Remote Control of Hydraulic Equipment for Unexploded Ordnance Remediation

Automation of hydraulic earth moving and construction equipment is of prime economic and social importance in today's marketplace. A human operator can be replaced or augmented with a robotic system when the job is too dull, dirty or dangerous. There are a myriad of applications in both Government and Industry that could benefit from augmenting or replacing an operator of hydraulic equipment with an intelligent robotic system.

A specific important situation is the removal of unexploded ordnance (UXO). The removal of UXO is a troubling environmental problem that plagues people around the world. This document addresses the danger that UXO pose to military groups in applications such as active range clearance and disposal of unexploded or dud munitions. Disposing of these munitions is a difficult problem, which first begins by determining their location. The process can be aided through the use of teleoperated hydraulic equipment, which allows the operator to be located at a safe distance from these munitions. In the past, converting a large piece of hydraulic construction equipment for teleoperated use has been an expensive task. An important result of this research is demonstrating that through readily available commercial products and existing design methodologies, such robotic tasks can be accomplished at relatively low cost and in a timely, reliable fashion.