SBIR-STTR Award

Virtual collaboration has transitioned from a laboratory exercise into an accepted new means of communication. TARDEC is interested in exploring technologies that allow crew members to control various ground vehicle functions from a remote location. To facilitate these remote-driving functions, realistic imagery must be supplied to the driver. Lionhearth Technologies' proposed effort is to design and implement a system that improves existing hardware and software to enable real-time remote piloting of robotic vehicles. The system would be capable of running existing military applications, and enabling collaborative planning and multi-spectral visualization. Lionhearth proposes to design (Phase I) and build (Phase II) a remotely piloted ATV robotic test vehicle comprised of three sub-modules: 1. A vehicle mounted Sensor-Servo Module (SSM), with a GPS receiver and gimbal-mounted Stereo Vision Module (SVM) for fused infrared electro-optical telepresence. 2. A wireless communications link and MPEG-4 based video compression module for dispersed collaboration and simulation via High Level Architecture (HLA). 3. A virtualized Vehicle Control Center (VCC) that provides telepresent visualization of the ATV's operation through the use of a high-resolution, stereo head-mounted display, (HMD) novel, un-tethered head tracking system, standard, electronic game controller with haptic-feedback, and remote collaboration and visualization software.

Benefits:
A complete system could provide remote drivers of ground vehicles with visual information about their surroundings--particularly their travel. Such a system could significantly improve soldier survivability, accelerate battlefield deployment, reduce driver error and accidents, enhance reconnaissance, and reduce exposure to danger in hazardous environments. Examples of such a product include toxic waste clean-up, forest fire fighting and law enforcement tactical operations

TARDEC is interested in exploring technologies that allow crew members to control various ground vehicles functions from a remote location that are lightweight, autonomous, agile, low-profile, equipped with low observable and hit avoidance EW systems, protect fire and arms, provide material survivability, possess obstacle avoidance, obstacle crossing, situation awareness and route selection. During Phase I, Lionhearth designed a complete system, to provide visual information about surroundings-to remote drivers of autonomous robotic ground vehicles in compliance with TARDEC's requirements. Emphasis was placed on realistic imagery to the driver during day or night driving. The proposed design specifications included consideration and /or utilization of the following technologies: sensors, compression, transmission and data display. Of particular concern were transmission bandwidth, maximum sustainable vehicle speed and perceptual concern of the operator. Essential elements include a vehicle mounted stereo camera, tilt-swivel motor and controller for remote camera control, a stereo CODEC for image compression, a wireless data link, a vehicle control center that provides for tele-present visualization of the vehicle's operation using a head mounted display, an untethered head tracking system, and a standard game controller with force feedback. Investigations include depth information (e.g. stereoscopic goggles), quality of visual imput and utility of using fused infrared / electro-optical imagery.

Benefits:
The results of our Phase I efforts will be a fully operational system and vehicle control center in the form of a commercial product that will yield a low-cost, high performance, stereo telepresence system with capabilities beyond those of any other existing, commercially available, system. This product will be suitable for inclusion in many future telepresence operation systems. According to an investigation of commercially available systems conducted by SAIC, our proposed system will out-perform anything in the market. By providing a system with multiple levels of resolution, multiple levels of bandwidth, and excellent temporal and spatial resolution, Lionhearth can seriously advance research and development in this area. In addition, our system provide a turn-key, work-horse system along with the necessary outputs for autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance systems.