Mission Summary

Flight Rules	MAV Operations	UGV Operations	Obstacles/Mines
Covered Positions	Red Team Behavior	Hostage Building	Perch Sites
	Commandos	Logistics	Static Displays

UGV Operations - EOD Robot (UGV - Sim UGV)

Overview:  

The EOD Robot (UGV), directed by the ground control station team, contributes to the mission by deploying to clear mines that have been detected by the MAV along the ingress path for hostage rescue. The objective is for the MAV and Sim UGV to work autonomously together to clear a route of mines.    

Details:

UGV Guidelines:

  In accordance with the rules, EOD robot vehicles (UGVs) may be purpose-built by the teams, purchased and adapted to the mission, or simulated by a manned ground vehicle directed by a ground control station or micro air vehicle interface so that the operational behavior is similar to an unmanned ground vehicle. 

Simulated UGV (Sim UGV): 

The organizers are providing a single simulated UGV for use by the teams.  Sim UGVs cannot be used in combination with any other UGVs.  The simulated UGV will be a small motorized vehicle with a human driver and navigator provided by the demonstration organizers using a 4m circle of error (COE) GPS.  The Sim UGV navigator will respond to commands to travel autonomously from current position on a straight line at speeds ranging from 1.7 – 3.3 m/sec, until slowing to stop at a given coordinate along a route, or manually with headings/speeds given by the ground control station. 

Communication:

Communication with the Sim UGV will be by two way radio or digital messages can be used to direct the navigator/SIM UGV. If teams choose, a receiver can be developed by teams and mounted in the vehicle to accommodate digital message traffic directly from the MAV or the ground control station. 

Vision Systems:

The Sim UGV will not simulate a vision system for guiding the Sim UGV to within a 10m radius of a mine will require accurate knowledge of the mine location, and/or real time imagery of the Sim UGV with respect to the mine.  The Sim UGV operators will not be able to perceive the mine. Teams can put a team member (human observer) or a camera on the Sim UGV to serve as a vision system but the ground control station is the only entity that can give commands to control the Sim UGV. If a human observer is used to locate mines in the Sim UGV, the observer may only relay the sighting of a mine, direction and distance to the mine.  The observer may not give commands directly the Sim UGV operator.

Disarm:

Once the Sim UGV has arrived at the directed mine location, the ground control station operator can give the ”disarm the mine” command.  If the Sim UGV is within the 10M radius of the mine at the time, the mine will be disarmed.   

Destruction: 

If a UGV is observed by the Red Team the UGV will be considered engaged and destroyed and must return to the start point.  If a UGV drives through the effective radius of a mine without stopping the UGV is considered destroyed.  The judges will inform the team when a UGV is destroyed by red team observation of a mine.

Equipment:  

Sim UGV operators are equipped with a two-way radio, a 4m COE GPS, a map of the demonstration zone and a distinctive uniform that differentiates them from the red team, judges and commandos. 

Abilities: EOD Robots (Sim UGVs) have the ability to:

1. Disable mines when in the 10m radius of action of a mine.
2. Move at speeds up to 3.3 m/sec between the IP and the last covered position.
3. Move under manual guidance from the ground control station.
4. Deviate off the pre-defined routes to avoid an identified mine if directed specifically by the ground control station.

Actions:

Sim UGV operators will:

- Acknowledge receipt of instructions, report start of movement, completion of movement, and disarm of a mine using their two way radio.
- Request retransmission of instructions if they do not understand the movement task.
- Request alternate instructions if unable to understand after two attempts.
- Depart from the ingress point (IP) along pre-defined routes directly between covered positions that are known prior to departure.
- Report arrival at each covered position/mine location and wait for instructions from the ground station prior to movement to the next covered position or executing the disarming of a mine.

Sim UGV operators will not:

- Report red team observations to the ground control team.   
- Travel off the predefined routes except for deviating around the zone of an identified mine when directed by the ground control station.
- Search for mines (Teams may use a human operator that rides in the Sim UGV to locate and report mines to ground control station using a two-way radio)
- Move closer than 100m to the hostage building.

Notes:

- Teams may not use the organizer provided Sim UGV as a platform for carrying and launching MAVs. 
- The Sim UGV may be used to carry safety pilots to stay within range of the MAVs and as a retransmission platform for communications between the GCS and MAV by installation of retransmission equipment. 
- Teams that bring UGVs as part of their systems will be constrained to the same routes of operation as the Sim UGVs.  Team UGV speeds will be limited to 5 m/sec will for safety purposes.  Team UGVs must be able to disabled using a remote kill switch or termination procedure.  Team UGVs must provide a clear signal to the ground control station when a disarm task is complete. 
- UGVs are not allowed within ~100 m of the hostage building to avoid conflicts with the movement of the red team guard vehicle. 
- UGVs located within 10 meters on the backside (closest to the launch point) of a covered position are considered hidden from red team guard observation. 
- In the event that teams bring more than one UGV and must transfer equipment from a “lead” UGV to a trailing UGV (i.e. lead UGV is observed by the red team), the trailing UGV must be fully controlled as a second UGV by the ground control station until it arrives at the lead UGV.  The lead UGV can remain on the course until the event is completed.
- In the case that a team intends to reuse a single UGV or Sim UGV if destroyed, the UGV does not actually have to return to the start point if the same route will be followed.  The judge will compute the expected time that it would take to drive the UGV back to the start and then move to the current position and a time delay will be assessed.  Once the delay time expires the UGV can move forward with the mission.
- The commandos are not permitted to ride in the Sim UGV.
- Manned Team UGVs should plan to accommodate a judge who will ride with UGV to observe operations
- UGVs must demonstrate termination capability prior to being approved for operation on the DZ.
-  UGVs all start from the IP in serial fashion.  If more than one UGV is used, queue the UGVs to the south of the IP with 1 m separation between vehicles.
- Team UGVs with MAVs mounted to the vehicle must start from the North edge of the MAV launch point and proceed via the shortest path to joint the route from the IP to Covered Position A1.
- A testing area will be available for small Team UGVs at the hotel adjacent to the static display hall.
- All modifications to the Sim UGV must be temporary, installable within 10 minutes and removable within 10 min, and must not impair safe operation of the vehicle.
- Teams will be given an opportunity to work with the Sim UGV operators, large Team UGVs and practice integration of equipment onto the Sim UGV on 10-11 Mar 08 at Lower Porch – Gate 2 Parking Area, Jaypee Palace Hotel, Agra.

Sim UGV Integration Schedule:

One hour block times can be requested during the below times by coordinating with the mission director.
- 10 Mar 08: 0800 – 1600 hours: (Location: Lower Porch – Gate #2 Jaypee Palace Hotel)
- 11 Mar 08:  1100 -1300 hours: (Location: Lower Porch – Gate #2 Jaypee Palace Hotel)

UGV Recovery Plan:

UGVs that are destroyed by mines (and not planned for future use) may be driven under their own power back to the IP using the service road to the north of the demonstration area after the demonstration is complete.  Otherwise UGVs will remain stationary at the point of destruction until a recovery vehicle arrives.  A vehicle will be provided to teams that will traverse the DZ to pick-up MAV/UGV equipment during the reset time.  If the UGV cannot be returned to the IP during the 20 minute reset period teams will clear the UGV from the active route area and await full recovery at the end of the event.

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Sim UGV Vehicle
<TBD – Awaiting Photo>

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Additional mission related questions? 
Check FAQs
Contact LTC Stierna at eric.stierna@us.army.mil