Foster-Miller TALON

The SWORDS system allows soldiers to fire small arms weapons by remote control from as far as 1,000 meters away

Control station

The Foster-Miller TALON™ robot is a small, tracked military robot designed for missions ranging from reconnaissance to combat.

Foster-Miller claims the TALON is one of the fastest robots in the market, one that can travel through sand, snow, underwater (out to depths of 100 feet) as well as climb stairs. The TALON transmits in colour, black and white, infrared, and/or night vision to its operator, who may be up to 1,000 m away. It can run off lithium-ion batteries for a maximum of 7 days on standby independently before needing recharging. It has an 8.5 hour battery life at normal operating speeds, 2 standard lead batterys providing 2 hours each and 1 optional Lithium Ion providing an additional 4.5 hours. It can also withstand repeated decontamination allowing it to work for long periods of time in contaminated areas. It was used in Ground Zero after the September 11th attacks working for 45 days with many decontaminations without electronic failure. This led to the further development of the HAZMAT Talon.

It weighs less than 100 lb (45 kg) or 60 lb (27 kg) for the Reconnaissance version. Its cargo bay accommodates a variety of sensor payloads. The robot is controlled through a two-way radio or fiber optic line from a portable or wearable Operator Control Unit (OCU) that provides continuous data and video feedback for precise vehicle positioning.

Regular (IED/OED) TALON: Carries sensors and a robotic manipulator, which is used by the U.S. Army for explosive ordnance disposal and disarming improvised explosive devices.

Reconnaissance TALON: Does not have the robotic arm manipulator but carries day/night color cameras and listening devices; lighter due to the absence of the arm.

SWORDS TALON: For small arms combat and guard roles. Tested in December 2003 in Kuwait prior to deployment in Iraq.

HAZMAT (First Responders) TALON: Becoming available in 2004 using chemical, gas, temperature, and radiation sensors that are displayed in real time to the user on a hand-held display unit. It is now being tested by the US Armament Research Development and Engineering Center ARDEC.

The robot costs approximately $60,000 in its standard form. Foster-Miller were subsequently bought out by QinetiQ, a United Kingdom military developer.

SWORDS

SWORDS or the Special Weapons Observation Reconnaissance Detection System, is a weaponized version being developed by Foster-Miller for the US Army. The robot is composed of a weapons system mounted on the standard TALON chassis. The current price of one unit is $230,000; however, Foster-Miller claims that when it enters mass production the price may drop to between $150,000 and $180,000. In comparison to train a US soldier to a basic level of expertise with OSUT or AIT would cost $50,000 to $100,000. To train them for positions in Armor or Cavalry would cost approximately $100,000 to $200,000.

There are a variety of different weapons that can be placed on the SWORDS; M16 rifle, 5.56 mm SAW M249, 7.62 mm M240 machine gun, Barrett .50 cal M2 Browning machine gun, a six barrelled 40 mm grenade launcher or quad 66 mm M202-A1 anti-tank rocket launcher.

SWORDS units have demonstrated the ability to shoot precisely. It is not autonomous, but instead has to be controlled by a soldier using a small console to remotely direct the device and fire its weapons. Foster-Miller are currently at work on a "Game Boy" style controller with virtual-reality goggles for future operators.

Deployment

The Talon has been deployed in military service since 2000 - for example, in Bosnia for the movement of munitions and EOD (explosive ordnance disposal) to get rid of grenades. It was also used in Ground Zero after the September 11th attacks in search and recovery. It is the only robot used in this effort that did not require any major repair. Foster-Miller claims the Talon was used for a classified mission by US Special Forces in the war against the Taliban in Afghanistan as well as in a EOD role. In Iraq its standard role has been performing EOD and IED destruction missions. Its combat SWORDS version is now being used there in a guard role protecting front line buildings from attack. According to Foster-Miller it has performed 20,000 EOD missions in the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan.

See also

• Military robot
• Foster-Miller
• QinetiQ
• Packbot

External links

• Article about the SWORD robot
• Foster-Miller's Talon Home
• Howstuffworks' website on the TALON
• Armed robots soon marching to battle? The Voice
• TALON Small Mobile Robot
• FOSTER-MILLER - ROBOTS FOR NUCLEAR / CHEMICAL DETECTION, EOD, IED, WEAPONIZATION AND RECONNAISSANCE