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TALON Operations is in the process of building several distinct “families” of robots that will be able to perform a variety of tasks, and will all be operated with one universal control unit. Today, TALON Ground Robotics includes four “families” that are easily distinguished by size: small, medium, large and extra large. Their names are Dragon Runner™ (15 to 50 lb), TALON® (80 to180 lb), MAARS™ (300 to 400 lb)and TAGS-CX (5,000 to 6,000 lb) and they are all controlled with one new Digital Control Unit (DCU).  How are TALON robots different from other robots on the market?
Man-portable -- At about 115 lb (52 kg), TALON can be easily transported and is instantly ready for operation. Rugged -- TALON robots can take a punch and stay in the fight. One was blown off the roof of a Humvee in Iraq while the Humvee was crossing a bridge over a river. TALON flew off the bridge and plunged into the river below. Soldiers later used its operator control unit to drive the robot back out of the river and up onto the bank so they could retrieve it.  Fast -- TALON is the fastest robot on the market today easily keeping pace with a running soldier.
High payload capacity -- Long-term system versatility optimizes investment. TALON has the highest payload capacity and payload-to-weight ratio, allowing for the incorporation of a broad array of sensor packages. Mobile -- Climbs stairs, negotiates rock piles, overcomes concertina wire, plows through snow. Intuitive -- Easiest robot to operate; joystick controls; quad screen display. Outstanding situational awareness -- Can hold up to four color cameras, including night vision, thermal and zoom options. Withstands repeated decontamination -- Demonstrated at Ground Zero after 2001 World Trade Center attack in New York City. Electronics withstood 45 straight days of being decontaminated twice a day without failing. Long battery life -- TALON robots have the longest battery life of all man-portable robots. Best service history -- Easy to maintain and sustain; best spare parts, service and repair history. Download the TALON brochure. NEW: Robotic Control Kit for Bobcat Loaders Our robotic control kit can be installed in about 15 minutes on any of 17 models of Bobcat skid-steer, all-wheel steeer, or compact track loaders that are equipped with selectable joystick control (SJC). The kit temporarily turns the loader into a remotely operated "robot" capable of using more than 37 Bobcat-approved attachments. The loader can be sent downrange to handle large, deep-buried IEDs or vehicle-borne IEDs or land mines and unexploded ordnance. Read more about the robotic control kit. Two-Way Hailer TALON's new Two-Way Hailer builds on current Loud Hailer technology to make it more useful in a variety of scenarios. It is particularly effective for military checkpoints, building clearance, hostage negotiations and emergency evacuations. Read more about the new Two-Way Hailer. TALON Responder TALON Responder is designed specifically for public safety, fire and rescue organizations. It provides the same rugged, high-performance, fast-responde capabilities of the military version of the robot, but at a cost that addresses the budget realities law enforcement and first responders face today. Responder includes a disruptor-ready manipulator arm, wrist and gripper; three infrared illuminated color cameras and a laptop controller with gamepad controls. The laptop controller allows operation of TALON Responder from a safe distance -- up to 4,000 feet (1,200 meters). Read more about TALON Responder. EOD Robots TALON EOD robots have been in continuous, active military service since 2000 when they were successfully used in Bosnia for the safe movement and disposal of live grenades. They were the only American-made robots successfully used at Ground Zero in search and recovery efforts after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center and the only robots to last through the entire mission without requiring a major repair. TALON EOD robots were the first military robots taken into Afghanistan during action against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden in February 2002. They initially accompanied the Special Forces on a Classified mission, and are still there now doing EOD work. They were on the ground in Kuwait when coalition forces massed in 2003 and have been in Iraq ever since performing EOD/IED (improvised explosive device) missions. Read an email about the exploits of "Gordon," an EOD TALON in Iraq. Watch video about a TALON robot destroyed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Watch Video (16MB) Read "Bomb Squad Diary," about TALON in Tikrit.
NOTE: This is a Windows Media Video, you can download Windows Media Player here. SWORDS Robots Editor's Note: Contrary to what you may have read on other web sites or seen on television, there actually have been NO instances of uncommanded or unexpected movements by SWORDS robots, whether in-theater or elsewhere, since before their safety confirmation in 2006. (In 2006, during the robot's developmental stage, there were three minor movement issues involving the treads that were identified, addressed and fixed during rigorous stateside testing. Then the robots were safety certified, and three were subsequently sent to Iraq. In April, 2008, it was inaccurately reported that they had been withdrawn from Iraq shortly after their deployment. NOT TRUE. They were NEVER "abruptly withdrawn" from Iraq and in fact stayed in theater until 2009. SWORDS' successor, introduced more than a year ago, is the robot we have named MAARS®. Scroll down to read more about our purpose-built MAARS robots. CBRNE/Hazmat Robots TALON CBRNE/Hazmat robots use JAUS (Joint Architecture Unmanned Systems) software to make it possible to “plug and play” up to seven detection devices mounted on a quick-release universal mounting tray for easy removal. In addition, the operator control unit (OCU) has been upraded to include audio and visual alarms if any of the mounted detection devices exceed preset limits, so operators can concentrate on maneuvering the robot and not be distracted by having to constantly monitor the sensors. Read more about the TALON CBRNE-HAZMAT robot. Watch a video that explains the sensors on the TALON CBRNE-Hazmat robot. Watch Video (5MB)
NOTE: This is a Windows Media Video, you can download Windows Media Player here.
