News


LAPD BATCAT Sees Action
April 8, 2011 - The Los Angeles Police Department on Monday used their new "BATCAT"-formally called the "Bomb Assault Tactical Control Assessment Tool"-in a standoff in Sylmar between police and a gunman who shot an officer in the face.

The BATCAT is a 39,000-pound tele-handler built by Cat and automated jointly by Autonomous Solutions, Inc. and Northrop Grumman Remotec. The fifty foot telescoping arm is equipped with video cameras and a range of attachments.

During the standoff in Sylmar, the BATCAT was used to break down walls and move obstacles out of the way to give its cameras a better view inside the house without putting officers in further danger.

Read more in the LA Times about the incident


Autonomous Solutions to Develop 3D Visualization System for MTRS Talon
LOGAN, UT, July 31, 2009 - Autonomous Solutions today announced it has begun a program with the EOD Robotics Group at ARDEC (Picatinny Arsenal, NJ) to transition its real-time 3D visualization technology to the MTRS Talon. This suite of sensors and software enables an EOD technician to have a real time 3D ‘bird's-eye' view of the target environment and the robot's position in it. The resulting enhanced situational awareness will enable users to more easily and quickly perform complex driving and manipulation tasks.

The underlying technology was developed by Autonomous Solutions under contract with NAVEODTECHDIV using the iRobot Packbot as the initial development platform. The technique fuses 3D point cloud data from stereovision, lasers, or other 3D sensors, with 2D camera images to create a textured ‘3D photograph' - almost like having a CAD model of the world, viewable from any angle. As the robot moves through its environment, 3D data is stitched together to create a 3D map of the robot's route. The resulting world model can be used for situational awareness, for measuring objects and distances in the world, and for enabling manipulation and navigational autonomy.

Autonomous Solutions will develop its implementation for the Talon robot with the help of engineers at the ARDEC EOD Robotics Group, who have developed their own interface to the base platform. The resulting retrofit package will have a minimal impact on the base platform. It will feature low power consumption, low weight, and minimal logistics footprint. Its use will result in no loss of current functionality, and it will be easily installed in the field.

"It's an important part of ASI's mission to transition the results of our research projects into products that can help soldiers in the field. Our intent is to be in a position to offer a cost-effective retrofit package for the Talon robot by the end of the year", said Mel Torrie, CEO of Autonomous Solutions.

About Autonomous Solutions, Inc.
Autonomous Solutions is a market leader in vehicle automation, multi-vehicle command and control, and SAE-JAUS implementation. ASI has successfully delivered hundreds of unmanned vehicle systems on nearly 50 different types of vehicle platforms for both military and commercial applications on vehicles ranging from 2 lbs to 300 tons.

Press Contact:
Chris Brown
Business Development Manager
435.755.2980


Autonomous Solutions' Chaos Small Robot to be Configured for ‘Persistent Stare' Mission

LOGAN, UT, July 21, 2009 - Autonomous Solutions today announced it has begun a program with SPAWAR Systems Center Pacific to engineer its Chaos high mobility man-portable robotic platform to perform sustained ground surveillance missions, referred to by the shorthand ‘persistent stare', as part of SPAWAR's Man-Portable ISR UGV program. The mission will require the integration of an advanced power system to increase mission duration from hours to days and an advanced sensor suite for both surveillance and autonomous navigation purposes.

Autonomous Solutions will collaborate with engineers at SPAWAR's Unmanned Systems Branch to configure the platform for the new sub-systems and fabricate an upgraded prototype system. The newly configured Chaos is intended to be ready for a demonstration of the new capability at the Cobra Gold exercise in Thailand in February of 2010.

Chaos was originally developed with TARDEC's Robotic Mobility Lab to demonstrate high mobility in a man-portable form factor similar to that of the current MTRS EOD robots. The platform's unique mobility, plus its open architecture and easy configurability, made it a good base platform for the persistent surveillance mission. TARDEC is also contributing to this effort.

"At the JGRE conference in March, Lt. Gen. Rick Lynch, commanding general of the Army's III Corps, identified the persistent stare mission as one of the top upcoming applications for robots in combat. Autonomous Solutions is excited about this opportunity to be one of the first to help fill this need", said Mel Torrie, CEO of Autonomous Solutions.

