Unified Robot Control Panel
One of the most promising areas for the development of military equipment is the creation of remotely controlled robotsdesigned to solve various problems. Currently, unmanned aerial vehicles operating on this principle are already actively used. As for ground and surface robotics, these areas have not yet received the same development. The use of remotely controlled equipment in the troops so far has a very limited use, due to technical difficulties and the need to "embed" it into the existing image of the armed forces. However, in the long term, the number of remotely controlled robots may reach a level where it is necessary to look for new solutions that can facilitate the interaction of a large number of such equipment.
The widespread use of combat robots can lead to the need to create special systems for the transmission of information and control, such as combined-arms. As it became known, in the St. Petersburg Central Research Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics (CRI RTC), work began on the study of the appearance and the creation of a unified control system for combat robotic means. Interfax, citing a representative of the TsNII RTK, informs that the purpose of the work is to create systems that allow you to control several robots simultaneously, which will make it possible to carry out various operations with greater convenience. In addition, this approach will allow to unify the control panels of various robotic complexes.
Naturally, the development of a unified management system will not entail the complete disappearance of "individual" consoles. All new robots will continue to be equipped with their own remote control equipment. However, as conceived by the staff of the Central Research Institute of RTI, all new equipment should be able to interact with a common multi-channel control system. Due to this, as expected, it will be possible to provide greater flexibility in the use of robots, one at a time and in groups. In other words, under certain circumstances, the fighters of any unit will be able to use several units of robotics, controlling them from a single console. Accordingly, the interaction of several operators will be greatly facilitated, because their number will be significantly reduced.
It should be noted that already at the stage of initial development of the appearance of such a system, certain questions arise. For example, it will be very difficult for one operator to command several robots at once, which can significantly reduce the effectiveness of combat work. In this case, you need some kind of automatic algorithms that can take on most simple and “routine” tasks, such as moving to a specified point or observing the terrain and searching for contrasting targets in the optical or infrared range. This is not about artificial intelligence. For now, only appropriate software capable of navigating using satellite systems or recognizing moving objects will be sufficient for the combat robots. Upon reaching a given point of the route or when detecting an object in the entrusted sector, the automatics will have to give a signal to the operator and he, in turn, will determine the next task for electronics or take control in his hands.
Such a structure of a “unit” of combat or multi-purpose robots can be used not only under the conditions of military operations. Robots with centralized control can carry intelligence equipment or weapons. At the same time, they get a useful advantage: devices controlled from a single console can be used, including for arranging ambushes, or for organizing an attack on stationary objects from several sides. However, such capabilities allow the operator or operators of the "division" of robots to perform other tasks. For example, in the course of rescue operations, several robots controlled by a single operator can perform reconnaissance of the situation with greater efficiency than one at a time. Also, several devices with special equipment under certain circumstances are able to quickly and accurately locate and extinguish a fire or perform another similar task.
However, a unified robot control system also has disadvantages. First of all, it is necessary to note the complexity of creating a kind of universal control panel. Despite a number of common features, in most cases, each model of a combat or multi-purpose robot requires a specially designed control system. Yes, ultralight Drones can be controlled by a complex, which is based on a regular computer or laptop, and more serious and large devices are used in conjunction with the appropriate equipment. For example, the American Crusher wheeled multi-purpose vehicle with remote control has a control panel, which is a kind of cockpit with a steering wheel, pedals and multiple monitors. Thus, a single control panel should be built according to a modular scheme, and each module in this case will be responsible for the features of a particular class of remotely controlled equipment, depending on the method of movement, weight and purpose.
It should be recalled that the number of domestic robots that can be used in military or rescue needs is still small. The bulk of such developments accounted for unmanned aerial vehicles. It is noteworthy that several state and commercial organizations are engaged in the development of this technology. Of course, each of them equips its complex with a control of its own design. Creating a unified standard management system will help “restore order” in this industry. In addition, a unified control equipment will greatly simplify the training of operators of robotic systems. In other words, the future operator will be able to study the general principles of a unified control system and then additionally master the skills and abilities that are associated with the use of additional modules and a specific model of the robot. Thus, the retraining of the operator to another technique will be simplified and reduced several times.
Nevertheless, the work of the St. Petersburg Central Research Institute of Robotics and Technical Cybernetics will not get a big future in the very near future. The fact is that the majority of areas of combat and multipurpose robotics in our country have not yet received proper development. So the domestic unified control system is likely to be forced to wait for a large number of robots to appear. It is worth saying that this trouble has one positive consequence. Since the mass creation of various robotics has not yet begun, the staff of the Central Research Institute of the RTC will have time to complete their work on a unified control system and present the finished development before the appearance of new models of robots. Thus, the development of the Central Research Institute of Robotics will be able to become a standard that will be taken into account when developing new robots for the armed forces, security and rescue structures.
It is too early to talk about the details of the current project: all information about it is limited to only a few messages in the media. At the same time, the CRI RTC could only recently receive the corresponding order. Nevertheless, work in this direction, regardless of the time of their commencement, must be carried out and completed. For all its complexity, a single robot control panel will be useful for practical use.
On the materials of the sites:
http://interfax.ru/
http://newsru.com/
http://lenta.ru/
http://rtc.ru/
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