TALON SWAT/MP TALON's multi-mission family of robots includes one specifically equipped for tactical scenarios frequently encountered by police SWAT units and MPs in all branches of the military. TALON SWAT/MP is a tactical robot that can be configured with a loudspeaker and audio receiver, night vision and thermal cameras and a choice of weapons for a lethal or less-than-lethal response. Read more about TALON SWAT/MP. Watch a video overview of the TALON SWAT/MP robot. Watch Video (4MB) Watch TALON SWAT/MP blow a padlock off a door. Watch Video (2MB) Watch TALON SWAT/MP blow a door lock off a door and plant a charge and blow a door off its hinges. Watch Video (3MB) MAARS Robot MAARS  (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) introduces a new modular design to its popular family of TALON® robots for military and first responders. MAARS uses the more powerful M240B medium machine gun and has significant improvements in command and control, situational awareness, maneuverability, mobility, lethality and safety compared to its SWORDS predecessor. MAARS and SWORDS are ROV's (remotely operated vehicles). They are not autonomous. The purpose-built MAARS chassis provides a uni-body frame with easier battery and electronics accessibility. Other features include a larger payload bay, higher torque, creating faster ground speeds and improved braking. The new Digital Control Unit (DCU)significantly improves command and control and situational awareness for the operator resulting in greater safety margins. The complete system weighs about 350 pounds. MAARS also now comes with a manipulator arm having a nominal 120 lb lift capability. The arm can quickly replace the turret mounted M240B weapon, literally transforming MAARS from a remote weapons platform for force protection to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) identification and neutralization tool. The MAARS robot will not only permit units to employ multiple mission payloads but production of common chassis and DCUs will also lead to economies of scale resulting in lowered customer costs. Additional modules currently under development include a logistics basket for carrying gear and a battlefield recovery module that can be used as a stretcher. Read a flyer about the MAARS robot. Look at a poster outlining MAARS capabilities. Read how the war fighter will be able to control escalation of force from nonlethal to lethal with the MAARS robot. Watch a brief demo of the MAARS robot. Watch Video (44MB) Watch an interview on FOX about the TALON and MAARS robots. Dragon Runner Field Transformable SUGV  The Dragon Runner™ small tactical robot was originally developed for the U.S. Marines by Automatika, which became a Foster-Miller subsidiary in 2007. The basic model weighs 14 lb and measures only 12.2 x 16.6 x 6 in. The basic Dragon Runner gives users the ability to “see around corners” in urban environments.
Over the course of the past year, engineers and roboticists at Foster-Miller and Automatika have worked on enhancements that now make it possible to take that basic Dragon Runner and add whatever combination of treads, flippers, cameras, sensors and/or arms a mission requires. Here’s an example of how it works:
Do you need to perform an under-vehicle inspection? Pop on the wheels, drive the robot under the vehicle, and start inspecting. Need the robot to enter a multi-story building? Pop off the wheels, attach the stair-climbing flippers and treads, clip the arm onto the top, drive the robot up the stairs, use the gripper to open the door, and enter the building. Read/download a brochure about the Dragon Runner SUGV. Watch a video clip of Dragon Runner SUGV finding and moving a land mine. Watch Video (1MB) Read coverage from C4ISR magazine that explains efforts to get Dragon Runner SUGV into the hands of warfighters now rather than waiting until 2011 when the Future Combat Systems SUGV is supposed to be ready. TALON GEN IV Engineer A new variation of the durable and versatile TALON robot is  available for route clearing, mine detection, vehicle inspections, and route surveillance. GEN IV Engineer features a longer, stronger arm and rotating shoulder. It can lift a 38-lb cinder block off an IED buried under debris and supports the AN/PSS-14 minesweeper so that soldiers and marines can use it to sweep for mines remotely while they stay safely at a distance. Read more about TALON GEN IV Engineer. TAGS-CX Unmanned Vehicle In September 2005, the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive Research,  Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) instituted a robotics systems integration and evaluation laboratory “skunk works.” The first unmanned system in the skunk works was the TAGS-CX (Tactical Amphibious Ground Support System - Common eXperimental) platform with Applied Perception, a subsidiary of Foster-Miller, as the prime contractor. This modified COTS platform was developed with modularity and interoperability as the key design requirements. The overall TAGS-CX concept is to have one general purpose, high-mobility platform that provides a standardized mechanical, electrical, and messaging interface to allow numerous heterogeneous “plug-and-play” payloads to be installed. By standardizing at each of these levels, TAGS-CX can be easily configured for a number of different missions, a capability not provided by any currently available unmanned ground system. Read more about TAGS-CX.
TALON Attachments Universal Disruptor Mount -- Allows multiple types of recoiling disruptors to be mounted on the upper arm. Thermal Camera Upgrade Packages -- Two thermal camera enhancement packages so users can view thermal images through the operator control unit. Magnetic Antenna Mount Kit -- Position remote atennas for the operator control unit on the outside of a vehicle so robot can be operated from inside the vehicle. Scraper, Blade and Ski -- Uncover buried explosive devices with the scraper, push munitions and other objects out of the way with the blade, make it easier for TALON to climb the stairs with the ski. SURC Software SURC (Soldier Universal Robot Controller) software allows operators to simultaneously task, monitor and teleoperate multiple, heterogeneous, unmanned vehicles from a single control station. Read a data sheet about SURC. More TALON Literature View/download TALON Fido data sheet. View/download TALON X-Ray Kit data sheet. Read e-mails from Iraq that were sent by soldiers and marines who use TALON robots there. View our ISO 9001 certificate for Robotics. Download our Terms and Conditions for Purchase of Robot Parts and Components. For further information about the TALON robots, contact Joanne Armstrong at talonsales@foster-miller.com or call +1.781.684.3960. Repairs/technical hot line for TALON owners: +1.781.684.4053.
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