About Autonomous Solutions, Inc.
Autonomous Solutions is a market leader in vehicle automation, multi-vehicle command and control, and SAE-JAUS implementation. ASI has successfully delivered hundreds of unmanned vehicle systems on nearly 50 different types of vehicle platforms for both military and commercial applications on vehicles ranging from 2 lbs to 300 tons.

Press Contact:
Chris Brown
Business Development Manager
435.755.2980


Autonomous Solutions' Mobius Chosen as Command and Control Software for Development of UUV-Based Mine Neutralization System
LOGAN, UT, May 28, 2009 - Autonomous Solutions today announced it has been awarded a contract to supply its Mobius command and control software for the initial development phase of an ONR sponsored project to develop a Buoy-Based Neutralization System (BBNS). In this program, Mobius will be used to command the Archerfish UUV through a JAUS-based interface. Mobius' easily configurable user interface will be adapted for use as a UUV control station.

Primarily used to control UGVs, Mobius' extensive feature set and open JAUS framework make it easily adaptable for command and control of a variety of vehicle types. Mobius has been used to control unmanned ground target vehicles for the Air Force, multiple haul trucks for open-pit mining operations, and John Deere tractors for agricultural and military de-mining applications. In addition to these ground-based applications, Mobius has controlled the REMUS UUV and an unmanned surface vehicle.

Under the BBNS program, engineers at the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) in Panama City, Florida, seek to develop a mine neutralization system consisting of the Archerfish UUV deployed from a helicopter-borne buoy at a pre-identified target location. The operator in the helicopter requires a clear, easy-to-use interface to control the vehicle, and locate, identify, and neutralize targets. Mobius will be the interface for the initial development phase of the program.

"This is a great opportunity to leverage our 10 years of development in robotic command and control into a new application," said Mel Torrie, CEO of Autonomous Solutions.

About Autonomous Solutions, Inc.
Autonomous Solutions is a market leader in vehicle automation, multi-vehicle command and control, and SAE-JAUS implementation. ASI has successfully delivered hundreds of unmanned vehicle systems on nearly 50 different types of vehicle platforms for both military and commercial applications on vehicles ranging from 2 lbs to 300 tons.

Press Contact:
Chris Brown
Business Development Manager
(435.755.2980)

Autonomous Solutions, Inc. Announces Participation of its ChaosTM Small Robot in Cobra Gold 2009
LOGAN, UTAH, January 28, 2009 - Autonomous Solutions, Inc. (ASI) announced that its ChaosTM small robot will be profiled in a series of exercises at Cobra Gold 2009 in Thailand. Cobra Gold involves the United States, Thai, Singaporean, Japanese and Indonesian militaries and is meant to improve interoperability, enhance security relationships, and demonstrate U.S. support for humanitarian and security interests in the Pacific. The ChaosTM unit that will be at Cobra Gold was built by ASI for the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), which has made it available for the exercise.
Cobra1
The ChaosTM robot will be operated by Marines in a series of scenarios in which robotic assistance will be beneficial. Engineers from ASI will be on-hand to provide support and receive feedback on the ChaosTM platform from operators. Examples of these scenarios include route security, cordon and search, casualty extraction and logistical supply.

The ChaosTM robotic platform is designed to remotely access hazardous areas previously accessible only by foot, thereby reducing risk to personnel. It is able to navigate over extremely rough, steep, and loose terrain with four independent drive tracks that can continuously change orientation a full 360 degrees. The unique ability to alter its pitch, roll and yaw enables the ChaosTM platform to navigate surfaces too uneven for other tracked platforms.

Cobra2With a high payload capacity and an available manipulator arm with a fifty pound capacity at full reach (72 in), ChaosTM can perform a variety of functions. Its base weight is low enough that it can be lifted out of a vehicle and deployed by two people. As a JAUS-compatible platform, the ChaosTM robot also allows easy addition of a wide variety of sensors and other robotic payloads. Its simple, modular design affords easy field service, maintenance, and repair.

