RE2 Robotics to Develop Control System to Improve ROV Manipulation Capabilities for the U.S. Navy
System will enable coupled control of an ROV and robotic arms through a single control station
PITTSBURGH, PA - Nov. 16, 2021 - RE2 Robotics, a leader in intelligent mobile manipulation systems, today announced that it received Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) funding from the U.S. Navy to develop a system that enables "coupled control" of a remotely operated vehicle (ROV) and robotic manipulator through a single control system. The project, called "Coupled Locomotion And Manipulation System (CLAMS)", will combine the robotic arms' control system and the ROV control system into one unit, improving coordination of the underwater manipulator and the ROV's movements.
CLAMS will enable topside operators to control a system's robotic arms and ROV simultaneously using one control station by combining the Company's newly developed Coupled Remote Link Software (CTRLS) and the System Unification Model (SUM) to enable interoperability between ROV and robotic arm systems. CTRLS allows the topside ROV operator to send mission goals to the SUM module located on the vehicle. This enables the vehicle and robotic arms to quickly and efficiently achieve those mission goals, improving the ease of operators completing complex, underwater tasks.
"Currently, robotic arms and ROVs are controlled with separate control systems. CLAMS will enable both the robotic arms and the mobile platform to be operated with a single control unit," said Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO, RE2 Robotics. "Integrating these platforms will enable users to increase efficiency by eliminating the need for an operator to monitor two separate control stations while completing a mission."
In addition to defense applications, CLAMS will benefit industries that use underwater manipulation systems to conduct routine inspection and maintenance tasks, such as the oil and gas and renewable energy industries.
"The goal of CLAMS is to improve control of our RE2 Sapien™ Sea Class arms mounted on the VideoRay Defender ROV by addressing the two components as a unified system," stated David Lee, director of product management at RE2. "This will allow topside operators to have more control over semi-autonomous operations while the integrated system is working underwater."
About RE2 Robotics
RE2 Robotics provides the RE2 Sapien™ family of robotic arms, RE2 Detect™ computer vision software, and RE2 Intellect™ autonomy software to enable intelligent mobile manipulation systems that operate in a variety of complex indoor and outdoor environments. RE2's systems help companies in the aviation, construction, defense, energy, and medical industries to enable remote operations, improve worker safety and efficiency, and reduce operational costs. Visit www.resquared.com to learn more about our company, our people, and our robotic technologies.
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