XM1216 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle

The XM1216 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) is a lightweight, man portable Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) capable of conducting military operations in urban terrain, tunnels, sewers, and caves. The SUGV aids in the performance of manpower-intensive or high-risk functions (i.e. urban Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) missions, chemical/Toxic Industrial Chemicals (TIC), Toxic Industrial Materials (TIM), reconnaissance, etc.).

Working to minimize Soldiers' exposure directly to hazards, the SUGV's modular design allows multiple payloads to be integrated in a plug and play fashion. Weighing less than 29 pounds (13 kg), it is capable of carrying up to 6 pounds (2.7 kg) of payload weight.

The XM1216 can either be remotely manned, or manipulated through use of a Microsoft Xbox 360 gamepad fitted with speciality drivers. This allows full control of the unit, otherwise unavailable through a conventional joystick. Alternatively a ruggedized controller known as Small HaWC[1] (HArm's Way Controller), more suited to combat environments may be used in place of the Xbox 360 controller.

The SUGV is part of Spin Out 1 and has entered evaluation at the Army Evaluation Task Force (AETF). It will be fielded to IBCTs starting in 2011.

In February 2012, the Army announced their intention to issue a sole-source contract to iRobot for the XM1216 Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle (SUGV) Robotic System. The contract is for developing, supporting, and testing hardware and software related to the XM1216.[2]

In August 2015, the U.S. Marine Corps ordered 75 SUGVs.[3]

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  Note the Xbox 360 controller held by the operator (click for larger picture)
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  Alternative SUGV controller
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  A robotics technician assigned to the Bahraini Special Security Force (BSSF) trains soldiers on the SUGV

Notes

Sources

• US Army site : SUGV

Wikimedia Commons has media related to Small Unmanned Ground Vehicle.

• Army Unveils High-Tech Future Combat Systems
• Visit to iRobot and hands on with SUGV The Sunday Times 31 May 2009, Mark Harris

 This article incorporates public domain material from websites or documents of the United States Army.