FORT DETRICK, Md., Nov. 24 (UPI) -- The U.S. Army is testing a humanoid robot that could be used to rescue wounded soldiers under fire.
The Army reports that the BEAR -- Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot -- has been tested over the past year by troops at the U.S. Army Infantry Center Maneuver Battle Lab at Fort Benning, Ga.
The BEAR can be controlled remotely by a motion-capture glove or specially equipped rifle grip, it said.
The U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center has helped fund the development of Vecna Technologies' humanoid BEAR, and has funded integration of AnthroTronix's iGlove and M-4 rifle grip controller into the Fort Benning testing.
"Our goal with the battle lab testing is to get the technology in the hands of the soldiers, either through simulations or live exercises and derive from their feedback what tactics, techniques and procedures are appropriate for deploying it," said Gary Gilbert, who manages TATRC's medical robotics portfolio.
"These (tactics, techniques, and procedures) can then serve as the basis for developing real-world operational capability needs and requirements. It's only once we know how we'll successfully use these technologies that you'll see them put into the field."
The Army said a computer simulation of the BEAR was created in 2009 for use in the battle lab's One Semi-Autonomous Forces combat operations simulator. An initial series of platoon-level assaults and clearing operations in both wooded and urban terrain were executed in OneSAF, including casualty extractions using both conventional litter rescues and rescues with the BEAR.
The AnthroTronix remote control systems were integrated with the simulation in December 2009. In June of this year, the BEAR and AnthroTronix controllers underwent live characterization studies.
The BEAR is a multi-modal, high-degree-of-freedom robot that can lift and carry up to 500 pounds; complete fine-motor tasks with its hands and fingers; maneuver with a dual-track system; stand up and balance; and use cameras and sensors.
The initial control of the BEAR is by a remote human operator but work is under way for more complicated semi-autonomous behaviors in which the robot understands and carries out increasingly higher-level commands.
