SWABBY
Currently under contract with TARDEC, this vehicle will be capable of ‘swabbing’ the surface of a vehicle with a chemical or other WMD detection sytem or digging a trench to unearth an IED.  The system will consist of a functionally-omnidirectional base, an arm for manipulation tasks, an OCU (Operator Control Unit), and optional payloads, which can be attached to and removed from the arm. The user will use the OCU to wirelessly control the base and arm, to view video, and to hear and speak audio.  The control system will have a “fly-the-gripper” mode to allow the operator to specify the gripper motion, rather than the motion of individual arm joints.

3D LASER (patent pending)
As part of our research into obstacle detection techniques, ASI developed a 3D Laser Scanner.  The research utilized an off-the-shelf 2D SICK Laser which sweeps from left to right or right to left and recieves distance measurements at specified angle intervals.   The 3D laser is based on the concept of spinning the 2D laser clockwise around the forward pointing axis.  This setup enables the collection of range data in a hemisphere shaped area with a radius of roughly 100 meters.  The 3D Laser scans the area and returns a 3D image that can be used for obstacle detection and avoidance activities.

ODIS
An acronym for Omni-Directional Inspection System, ODIS is designed to travel underneath vehicles and remotely search the undercarriage for contraband or explosive ordnance.  ODIS is short - only 3-3/4-inches, but it includes some big capabilities and features such as IR, sonar, and laser range sensors, eight processors, three-wheel independent steering, and a color camera with transmitter.  ODIS makes it more efficient and safer to inspect suspicious vehicles at checkpoints.

Predator - Autonomous Farming Vehicle
The Predator Autonomous farming Vehicle project was completed at the Center for Self-Organizing and Intelligent Systems (CSOIS) at Utah State University (USU) by some of our then future staff members.  By retrofitting an existing vehicle platform, this amphibious vehicle was able to fulfill dual-use roles of site-specific soil sampling and spraying applications in agricultural environments or automated site-characterization in hazardous environments. The Triton Predator platform was chosen for its minimal intrusion on the environment, hydrostatic transmission, and ease of retrofitting for autonomous control.

TARDEC 1 - T1 This 100-pound wonder with its distributed processor architecture was developed at the Center for Self Organizing and Intelligent Systems (CSOIS) as part of a TARDEC / TACOM funded mobility study. T1 was the first CSOIS robot with smart wheels, demonstrating the mobility of an omnidirectional vehicle.

TARDEC 2 - T2 The big, bad brother and successor of the T1, the T2 features two Pentium and six 68332 processors, infinite rotation of the wheels about the steering axis, and a fail-safe brake system. The T2 also came about in a TARDEC/TACOM funded mobility study.

TARDEC 3 - T3 Weighing in at only 120 pounds, the T3 features a modular chassis and distributed processor architecture similar to that used by the T1 and T2. Its steering motor, spindle, and absolute encoder are coupled by gears to provide a very compact, lightweight design.

ARC III
ARC III was developed at the Center for Self Organizing and Intelligent Systems (CSOIS) It has six independently controlled wheels, each with fully omni-directional control systems It is well suited for rugged terrain and is built to support many different sensors and feedback options.

Wheelchair Research
Autonomous Solutions, Inc., has researched and developed wheelchair features such as rotatable seat bases, close-range intermittent autonomous control, virtual reality training for long-range path following and autonomous obstacle avoidance. This research into improving the mobility of the disabled was aimed at providing people confined to wheelchairs with more freedom and superior care.