Subsurface Unexploded Ordnance Detecting Robot for the Airfield Damage Repair Mission

摘要

As long-range strike capabilities proliferate, a growing concern for allied air forces is the possibility of sustaining damage to airfield runways. To address this, the USAF created the Rapid Airfield Damage Repair (RADR) mission to expedite airfield repair after an attack has occurred. The RADR mission incorporates numerous tasks that are required to assess damage after an attack and create a minimum viable airfield that can return to servicing the launch and recovery of aircraft. For this work, the specific RADR sub-task of locating subsurface unexploded ordnance (UXO) and reporting it to Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD) personnel was prioritized. A novel autonomous system is proposed here that incorporates the functions of receiving position information of suspected subsurface UXO, navigating to the point of entry, performing a pattern search, locating the UXO, recording the location and returning to base. This solution protects EOD personnel from substantial risk, and it is scalable, potentially offering vast time savings, and allowing a faster return to operational capability for damaged airbases.