FULLTEXT01.Pdf
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
TRITA CSC-A 2007:18 ISSN 1653-5723 KTH School of Computer Science and Communication ISRN KTH/CSC/A--07/18--SE SE-100 44 Stockholm ISBN 978-91-7178-791-0 SWEDEN Akademisk avhandling som med tillstånd av Kungl Tekniska högskolan framläg- ges till offentlig granskning för avläggande av teknologie doktorsexamen i datalogi onsdagen den 12 december 2007 klockan 13.00 i sal F3, Lindstedtsvägen 26, Kungl Tekniska högskolan, Valhallavägen 79, Stockholm. © Carl Lundberg, december 2007 Tryck: Universitetsservice US AB iii Abstract There are a number of professions in which exposure to life threatening risks is part of daily routine and robots could possibly be used to avoid some of these. In fact, there are applications in which this is already done, the most prominent being bomb disposal and mine clearing. The user testing of new technology is part of achieving similar benefits for other tasks. Methods for use need to be explored, technical solutions have to be trialed, and advantages gained must be compared to the loads imposed in order to guide future development and to determine if the new tools are ready to be deployed. This thesis has performed such feasibility tests on robots within Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT). The aim has been to gain a comprehensive view of a potential user and to embed a robot amongst them in order to assess its tactical feasibility and evaluate its technical performance. An army company specialized in urban operations made up the primary user group and an iRobot Packbot Scout was the robot system in focus. Setting up the tests included identifying and modifying a number of the company’s standard behaviors to include the robot. During the two tests, which lasted over a period of three and six months respectively, it was up to the users to deploy the robot as they considered appropriate. It was found that the military rely on precise and thoroughly trained actions that can be executed with a minimum of ambiguity. Gaining similar efficiency with robots will require tactical optimization over several years. The most common application during the tests was exploration inside buildings in situations where an enemy presence was uncertain and time was not critical. Deploying the robot took more time and was less precise than traditional methods. In return it kept the soldiers out of harm’s way and enabled them to decrease weapon deployment. The range of the radio link, limited video feedback, and the operator control unit were the features constraining the system’s overall performance the most. Other properties, such as the robot’s ruggedness, size, weight, terrain ability and endurance of the robot, on the other hand, proved to match the application. The test unit was of the opinion that robots such as the Packbot Scout would be valuable to have as a standard feature. Four additional users groups were surveyed to examine to what extent the gained re- sults had general validity for high-risk professionals. The most extensive of these included embedding a Packbot into a Special Weapons And Tactics (SWAT) police team for five months. It was found that the robot could be used during negotiation if upgraded with two-way audio. Further technical adaptations would also enable deployment during long term surveillance and for deploying non-lethal weapons. Explosive Ordnance Disposal (EOD), firefighting, and Chemical Biological Radiologi- cal and Nuclear Contamination Control (CBRN) were the other groups surveyed. These were investigated by means of interviews and observations during 1-2 days. It was found that while the five professions share many demands they also have unique needs which pre- vents a single type of robot from being satisfactory for all of them. The tasks within EOD and fire fighting includes grasping and moving objects of up to 50-70 kg. The MOUT, CBRN and SWAT applications are less dependent on the grasping ability, but require a robot that can be easily transported and which is able to access narrows. iv Sammanfattning Det finns ett antal yrkesgrupper som dagligdags utsätts för livsfara, en del av dessa risker skulle kunna undvikas med hjälp av robotar. Faktum är att detta i viss mån redan görs, främst inom bomb- och minröjning. Användarstudier är en del av ianspråktagandet av ny teknik för att åstadkomma motsvarade vinster även för andra uppgifter. Som un- derlag för fortsatt utveckling och för att avgöra om de nya hjälpmedlen håller måttet för att tas i bruk måste metoder för nyttjande utforskas, tekniska lösningar utvärderas och systemens fördelar vägas mot de belastningar de medför. Föreliggande arbete har haft som målsättningen att undersöka lämpligheten av robo- tar i strid i bebyggelse (SIB). Syftet har varit att skapa en övergripande bild av använda- ren, att implementera ett robot system, undersöka dess taktiska nytta och att genomföra teknisk utvärdering. Ett armékompani specialiserat på SIB har varit den huvudsakliga användargruppen och försöken