The document proposes a validation and testing plan for an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) system for the Army. The UGV is intended to detect improvised explosive devices (IEDs) in harsh environments. It will have greater range, endurance, and terrain navigation capabilities than previous models. The proposed UGV will use a lithium-ion battery, FIDO explosive detection sensor, satellite and radio communication links, and multiple cameras. It will undergo closed and operational testing to evaluate its endurance, range, and terrain capabilities for finding IEDs in different environments.

1. ARMY UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE
VALIDATION AND TESTING
By: Malcolm Aranda
For: UNSY 325
Professor Michael Battaglino

2. CUSTOMER REQUIREMENTS
• Work in harsh environments for improvised explosive device detection
• Travel farther away from the operator than its predecessors
• Travel for greater periods of time that its predecessors.
• Navigate over rougher terrain that any of the previous models of UGVs.

3. PROPOSAL FOR UGV SYSTEM
• Tracked system powered with a lithium ion battery.
• FIDO explosive detection hardware.
• Satellite link with radio frequency redundancy.
• Multiple cameras for different functions of operation.

4. DEPENDENCIES
• The system is dependent on the power that comes from the lithium ion
battery.
• The robot is controlled by an external operator.
• The UGV needs to maintain a certain range to ensure proper connection
is still established.

5. REDUNDANCIES
• The system will have three sets of communication link: Satellite, UHF,
and VHF radio communication.
• The system will have two batteries to draw power from equally, If one
malfunctions the other battery will become the primary and only source
of power.
• There will be multiple cameras on the system, two on the body, one on
the arm, and another on the main body that has an extreme wide angle
perspective that can rotate 360 degrees.

6. INSTRUMENTS
• The unmanned ground vehicle will be equipped with a rotating arm that
is capable of lifting 50 pounds.
• The system will use the FIDO explosive detection sensor to find IEDs in
the field environment.
• There will be cameras located on the front of the system, on the
actuating arm, rear facing, and one on the top that is capable of rotating
360 degrees.
• The connection will be through satellite, UHF, and VHF antenna.
• There will be a ground control station for the operator to control

7. MEASURES
• There will be three performance keys measured:
• Endurance
• Terrain traversing capability (off road, and urban)
• Range

8. VALIDATION TESTING
• Closed environment testing
• System will be put through an off-road course and urban testing
area.
• The system will be tested to see if the endurance and range
calculations are around the average of real world tests.
• The system be tested to find unexploded ordinance in a different
environments using the FIDO explosive detection sensor.

9. VALIDATION TESTING CONT.
• Systems will be sent onto deployments with explosive ordinance and
disposal units.
• The systems will work with with bomb sniffing dogs to ensure
redundancy incase of a system malfunction.
• The tests will be conducted in the desert, urban, jungle, and snow
environments.

10. REFERENCES
• army-technology.com. (n.d.). Cobham tEODor.
• Packbot Version of MTRS Fido XT Sensor Payload. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://ndiastorage.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/ndia/2009/groundrobot/Jo
hnson.pdf
• Packbot Version of MTRS Fido XT Sensor Payload. (n.d.). Retrieved from
https://ndiastorage.blob.core.usgovcloudapi.net/ndia/2009/groundrobot/Jo
hnson.pdf
• Rudakevych, P., Clark, S., & Wallace, J. (2007). Integration of the Fido
explosives detector onto the PackBot EOD UGV. Retrieved from Defense and
Security: https://www-spiedigitallibrary-
org.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu/conference-proceedings-of-spie/5804