Gathering intelligence

Thursday, 19 June, 2008

Shown for the first time in Europe on the Boeing stand (J190a), a small unmanned ground vehicle dubbed the SUGV Early has been developed by the company in partnership with iRobot. It is a smaller and lighter version of the combat-proven PackBot produced by iRobot and declared to be small enough to go where personnel cannot – or should not.
Weighing less than 14kg, SUGV Early is a plug-and-play design that facilitates easy integration of payloads, sensors and other tools.
Remotely controlled by radio from a range of 400m, the device will gather real-time intelligence and complete situational awareness in broad daylight or complete darkness, while minimising risk to the operator during hostile missions.
SUGV Early will help to clear buildings, explore tunnels or detect hidden threats and is therefore seen to be ideal for performing surveillance in danger zones and inaccessible areas. The device will climb stairs, roll over rubble, traverse water to a depth of 152mm and right itself.