Kairos Autonomi has been quite busy throughout the last decade delivering unmanned systems and capabilities to our customers. We will begin to share these videos with you.
Watercraft
The Pronto4 Serie4 (P4Series4) robotic applique is install in a SeaDoo personal watercraft. This enabled our customer to share a P4Series4 between their HMMWVs and the SeaDoos at a significantly lower cost that purchasing custom built robotic watercraft
The following videos show the installation of the Pronto4 Uomo (P4Uomo) in unmodified HMMWVs. The P4Uomo is the Kairos entry into a class of seated robotics call Rapidly Installed Robotic Applique Kits or RIRAKs. These robotics strive to drive the installation in a ground vehicle to zero, thereby eliminating the commitment of the vehicle and enabling point-of-use robotics. The cost of the resultant robotic system is contained in the cost of the RIRAK.
These videos represent a progression through the manufacturing blocks as the P4Uomo is enhanced through each manufacturing cycle.
This video by Sgt. Adam Gregory shows soldiers testing the Rapidly Installed Robotic Applique Kit (RIRAK) at AWA 17.1.
RIRAK and RIEMA based EOD System
This video shows the concept of combining a Rapidly Installed Robotic Applique Kit (RIRAK) with a Rapidly Installed External Manipulator Arm (RIEMA) on an unmodified HMMWV. The concept enables the creation of a EOD or Route Clearance robotic system using a readily available vehicle coupled with a man portable RIRAK and RIEMA. The resultant EOD or Route Clearance robotic system is capable of traveling at over 40 mph and manipulating 150lb loads from a safe distance.
The RIRAK is a Kairos Pronto4 Uomo and the virtual RIEMA is a design supplied by RE2 as part of their other programs.
Autonomous Technologies Kairos Autonomi has developed the following technologies for various contracts
Pronto4 Uomo Installation Block M2
Kairos Autonomi has released video of our Pronto4 Uomo being installed into four different vehicles, followed by a test drive. This video is available for view on our YouTube page.
Kairos Autonomi’s Pronto4 Uomo, M3, Runs at a DARPA Robotics Challenge Test in South Carolina
University of Nevada, Las Vegas showed off Kairos’ Pronto4 Uomo driving a vehicle at a DARPA Robotics Challenge (DRC) test in Charleston, South Carolina in preparation for the DRC event early June 2015. The video was made by a local South Carolina news station.
Kairos Autonomi is sponsoring Team Chiron as it prepares to compete in the 2013 DARPA Robotics Challenge Trials. Two videos are provided of the robot Chiron completing some of the eight competition tasks:
Kairos Autonomi provided a Pronto4 for installation and operation of a 130 ton mining haul truck. The Pronto4 enabled the truck to perform unmanned operations.
Robotic Range Clearance Competition, August 2011
Kairos Autonomi was part of Team UXOD Automation, which was named the overall winner of the Robotic Range Clearance Competition. Visit our News Page to learn more.
TrackBox™ Mobile Deployment Carrier, September 2009
The latest product from Kairos Autonomi allows for the remote deployment of a PackBot®, enabling the remote operator to not be exposed to dangerous situations. For more information visit the TrackBox page at http://www.kairosautonomi.com/TrackBox.html.
FALLON MLT DROP, NAS Fallon Training Range, January 2009
As part of a CRADA, Kairos Autonomi supplied the U.S. Navy with a moving land target powered by the Pronto4 Agnostic Autonomy System. At NAS Fallon, the MLT autonomously pathed a north/south course on a mock gravel runway at 35 mph. The Navy dropped a number of inert, Enhanced Laser Guided Training Rounds (ELGTRs) at the Kairos MLT during live strike training.
The exercise was performed without any infrastructure improvements. Only a single, low availability radio link was required to provide safety functions as well as course cycling. Course development consisted of recording the course on one of the several Pronto4 enabled vehicles, editing those courses and then performing a few course trials to assure course performance. The developed courses included an ingress, several target loops, and an egress course. The ingress/loop/egress course set was then commanded through the low availability radio link. The ingress and egress courses were 1.5 miles in length and took the MLT from the control tower to the airstrip and returned to the control tower for next mission. The demo course was 2.5 miles long, 1.125 miles in each direction (north/south). The MLT traversed in one direction, looped around, and traversed the other direction. Each traverse lasted about 2 minutes, with one completed course occurring in about 4 minutes. The MLT performed approximately 18 traverses during the 60 minute exercise.
