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Remote video system makes robot operations
more precise, easier and faster
On July 27, 2011, the Erie County Sheriff's
Office Bomb Squad's regular training session included a new
member of the team: a Sentinal RSD/EOD unit from Lithos Robotics.
Sentinel is a portable remote video system that operates using
the Lithos Robotics Megalith Digital Radio system. "We
were eager to use the Sentinel," said Dan Walczak, the
Erie County Bomb Squad Commander. "It solves the problems
associated with depth perception and gripper positioning that
comes from having only one angle of vision with the robot
cameras." The unit weighs about 20 pounds, is weatherproof,
and can be positioned anywhere up to a mile (line of sight)
from the control unit. Sentinel is another set of "eyes"
on the target from any point of view.
 The
test scenario
Balance a tennis ball on top of a road cone
Anyone who's ever driven a bomb
squad robot knows how frustrating and difficult it is to accurately
place a small object on top of another using the stock cameras
on a Remotec F6A. To gain some sense of depth, operators usually
switch back and forth between the gripper camera and the mast
camera--and even then the manoeuvre is more art than science.
For the test, Walczak set up a road cone about 500 feet from
his command center. The mission was to drive the F6A, with
the Sentinel in its gripper, to the target site, position
the Sentinel near the target, pick up the tennis ball, then
place it on top of the road cone.
 The
equipment setup
The team's Remotec F6A (standard
configuration) was controlled using the typical Andros control
panel. A laptop loaded with the Lithos Megalith control software
was placed immediately next to it, so that the laptop screen
and the Andros monitor could be seen by the driver. The Sentinel
was manipulated by an XBOX-style controller attached to the
laptop.
Sentinel deployment
Walczak used his F6A to place the Sentinel unit about 90-degrees
to the side of the robot, about eight feet from the traffic
cone. Placement of the Sentinel is not critical. The unit's
36X camera is mounted on a pan-tilt-zoom boom assembly that
allows for precise directional control. In this case, Sentinel
was carried by a robot, but it can also be deployed by any
personnel. The long zoom function even allows for deployment
outside the safety stand-off without compromising surveillance
quality.
The operation
Walczak assigned his least experienced robot driver to the
F6A. Using the main gripper camera and the Sentinel video
feed on the adjacent laptop, the robot driver was able to
pick up the tennis ball, approach, and place the tennis ball
securely on top of the cone in one smooth movement in less
than two minutes.
 "It
was amazing," said Dan Walczak, the Erie County Bomb
Squad commander. "I can't believe no one made something
like this before. The "reverse angle" made the operation
go quicker and more precisely than I've ever seen." Walczak
plans to add the Sentinel to all of his operations and training
events in the future. The added video source greatly enhances
situational awareness and improves vision of the incident
scene.
Walczak was impressed. "I was surprised
at how easy it was to use the Sentinel," he said in an
after-training de-brief. "The unit was ready in seconds,
simple to set up, and intuitive to use. It is a great addition
to our toolbox."
 More
than just eyes on the target
Though it wasn't necessary in this scenario, the Sentinel
is also a fully functioning digital repeater and WiFi hub.
Used as a repeater, the Sentinel can be placed a mile (line
of sight) from the command center and relay digital commands
to the robot for up to another mile. That's two miles of operating
distance. In crowded urban settings, the Sentinel in repeater
mode can also be used to enhance a signal, allowing for robot
operations in concrete buildings, car parks, skyscrapers,
or arenas--areas that are problematic for radio reception
and transmission.
"Sentinel RSD/EOD is like a Swiss
Army knife," says Allen Mann, lead designer and president
of Lithos Robotics. "It's small and light, handy, and
has a lot of hidden functions."
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