A Modular Design Approach for the Automatic Payload Deployment System

The ability to emplace stand-alone payloads in hostile territory has long been on the wish list of US warfighters. This type of activity is often conducted at great danger. We have developed a capability for automated payload placement from unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) using the Automatic Payload Deployment System (APDS) that can greatly reduce this danger. For example, payloads equipped with a radio repeater and a camera can be deployed to support the securing of tunnels, caves, and other previously cleared areas. Example battlefield applications may include delivering food, ammunition, and medical supplies to the warfighter. Covert operations may require the unmanned emplacement of a network of sensors for human-presence detection, or infrared illuminators at high-interest locations. The APDS architecture is extremely modular, allowing third-party developers to produce these capabilities, and more, for a wide variety of unmanned vehicles. APDS design and demonstrations will be discussed in this paper.