SubscribeThe race is on to find ways to maximize the potential of unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) in surveillance, search & rescue, bomb disposal, disaster recovery, military and covert operations, among others.
And while the shape & size of these unmanned vehicles will continue to evolve, one requirement will remain constant - the communications link between personnel and UGVs must be as reliable as the information being gathered. Video, audio, data must be brought back in real-time, clearly, and flawlessly. With robust communications equipment essential to transmitting high bandwidth traffic over terrestrial or satellite networks, high quality digital microwave and COFDM technology provide the ideal solution.
Communication systems must also be interoperable and allow all units and departments to simultaneously share information. Five years ago, a 1998 report by the Public Safety Wireless Advisory Committee identified grave concerns about emergency personnel not being able to communicate with each other.
Five years later on 9/11 tragic results of this inability to fully communicate became apparent. “…it would appear that non-interoperability was at least partially responsible for the loss of 343 fire fighters at the World Trade Center,” a University of New Hampshire ATLAS Project report stated. Any future communications systems will dictate interoperability.
To ensure that UGV communications links execute to plan, systems need to be designed to perform in unpredictable circumstances. Emergency situations by their nature are chaotic. Scenes of terrorism may bring down communications links, or at the very least hinder them.
Covert and surveillance operations are unconventional by design. So, the normal lines of communication may be rendered ineffective, which translates into the need for UGVs to operate in non-traditional environments, specifically non-line-of-sight environments. When necessary, microwave links must provide encrypted, COFDM real-time, high-quality video to all interested parties.
Building communications systems that are reliable, perform seamlessly and are quickly deployable, we need to think and develop systems that are “out of the box”.
Because traditional video microwave requires line-of-sight from the transmitter to the receiver, even slight obstructions can cause multipath or ghosting effects. At the very least, the signal is distorted or fades out. At the very worst, the signal is lost altogether.
CodeRunnerTM, STRATATM, REPORTER digital technology eliminates this line-of-sight problem and with COFDM technology, use obstructions, buildings, and other structures as points of reflection ricocheting off of objects to arrive at its designated location in clear, crisp, condition. Designed specifically for remote and mobile applications, these systems can send information back from remote, confined or enclosed areas.
Too often, hot spots are in enclosed or confined areas where there is no direct view of a situation. When first responders need to get immediate video images from such environments, this digital microwave technology will be dispatched. Lightweight COFDM wireless camera-back, belt mounted, or robot-mounted transmitters, REPORTER, send live video from confined or enclosed areas providing critical video surveillance capability in precarious and rapidly developing situations.
Signals simultaneously will be sent to hand-held devices, QuikVue, being used by personnel in the field closely monitoring situation and to command centers which may be located miles away giving first responders, command and other personnel on the scene a clear picture of what is happening while improving safety for everyone involved.
Summary
A rapid succession of technological advancement means that decisions regarding technology, system configurations, systems interoperability and upgrades need to be informed and future proofed. A vendor’s breadth of product offering and its longevity are very important to end-users as they look for ways to maximize their investments. Manufacturers that deliver total solutions will be those sought out to provide these most critical solutions and provide long-term partnerships.