MOVING TARGET COURSE #2, Barstow, CA, September 2008
Kairos Autonomi's latest vehicle, a Nissan truck (pictured below), was recently used to perform Moving Land Target testing. In less than 10 linear business days at minimal effort, Kairos Autonomi:
purchased the truck for $3,500 with 125,000 miles on it
maintained the truck with new tires, new battery, hub repair, and other standard maintenance for $1,500
installed and qualified the Pronto4 system in less than 1 man-day
transported the vehicle to the test site
outfitted the truck as a 'Technical' (indigenous enemy vehicle), including a DShK 12.7 mm mounted gun (Dishka)
performed video demonstrations
The 'Technical' also featured a safety target on the hood, and was man-driven to range position for record and go operation (standard feature). Two different courses were used, and the vehicle was configured the same for both. The first course was about 1.5 miles long on a flat, dry lake bed, with the vehicle navigating some long turns at speeds up to 25 mph. The second course was about 1 mile in length and run over rough, uneven terrain with the vehicle achieving speeds of 15 mph in 4WD. Additional testing was performed at a later date with speeds of 40+ mph using the same vehicle on a different course.
The video is a bit amateurish, but we are pretty proud of it:
A Nissan truck outfitted to look like a 'Technical' before an autonomous run.
MOVING TARGET COURSE, Primm, NV, Aug. 2008
Testing in a dry lake bed near Primm, NV, we created a simulated moving ground target course. We used a stock Pronto4 system with standard software installed in a Chevy Avalanche. The course was about 6 miles long. We completed multiple runs and achieved speeds of 90+ mph. The Chevy Avalanche autonomously follows the same path (tire ruts evident). Each video was captured using on-board cameras with annotation overlay. Time: about 6 minutes.
A Chevy Avalanche using the Pronto4 system prepares to drive 90 mph near Primm, NV.
AUVSI 2008 Video
This video includes highlights form the high-speed run, the Miller Motorsports Park time trial, DesignJug's Urban Challenge 2007 efforts, and the surface vessel test.
Using the access road at the Bonneville Salt Flats in Utah, Kairos Autonomi achieved sustained speeds in excess of 75 mph. The test area consisted of a three (3) mile segment of road with two lanes each measuring 12’ 9” wide, and turn-around areas on either end. The first loop has the vehicle traveling East, with the vehicle traveling West for the final test loop. Orange cones were placed as one (1) mile markers in the segment. Winds gusted between 30-40 mph NNW. The course was recorded using an H1 (commercial HMMWV) retrofitted with a stock Pronto4 System Series II and Kairos Autonomi’s standard software package. Throttle and host indicators in the video are inaccurate. Speed is platform limited in this test. The test was performed autonomously.
We performed a series of semi-autonomous time trials at Miller Motorsports Park in Tooele, Utah with our HMMWV. Speeds reached 50+ mph, with 30+ mph around tight turns.
Kairos Autonomi installed a Pronto4 system on a boat and then performed testing on Yuba Lake in Utah. Two types of testing were performed: a high-speed test on a looped course, and a lower-speed course on a figure-eight course.
Video from the AUVSI Unmanned Systems demonstration, Aug. 6, 2007. Kairos Autonomi's HMMWV performed an autonomous drive to deliver a breach kit to a Marine platoon as part of a mock scenario demonstrating how unmanned systems (UAVs and UGVs) support operations.
A complex autonomous drive, with multiple turns. This run was initiated using a remote e-stop system. (28.3 mb)
An autonomous drive showing Kairos Autonomi's Mimic software, which can record a human driving and then autonomously drive a vehicle over the same route in playback mode. This drive also features a remote e-stop start, stop and re-start. (48.8 mb)
This video shows an autonomous vehicle driving over a four inch donut. The donut simulates an IED target, and the drive demonstrates the Pronto4™ system's ability to accurately drive over a target at speed. (4.38 mb)
DARPA Urban Challenge 2007 Three Track B teams that competed in the Urban Challenge 2007 used the Pronto4™ Agnostic Autonomy System for their hardware platforms. These teams provided video to Kairos Autonomi as they documented their efforts leading up to the Urban Challenge 2007. Video links are provided below:
URBAN JUGGERNAUT
Team Juggernaut competing in the Urban Challenge National Qualification Event, October 2007.
The University of Utah is supporting a team and created this video demonstration for earning a site visit, April 2007 (65.6 mb).*
Team Juggernaut's Track A Proposal video, June 2006. Team Juggernaut was not awarded Track A status, most likely due to its lack of partnering with other companies and entities. Of course, we like to think the team's core technology is solid.
Other Video
To see a Pronto4™ agnostic automated vehicle driving 60+ mph in tele-operation mode, click here.
In tele-operation mode, see a Pronto4™ agnostic automated vehicle negotiate a curve in the road (click here).
* These files may take a while to buffer due to their large file size. However, you do not have to wait for the videos to fully download. After the files are buffered about 20 percent, you can click run to start playing the videos.
