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

robot A robot is a machine—especially one Computer program, programmable by a computer—capable of carrying out a complex series of actions Automation, automatically. A robot can be guided by an external control device, or the robot control, co ...

developed by Vecna Robotics 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 and working alongside humans, for experimental purposes, such as the study of bipeda ...

uses a powerful

hydraulics Hydraulics () 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 counterpart of pneumatics, which concer ...

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 machine element, component of a machine that produces force, torque, or Displacement (geometry), displacement, when an electrical, Pneumatics, pneumatic or Hydraulic fluid, hydraulic input is supplied to it in a system (called an ...

. 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 assault rifle developed in the United States during the 1980s. It is a shortened version of the M16A2 assault rifle. The M4 is extensively used by the US mi ...

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 whos ...

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 that of visible light but shorter than microwaves. The infrared spectral band begins with the waves that are just longer than those ...

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 v ...

, 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, ultravio ...

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 roboticists 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 Adva ...

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

National Instruments The National Instruments Corporation, doing business as NI, is an America, American multinational corporation, multinational company with international operations. Headquartered in Austin, Texas, Austin, Texas, it is a producer of automated tes ...

. 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 (named Fort Moore from 2023–2025) is a United States Army post in the Columbus, Georgia area. Located on Georgia's border with Alabama, Fort Benning supports more than 120,000 active-duty military, family members, reserve compone ...

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 applications of the BEAR include: * Search & rescue * Transporting supplies * Clearing obstacles * Lifting heavy objects * Handling hazardous materials * Reconnaissance * Inspecting for mines and IEDs

Robots similar to the BEAR

Armored Combat Engineer Robot The Armored Combat Engineer Robot (ACER) is a military robot created by Mesa Robotics. Roughly the size of a small bulldozer and weighing 2.25 tons, ACER is among the larger military robots. ACER is able to reach speeds of 6.3 mph, using tr ...

BigDog BigDog is a dynamically stable quadruped military robot platform that was created in 2005 by Boston Dynamics with the Harvard University Concord Field Station. It was funded by the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), but th ...

* Dragon Runner * MARCbot * MATILDA (Military robot) * Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment vehicle *

PackBot PackBot is a series of military robots by Endeavor Robotics (previously by iRobot), an international robotics company founded in 2016, created from iRobot, that previously produced military robots since 1990. More than 2000 were used in Iraq and ...

* Remotec ANDROS

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