Single board computers give rugged infrastructure

SBS Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of embedded computer solutions, has announced a partnership with Autonomous Vehicle Systems LLC to demonstrate rugged SBS products.

SBS Technologies, a designer and manufacturer of embedded computer solutions, has announced a partnership with Autonomous Vehicle Systems LLC to demonstrate rugged SBS products as essential components for future military unmanned ground vehicles.

SBS Technologies intends to supply its CR9 single board computers in an RCOM11 chassis for a retrofit inside a US Marine HMMWV with a suite of advanced navigation and sensor systems.

The completely autonomous vehicle concept, Flying Fox, will participate in the 2005 DARPA Grand Challenge as an open exhibit for Future Combat Systems enabling technologies.

"The SBS Technologies product line is a natural fit for unmanned military vehicles operating in harsh conditions.

Using SBS Technologies single board computers, we can leverage the computing power of recent developments in the industry, and integrate a form factor that complements the tough fabrication of the HMMWV.

Our research team is pleased with the architectural options provided by the SBS components - from specific embedded standards to I/O," said Dan Komaromi, Vice President of Autonomous Vehicle Systems.

Scheduled for October 2005, the DARPA Grand Challenge for autonomous robotic ground vehicles will cover a course of approximately 175 miles across the California/Nevada desert.

The vehicle that most quickly completes the route in less than 10 hours will receive a cash award of $2 million.

This challenge is intended to spur the accelerated development of autonomous robotic ground vehicle technology for military applications, and is the second in a series of Grand Challenges planned by DARPA.

The need for the Grand Challenge comes from Congressional authority in the National Defense Authorization Act, which provides that "It shall be a goal of the Armed Forces to achieve the fielding of unmanned, remotely-controlled technology such that, by 2015, one-third of the operational ground combat vehicles of the Armed Forces are unmanned.

The root of this directive is that for every unmanned vehicle deployed in combat, American military personnel are removed from harm's way.".

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