[LINK] US Army trials robot 'leccy-n-bandwidth war-mules

[Bernard Robertson-Dunn]

<brd>
And while I'm in curmudgeon mode (I'm just back from holiday, work 
hasn't fully kicked in yet)

This story illustrates my proposition that all solutions (especially 
simplistic ones) cause new problems - and it's batteries again.

I don't reckon they've thought this through. They've increased the 
complexity and vulnerability of the military unit as well as  reduced 
its agility, flexibility and autonomy.
</brd>

US Army trials robot 'leccy-n-bandwidth war-mules
Big Red One needs batteries and bits, not beans and bullets
By Lewis Page
Posted in Science, 27th October 2010 09:16 GMT
The Register
http://www.theregister.co.uk/2010/10/27/lockheed_smss_trials/

The US army remains determined to kit out all its ground troops with 
portable, wearable networking gear which will provide them with comms as 
well as an accurate idea of where everyone is. Unfortunately, when you 
have to generate your own wireless coverage as you go from the same kit, 
this means a lot of power - and this in turn means a crippling load of 
batteries.

What's the solution? Well, it couldn't be more obvious. Naturally what's 
needed here is a small intelligent robot car, able to follow a 
dismounted team of soldiers about and carry a network node for them all 
to connect to - like a sort of trundling mobile mast - and, naturally, 
to carry and charge up extra batteries for the troops as well.

Balderdash, you say? Fantasy? Think again.

US aerospace behemoth Lockheed is not only working on such a 
batteries'n'broadband mule vehicle, it has completed it. The machine is 
dubbed Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) and it is to undergo trials 
with the US 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, next month.

The Big Red One (as the 1st are known) will also be equipped with "Nett 
Warrior" wearable comms and network gear for the exercises - hence the 
addition of the SMSS in battery'n'backhaul mode. A single platoon of 
30-40 troops with Nett Warrior can expect to run flat no less than 140 
batteries weighing 155 pounds every day. Forget bullets and beans, it's 
batteries the modern soldier needs.

That's where Lockheed thinks the SMSS will shine. It will be equipped 
with not only a Mobile Network Integration Kit "to improve 
communications from the network to the platoon", but also with chargers 
capable of topping up fully 146 batteries in just 10 hours, easily 
keeping pace with a couple of platoons' usage. It can also carry other 
stuff as required.

"Soldiers deserve the best possible situational awareness, 
communications, optics, sensors and protection, and the SMSS will help 
power it all and relieve their burden," says Lockheed bigcheese Jim 
Gribschaw. "SMSS represents much more than a portable charging station; 
it can carry more than half a ton of the Warfighters' supplies and can 
autonomously follow the squad, allowing the soldier to put down the 
remote control and focus on the fight."

Strange days, for anyone with old-school infantry experience.

-- 

Regards
brd

Bernard Robertson-Dunn
Canberra Australia
email:	 brd at iimetro.com.au
website: www.drbrd.com