“We’re very pleased to be invited,” said Michael D. Castillo, senior application architect for robotics at AMREL. “It’s a great opportunity to show off our FLEXkit.”
Company officials claim that the FLEXkit is a modular conceived solution that helps field operators such as defense personnel, coast guard and emergency services staff, to rapidly assemble OCUs as required by just interchanging radio control modules and hard drives.
“While not a common operator control unit by itself, it is a big leap forward toward DOD's goal of interoperability,” said Castillo. “Unlike all other existing OCUs, which are dedicated to a single robot, this is the first solution that gives soldiers the ability to control heterogeneous unmanned systems with a single device. It will immensely simplify maintenance and logistics as well as enhance mission flexibility.”
AMREL officials said with this smooth rapid flexible solution a single AMREL Rocky computer, for example, can control a variety of robots, even when they have diverse operating systems and different origins of manufacture, and this will be the prime demo at the Robotic Rodeo to showcase the power of FLEXkit.
"We've already had inquires about biometric applications," said Castillo. "It can monitor sensors as well. It's simply a matter of properly outfitting the modules."
Officials claim that while the solution can also build non-OCU tools, it is anticipated that the FLEXkit will make an immediate impact in the area of OCUs.
“A true COCU is years away,” said Castillo. “System integrators and robot manufactures don’t have to wait for the future. We have a common control solution for your unmanned system here and now.”
Examples of reported robotics for well defined uses are: A space robotic arm that is mounted atop the Space Shuttles to inspect the space craft’s solar panels and replace if required; robotic, microscopic, pin-point accuracy, insertion and navigation of catheters within the human body to rectify differently beating hearts, or arrhythmias; a first generation prototype robot capable of following receiving, interpreting and responding accurately to hand signals, body motion and verbal commands; packaging robots that top load fresh and frozen food at 50 to 240 per minute; and, filling IV bottles and syringes at hospitals.
AMREL reportedly introduced the HC-2, a rugged new computer platform for wearable and handheld applications, which has up to 128GB solid-state storage in an incredibly light two-pound platform and a fully functioning Windows XP environment.
Follow ITEXPO (News - Alert) on Twitter: twitter.com/itexpoVivek Naik is a contributing editor for TMCnet. To read more of Vivek's articles, please visit his columnist page.Edited by
Erin Harrison