Autonomous Solutions is a market leader in vehicle automation, multi-vehicle command and control, and SAE-JAUS implementation. ASI has successfully delivered hundreds of unmanned vehicle systems on nearly 50 different types of vehicle platforms for both military and commercial applications on vehicles ranging from two pounds to 100 tons. ASI is one of the largest privately-held ground robotics-focused companies in the world-employing world class automation engineers and obstacle detection and avoidance experts.

ASI Successfully Delivers Two Autonomous Target Vehicles to Luke AFB
LOGAN, UTAH, January 26, 2009 -- Autonomous Solutions, Inc., (ASI), a designer and manufacturer of unmanned vehicle systems, today announced final delivery and acceptance of two unmanned target vehicles to the U.S. Air Force Range Management Office at Luke Air Force Base.

Additional unmanned target systems have been installed by ASI at Nellis Air Force Base - Nevada Test & Training Range (NTTR), Fort Polk, and on other similar military installations. For more information about these and other ASI products, visit www.autonomoussolutions.com.

Luke Air Force Base plans to utilize these high speed unmanned ground target vehicles for training scenarios in air to ground combat. The two targets are autonomously controlled by ASI's Mobius software and control station, which is located more than 50 miles away from the operating vehicles. Towable skids will be pulled behind the target vehicles equipped with scoring systems that will be used in the training exercise for fighter pilots.

Both SUV target vehicles have been equipped with modular autonomous kits including swappable components that may be changed out in the event that parts become damaged during live training scenarios.

For this delivery, ASI has implemented new vehicle auto calibration technology and a newly redesigned modular vehicle control unit which reduces the overall maintenance requirements of the vehicles. The new modular autonomous kit designed with automatic calibration allows the customer to replace damaged parts more easily and also allows customers to move module components to other fleet vehicles in a matter of a few man hours.

This installation also comes standard with ASI's industry leading JAUS compliant command and control software, MobiusT. This software will enable Luke Air Force Base to send both vehicles simultaneously on dynamic and realistic missions that are easily created using the simple to use GUI interface.

Although paths and missions can be created to be as complex as desired, the software continues to meet U.S. Air Force performance safety standards for these unmanned systems. Proprietary proximeter monitoring technology detects known objects and other target vehicles in the area and automatically controls the vehicles to maintain safety in the operating environment.

"It is exciting to see that more and more training facilities are choosing to utilize our Mobius software coupled with our ground vehicle automation kits to create the kind of realistic exercises needed to better prepare our troops in the air and on the ground," said Mel Torrie, CEO of Autonomous Solutions.

Autonomous Solutions Inc. enters mining industry

LOGAN, UTAH, October 21, 2008 - Autonomous Solutions Inc. officially entered the mining industry at the MINExpo conference in Las Vegas, Nevada. The Logan-based company demonstrated the new Robotic Dozer and Guideline convoy systems.

MINExpo® 2008, held every four years, is titled "The World's Richest Deposit of Mining Technology, Services and Products." With over 600,00 sq. ft of exhibit space it was the largest MINExpo ever. The newest products and services, as well as the latest technology were demonstrated to top mining professionals.

The Robotic Dozer System is an implementation of ASI's off-the-shelf automation package for CAT D10 Bulldozers. It allows open-pit and surface mines to maximize productivity and enhances the safety and efficiency of mining operations. It offers many advantages over a traditional manned system, such as removing the operator from dangerous situations, increasing vehicle-to-operator ratios, providing precise, repeatable control of the vehicle and implements, and reduces vehicle down-time. The system is operated with ASI's Mobius multi-vehicle command and control software which integrates with GPS and wireless communications solutions. It allows both autonomous and tele-operation modes for the entire system, including ripping and blade control.

The GuideLineTM system works by attaching a tether cord from the follower vehicle to any lead vehicle. The follower vehicle senses angle and length data and from that plans a "path" to follow. This arrangement eliminates the limitations of RF and GPS due to interference or blockage, works in all light and weather conditions, and works equally well sin reverse. No modifications are required to the lead vehicle whatsoever. The simple elegance of the solution means less complex equipment to maintain, simplified operator training, and the potential for significant manpower reductions for safety or cost reasons.