The Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot (BEAR) is a remotely controlled

robot A robot is a machine—especially one programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the control may be embedded within. Robots may be c ...

developed by

Vecna Robotics Vecna Robotics, Inc. is an American robotics and technology company headquartered in Waltham, Massachusetts. Incorporated in 2018 as a spin-off from Vecna Technologies, the company specializes in automated material handling, hybrid fulfillment ...

for use in the extraction of wounded soldiers from the battlefield with no risk to human life. The

humanoid robot A humanoid robot is a robot resembling the human body in shape. The design may be for functional purposes, such as interacting with human tools and environments, for experimental purposes, such as the study of bipedal locomotion, or for other pur ...

uses a powerful

hydraulics Hydraulics (from Greek: Υδραυλική) is a technology and applied science using engineering, chemistry, and other sciences involving the mechanical properties and use of liquids. At a very basic level, hydraulics is the liquid counter ...

system to carry humans and other heavy objects over long distances and rough terrain, such as stairs. Work on the robot commenced in 2005 and it was featured in Time Magazine's Best Inventions of 2006. Vecna Robotics wrapped up development and testing for applications on and off of the battlefield in 2011.

Features and technology

The BEAR is a six-feet-tall, remotely controlled, humanoid robot, powered by a hydraulic

actuator An actuator is a component of a machine that is responsible for moving and controlling a mechanism or system, for example by opening a valve. In simple terms, it is a "mover". An actuator requires a control device (controlled by control signal) a ...

. Its steel torso is capable of the maximum hydraulic exertion of . It can lift .

Controls

The initial versions of the BEAR were remotely controlled by a human operator who was able to see and hear through the robot's sensors. Developments to the BEAR's AI have given the robot the ability to process higher level commands given by an operator such as "go to this location" or "pick up that box." If the robot is unable to execute the operator's command, it asks the operator for assistance to complete a task. A soldier may also control the BEAR through a device known as the iGlove. The motion-capture glove, which AnthroTronix has developed, allows the soldier to make a simple hand gesture to command the BEAR. Another remote control for the BEAR is called the Mounted Force Controller. It's a specialized rifle grip mounted on an

M4 carbine The M4 carbine (officially Carbine, Caliber 5.56 mm, M4) is a 5.56×45mm NATO, gas-operated, magazine-fed carbine developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively ...

so soldiers can continue to command the BEAR without putting down their weapon.

Actuators

The BEAR is powered through a hydraulic

which gives the robot the ability to lift 500 pounds. The hydraulic actuator is controlled by

solenoids upright=1.20, An illustration of a solenoid upright=1.20, Magnetic field created by a seven-loop solenoid (cross-sectional view) described using field lines A solenoid () is a type of electromagnet formed by a helix, helical coil of wire whose ...

that turn the hydraulic valves on and off to make the robot move. The BEAR's tracked legs are electronically powered. The battery pack powers the tracked legs for up to an hour. Further developments to the battery pack should double its capacity and give the BEAR's tracked legs two hours of run time.

Sensors

The latest version of the BEAR robot has

infrared Infrared (IR), sometimes called infrared light, is electromagnetic radiation (EMR) with wavelengths longer than those of visible light. It is therefore invisible to the human eye. IR is generally understood to encompass wavelengths from around ...

night vision Night vision is the ability to see in low-light conditions, either naturally with scotopic vision or through a night-vision device. Night vision requires both sufficient spectral range and sufficient intensity range. Humans have poor night vi ...

, and

optical Optics is the branch of physics that studies the behaviour and properties of light, including its interactions with matter and the construction of instruments that use or detect it. Optics usually describes the behaviour of visible, ultraviole ...

cameras as well as a microphone. Later developments include: * Touch and pressure sensors on the BEAR's hands * Chemical and biological agent detection sensors

Features

The BEAR's strong hands are precise enough to grasp an egg without breaking it. Vecna's

roboticist Robotics is an interdisciplinary branch of computer science and engineering. Robotics involves design, construction, operation, and use of robots. The goal of robotics is to design machines that can help and assist humans. Robotics integrat ...

s designed the robot with a teddy bear face to provide those being rescued comfort and reassurance. Dynamic Balance Behavior (DBB) technology gives the BEAR the ability to maintain balance in any position even while carrying heavy objects.

Development history

Vecna Robotics began developing the Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot in 2005 at its Cambridge Research Laboratory near Boston, Massachusetts. The BEAR's technology and features have improved since its early stages of development. The BEAR went through nine stages of development. Numerous features were added since the BEAR's early stages, including: *Explosion and fire-resistant treads *Explosion and fire-resistant battery *Enhanced dexterity *Improved lift capacity from the initial to *Aluminum frame replaced with steel frame (4× stronger) *Independent legs for enhanced mobility *Steel framing around the hydraulic lines and battery

Project funding

The BEAR project's primary funding source has been from Vecna's internal research and development funds. External sources of funding come from the U.S. Army, the Navy, the Air Force, and

DARPA The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. Originally known as the Adv ...

. The project also has numerous sponsors including Hydro-Force, Microchip and

National Instruments National Instruments Corporation, doing business as NI, is an American multinational company with international operation. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, it is a producer of automated test equipment and virtual instrumentation software. Comm ...

. In 2007, U.S. Congress approved a $1 million grant for the project.

Testing

The BEAR has been tested at

Fort Benning, Georgia Fort Benning is a United States Army post near Columbus, Georgia, adjacent to the Alabama–Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia border. Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve component soldiers, retirees ...

at the U.S. Army Infantry Center Maneuver Battle Lab with soldiers. In 2010, soldiers worked with the robot to develop tactics and test its effectiveness in combat scenarios.

Applications

The BEAR can carry a wounded soldier far away from a hazardous environment to a place where a medic can assess their injuries safely without risk to the medic's life. The BEAR is slim enough to fit through doors and the BEAR's tracks enable it to climb stairs. Other application of the BEAR include: * Search & rescue * Transporting supplies * Clearing obstacles * Lifting heavy objects * Handling hazardous materials * Reconnaissance * Inspecting for mines and

IEDs An improvised explosive device (IED) is a bomb constructed and deployed in ways other than in conventional warfare, conventional military action. It may be constructed of conventional military explosives, such as an artillery shell, attached t ...

Robots similar to the BEAR

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BigDog BigDog is a dynamically stable quadruped military robot that was created in 2005 by Boston Dynamics with Foster-Miller, the NASA Jet Propulsion Laboratory, and the Harvard University Concord Field Station. It was funded by DARPA, but the proj ...

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MARCbot The Multi-function Agile Remote-Controlled Robot (MARCbot) is a military robot created by Exponent Inc. for the United States Army Rapid Equipping Force. Design The MARCbot was designed as a low cost robotic platform used in Iraq for the inspe ...

MATILDA (Military robot) Matilda or Mathilda may refer to: Animals * Matilda (chicken) (1990–2006), World's Oldest Living Chicken record holder * Matilda (horse) (1824–1846), British Thoroughbred racehorse * Matilda, a dog of the professional wrestling tag-team The ...

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Remotec ANDROS Andros ( el, Άνδρος, ) is the northernmost island of the Greek Cyclades archipelago, about southeast of Euboea, and about north of Tinos. It is nearly long, and its greatest breadth is . It is for the most part mountainous, with many fr ...

References

External links

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FOX News: Meet the Medic Bot
{{Humanoid robots Military robots Humanoid robots Rescue and protection robots 2005 robots Tracked robots Robots of the United States