RE2, Inc. awarded funding to develop a conformal end-effector

14th June 2010 - 20:20 GMT | by The Shephard News Team

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RE2, Inc., a leading developer of intelligent modular manipulation systems, announced today that it has been awarded a research and development contract with the Robotics Technology Consortium to develop Conformal End-Effector (CE2) technology for the Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic Systems (AEODRS) program at NAVEODTECHDIV.

The goal of this program is to develop a hand-like end-effector with the strength to lift a 155mm shell, the agility needed to perform delicate maneuvers such as removing a blasting cap from C4, and a total weight to allow the system to be employed by manipulators on small robots in the 164-pound weight class. The overall objective is to provide an end-effector for the manipulation systems onboard the next generation of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs).

"The direct benefit to the warfighter is increased performance and capability over currently fielded manipulators for both teleoperated and semi-autonomous use on small UGVs. These manipulation improvements directly correlate to a reduction in time-on-target and overall mission time, resulting in increased safety of all mission personnel," stated Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2, Inc.

Source: RE2