har genomförts med en iRobot Packbot Scout. Försöksför- beredelserna innefattade att identifiera ett antal av kompaniets gängse metoder som kunde modifieras till att inkludera roboten. Under försöksperioderna, som varade tre respektive sex månader, var det upp till kompaniet att utnyttja roboten så som de ansåg lämpligt. Det visade sig att SIB bygger på exakta och noga inövade beteenden som kan utföras med ett minimum av tvetydighet. För att uppnå motsvarande effektivitet för robotnyttjan- de erfordras metodutveckling och optimering under flera år. Det vanligaste robotuppdraget under försöken var utforskning av byggnader under det att fiendeläget var oklart och tiden inte var kritisk. Tidsåtgången för ett robotuppdrag var högre och precisionen var sämre än för motsvarade traditionell metod. I gengäld reducerades soldaternas risk och roboten gjorde det även möjligt att minska vapen nyttjandet. Radioräckvidd, begränsad bildöver- föring och brister hos styrenheten utgjorde de största begränsningarna. Andra egenskaper, så som robotens stryktålighet, storlek, vikt, terrängframkomlighet och uthållighet visade sig å andra sidan att leva upp till kraven. Försöksgruppen ansåg att en robot typ Packbot Scout vore en värdefull tillgång. För att undersöka i vilken utsträckning de uppnådda resultaten är generell giltiga för högriskyrken undersöktes ytterligare fyra användargrupper. I den mest omfattande av dessa testades en Packbot Scout av en piketpolisgrupp under fem månader. Förhandling visade sig vara det främsta användningsområdet, givet att roboten utrustas med ljudö- verföring. Den skulle även kunna komma till nytta under långtidsövervakning och för att avlossa icke dödliga vapen. De tre övriga områden som undersöktes var bombröjning (EOD), brandförsvar samt indikering av kemiska, biologisk och radioaktiva ämnen (CBRN). Dessa mindre omfattande studier byggde på intervjuer och observationer som genomfördes under 1-2 dagar. Det visade sig att även om de fem grupperna har många krav gemensamma så finns individuella behov som inte kan tillfredställas av att enbart en typ av robot. Inom bombröjning och brandförsvar krävs att roboten kan plocka upp och transportera föremål som väger upp emot 50-70 kg. Inom SIB, CBRN och piketpolis finns användningsområden som inte kräver förmågan att hantera objekt, däremot så ställs krav på att roboten är lätt att transportera och att den kan komma åt trånga utrymmen. Acknowledgements To be frank I must admit that I had never even come close to considering com- mencing a PhD before the military staff department selected me as a candidate. My previous position dealt with Air Force acquisition at the military headquarters where the main tasks of my co-worker Oscar Hull and I were to keep track of the complete funding for Air Force material procurement and to file reports of the ac- quisition progress to the Department of Defence. Being an Army Lieutenant, and most probably the youngest officer ever employed in such a position, I hardly had the most suitable background. There are stories to be told about that period and I am bringing it up here only to send my thanks to Oscar and others at KRI MTRL for watching out for me so that I made it out with a record clear enough to enable a continued military carrier (I probably deserved to be fired together with the person responsible for suggesting that I apply). Returning even further back in time, I would like to mention Pär-Åke Anderskrans and Johan Wallström ( then both were at the Swedish Defence Material Administration) who were the ones foresighted enough to suggest Unmanned Ground Vehicles as a topic for the military PhD pro- gram. Since then Johan, as a member of Research and Development Section 17/23, has accompanied the project. Johan, it has been a pleasure working for you. Once accepted to the PhD program, the National Defence Colleague (FHS) became my military stationing while the Royal Institute of Technology (KTH) hosted the academic studies. For my part, the twofold affiliation offered many advantages, for example if accused of absence, always being able to claim I had been working in the other office. The primary advantage, however, was having access to two supervisors, Henrik Christensen and Stefan Axberg. Henrik I would like to thank you for support, freedom, and insights in both robotics as well as how to get research projects going. Particularly I would like to acknowledge your loyalty in remaining my supervisor even after moving to Georgia Tech. Stefan, I thank you for standing with the promise you made on our first meeting. This was back in 2001, before I decided to aspire for a PhD, you said that accepting would enable me to take leaves for pursuing my alternative career in the mountains. I would also like to thank you for never hesitating in you belief in the project. Kerstin Sevrin- Eklund (KTH), thank you for taking the time to discuss the outline of my research. Charles Thorpe, thank you for hosting my visit at Carnegie Mellon University and for enabling my participation at Navlab.