Development of a feasibility study for strategic programs for national defence and security with respect to the ‘Family of unmanned ground platforms (BPL) for application in national security and defence systems’
The Polish Ministry of Defence undertook analytical and coordination work to identify directions of development of unmanned ground platforms and to direct the R&D work in this area. The first phase wrote a report on the ‘state of knowledge and demand of the Polish army for unmanned ground platforms’. The report was based on questionnaires and interviews completed by selected military units in 2011. The purpose of the research was to get feedback and define requirements of the Polish army for unmanned ground platforms (BPL), AKA ‘robots’, and define of requirements and preferences of prospective end users.
Development of a unified family of the following versions of unmanned ground platforms was proposed as part of the strategic program:
- Engineering & recon;
- Engineering & patrol;
- Engineering & intervention;
- Recon;
- Monitoring;
- Logistic.
The a/m unmanned ground platforms were split into the following weight classes:
- Backpack (15 kg);
- Portable (75 kg);
- Light urban (300 kg);
- Light terrain (300 kg);
- Medium (800 kg);
- Heavy (3,000 kg).
The following technologies critical for success of the whole program and achievement of the operating capabilities desired by the client were identified as part of the study of feasibility of the strategic program:
- Highly mobile design;
- Man-machine and machine-machine interfaces;
- Data transmission systems;
- Remote operation and control systems;
- Surveillance of environment;
- Extension of functionality of manipulators;
- Autonomy of operation;
- Power supply and drive systems.
