Communication Requirements in Military Robotic

Industry has a rather leading role in defining the military use of robotics. Often more or less standard robots are introduced into the military operations without very thoroughly defined military requirements of functionality. These standard robots are then tested on how they function in military operational environment.

Communication is essential for the use of all kinds of systems robot. In most cases, especially when using multi robot systems where several robots deliberately cooperate in autonomous manner, there is a demand for communication of wireless to achieve high flexibility. The communication system is usually used to get information from system sensors, radar, vision, et cetera and to control the robot in single robot systems. Multi robot systems combine the functionality of single robot system to achieve a higher efficiency and to cope the scenarios that are more complex.

The example in the surveillance scenario, an object could be observed by a multi robot system from different sensors and with different positions. Through the result of data fusion process sensor, it would be possible to get a more exhaustive and complete situation awareness than achievable with only one sensor or robot.

Below the demands on the communication system were identified for military robotics:
• Wireless and mobile ad hoc communication.
• High ranges communication.
• High data rates of communication.
• Adjustment to the network varying availability.
• Compliance with Quality of Service requirements.
• Secure communication.
• Awareness of power.
• To prioritize the data.

A generic robot communication system should meet these requirements but recently technology does not support all of these requirements at the same time. Satellite communication may allow high data rates over a long distance but there is solution for robot system movement. Other technologies like HF, VHF, and UHF do support high ranges but lack high data rates. UMTS, GSM, and GPRS do support medium and high data but are in need of existing infrastructure that either may be under foreign control or even exist in the area of operation.

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