QinetiQ will provide unmanned vehicle equipment to Japan
to aid in cleanup and recovery efforts
In the aftermath of the earthquake and subsequent tsunami
that devastated Japan on March 11, 2011, the country faces a
massive cleanup and rebuilding effort that will take years. To
assist in the dangerous task of clearing hazardous debris that
stretches for hundreds of miles along Japan's east coast, the
North American arm of global defense technology company
QinetiQ has announced it will provide unmanned vehicle
equipment and training to aid in the colossal undertaking.
Robotic Appliqué Kits
The equipment includes QinetiQ's
Robotic
Appliqué Kits that convert standard Bobcat loaders into
unmanned vehicles in just 15 minutes. This allows all of the
Bobcat's 70 vehicle attachments, such as shovels, buckets,
grapples, tree cutters and tools to break through walls and
doors, to be operated remotely from a safe distance of up to one
mile (1.6 km) away. The kits fit a Bobcat with seven cameras,
night vision, thermal imagers, microphones, two-way radio
systems and radiation sensors to allow operators to safely
remove rubble and debris, dig up buried objects and carry
smaller equipment.
If needed, QinetiQ says it is also readying
TALON
and
Dragon Runner robots in Japan.
TALON robot
The TALON robots are small, tracked military robots that are
equipped with a chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and
explosive (CBRNE) detection kits that can identify more than
7,500 environmental hazards including toxic industrial
chemicals, volatile gases, radiation and explosive risks, as
well as temperature and air quality indicators. The robots,
which have used in Iraq and Afghanistan as well as for search
and recovery in Ground Zero after September 11, also provide
night vision and sound and sensing capabilities from up to 3,280
ft. (1,000 m) away.
Dragon Runner robot
The smaller and more lightweight Dragon Runner robots are
designed for use in small spaces and could be used to
investigate spaces too small or dangerous for humans to access,
such as rubble piles, trenches, culverts and tunnels. Light
enough to be carried in a backpack, the four-wheeled robot is
designed to function any way up and its front-mounted tilting
thermal cameras and sound sensors can relay data back to its
master controller up to 2,625 ft. (800 m) away.
In addition to the unmanned equipment, QinetiQ North America
will also provide a team of technical experts to give training
and support to Japan's disaster response personnel.
"We are honored to have this opportunity to support Japan's
recovery efforts," said
QinetiQ North America Technology Solutions Group President
JD Crouch. "Our unmanned vehicles will provide reliable,
effective, first responder technology to help protect the brave
men and women who are working to save lives and restore critical
services."
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