Technion Experts Develop Remote Control
For Driverless D-9 Bulldozer and Hummer Jeep
During a Study Day on Autonomous Land Systems at Technion IDF Officers Report on Innovative New Systems For Use in Near Future
In the very near future, the Israel Defense Force (IDF) will begin operating a remote controlled D-9 bulldozer, developed by Technion experts over the last few years. The bulldozer will join a remote controlled driverless Hummer jeep also developed at Technion. This was revealed during a study day on autonomous land systems held at Technion in memory of Professor Dani Wolf, one of the pioneers who set the foundations of innovative developments that are first of their kind in the world.
Taking
part in the study day were hundreds of IDF officers, industrialists and
researchers from the Technion and
Engineering Corps officers and those from the Technological-Logistical Unit of the IDF’s Technology Division stated that this innovative development is intended to enable the bulldozer to be operated under fire while the operator controlling it from afar remains behind safe cover. Today, bulldozer operators are exposed to high risks when they demolish buildings in which terrorists are hiding or try to open roads.
The operator controls the heavy vehicle with the aid of a camera mounted on the vehicle that transmits clear pictures to a control system located at a distance.
The remote controlled Hummer jeep, which also will be coming into use in the near future, already has been tested successfully. All its firepower systems also are controlled from afar by its operators.
Sheikah Hershler, manager of the Technion Soil-Machine and Interaction Laboratories, said that originally the unit he heads worked on developing agricultural vehicles. It initiated the development of heavy military vehicles controlled from afar in order to save precious human lives. The cost of each system was said to be thousands of Israeli shekels.
Technion spokesperson – Amos Levav
909/03