Unmanned Ground Vehicle Radio Relay Deployment System For Non-Line-Of-Sight Operations

Abstract

Tactical mobile robots used in military and lawenforcement operations normally require a robust, longrange, and non-line-of-sight (NLOS) communications link to the remote control station. This is especially true for Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) operators using robots to defeat Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). Highfrequency digital radio communications, currently the preferred technology, are subject to line-of-sight (LOS) limitations, and thus are often impossible to maintain in urban environments. We have developed a system that will allow the mobile robot to carry multiple relay radios that are automatically deployed when and where needed in order to maintain robust communications. This process is completely transparent to the operator and is entirely handled by the ad-hoc network formed by the relay radios. The system is plug-and-playable, and can be attached to many manned and unmanned vehicles requiring long-range and non-LOS operational capability. Experimental data compares the effective range achieved with and without the use of our relay deployment system.