasonic and optical proximity and range sensors facilitates remote operation in unstructured and unexplored buildings with minimal operator oversight. Supervised autonomous navigation and mapping of interior spaces is significantly enhanced by an innovative algorithm which exploits the fact that the majority of man-made structures are characterized by (but not limited to) parallel and orthogonal walls. This paper presents a brief overview of the advanced telereflexive man-machine interface and its associated "human-centered mapping" strategy.