Ground troops demanding smaller robotic systems.

• Author: Magnuson, Stew
• Position: Robotics

The message from combatant commanders has been clear: Send more robotic systems--and the smaller the better.

Whether they are in the air or on the ground, small robots are increasingly becoming a vital part of a platoon's tactics, techniques and procedures.

"No commander worth his salt should ever, ever go on a mission without one of these things flying above their convoy, out ahead, looking for suspicious activity and protecting their soldiers," Maj. Jeffrey Poquette, assistant product manager of the Army small unmanned aerial systems office, said in a press briefing of the hand-launched Puma and Raven aerial drones.

Meanwhile, the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization has put out a call for small ground reconnaissance robots that can be carried in a backpack and are small enough for a soldier or Marine to toss into a window. JIEDDO wants upwards of 4,000 to send to Afghanistan and has tapped four manufacturers to provide them for in-theater assessments.

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GROUND ROBOT MANUFACTURER WEIGHT (WITH CONTROLLER) Dragon Runner 10 QinetiQ 13 pounds Recon Scout XT Recon Robotics 3.3 pounds Armadillo Macro USA 10.5 pounds FirstLook iRobot 7.4 pounds Most of these robots have two things in common: they are intended to accompany troops on foot patrols, and therefore must be small enough to carry, and--with the exception of the Raven unmanned aircraft system--they have bypassed the traditional acquisition process and been fielded at the request of battlefield commanders under urgent needs statements.

One such small UAV was the Puma, a 13-pound aircraft with a 9-foot wingspan that doesn't require an auxiliary system to launch, and can be carried in a backpack. Soldiers on foot patrols are using them for better situational awareness, particularly in Afghanistan where a typical village is a collection of compounds surrounded by 10-foot high adobe walls.

"It is basically like putting up a periscope. You can put one of these up in a moment's notice," Poquette said. "The advantage is incalculable."

The Puma has longer endurance and range compared to the Raven, and has a gimbaled payload, so the electro-optical and infra-red sensors can scan around as it flies. The Raven has a fixed camera, but is undergoing upgrades that will add a gimbaled camera.

The Puma also has an all-weather capability.

"The ability to call up this kind of ISR without having to ask for it from higher echelons is tremendous," Paquette said.

"To have...