Explained: All Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) By DRDO

The Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) is a versatile equipment for improvised explosive device (IED) identification and handling. It can also be utilized to survey and monitor nuclear and chemical contamination levels. The ROV has stair climbing capabilities and can operate continuously for around 3 hours. The ROV can either be controlled by fiber-optic communication or can be controlled wireless through radio communication.

The role of ROV is very crucial in bomb diffusing tasks, as it reduces human role and also reduces the human casualty. It is also essential in counter-insurgency, it can give the mapping of the area in advance through its camera. ROVs can also be used in hostage rescue missions, as it can give essential details about the enemy and can fire bullets.

Also read: Deep Submergence Rescue Vehicle (DSRV) of India

Let’s discuss about the all ROV developed by DRDO which are used primarily by Indian Army………………

ROV – Daksh

Daksh is an electrically powered ROV. It is used for locating, handling and destroying hazardous objects safely. Its primary function is bomb recovery.

It can navigate staircases, negotiate steep slopes, navigate narrow corridors, and tow vehicles to reach hazardous materials. Using its robotized arm, it can lift a suspect object and scan it using its portable X-Ray device. If the object is a bomb, Daksh can defuse it with its Water Jet Disrupter.

It has a shotgun, which can break open locked doors, and it can scan cars for explosives. With a master control station (MCS), it can be remotely controlled over a range of 500 m in line of sight or within buildings. Ninety percent of the robot’s components are indigenous.

• Fully automated
• Can neutralize bombs
• Has radio frequency shield to jam remote signals for triggering a blast
• Payload lifting capability of 20 kg (at 2.5 m arm)
• Extendable arm up to 4 m
• In situ X-Ray of suspected objects
• Onboard water jet disrupter
• Onboard shotgun for blasting door locks
• Endurance – 3 hours
• Vehicle towing capability

Confined Space ROV – Daksh Mini

The Confined Space ROV – ‘Daksh Mini’ can handle IEDs, scan using portable X-Ray equipment, and also defuse the IED using a recoilless Water Jet Disrupter within the confined spaces like inside a train or aircraft. This compact unmanned robot can be deployed to reach the cabin baggage space inside aircraft or the berths in a railway compartment and extract any suspected baggage. This platform is all-weather and capable of being teleoperated in day or night conditions.

• Manipulator Arm with a vertical reach up to 2.5 m from the ground
• The arm has a lifting capability of 8 kg at 1 m in a horizontal position from the center of its base
• It permits swivel of the arm in a horizontal plane up to +/- 60 degrees.
• Operation range of 200m line of sight.
• Climbing capability: 40-degree slope/stair with maximum 200 mm riser height.
• Speed up to 2 kmph on a flat surface.
• The Master Control Station with a display for real-time video from the camera
• Two hours endurance

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Surveillance ROV – Daksh Scout

Daksh Scout – Surveillance ROV is a small unmanned vehicle or robot which provides valuable visual input to the fighting forces about the location and details of the enemy without being detected during Counter Terrorist (C/T) and Counter-Insurgency (C/I) operations. It is all-weather and capable of being teleoperated in a day or night conditions relaying back live video to the operator on the ground.

• Range: 200m line of sight
• Climbing capability: 35-degree slope/stair with maximum 165mm riser height
• Weight: < 20 kg
• Speed: speed up to 1.2 kmph on a flat surface
• Skid steering: The DAKSH-SCOUT is a tracked vehicle and able to turn at its own axis by skid steering
• Day and Night operation capability
• Endurance: Two hours with rechargeable batteries

Mobile Autonomous Robotic System (MARS)

Mobile Autonomous Robotic System (MARS) is used to extract and diffuse an Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs). MARS is an unmanned vehicle with manipulator’s arm which can reach the location of the suspicious objects and extract the object without any interference of human being. It can plan its own path, stop at the location, scan the complete area for suspicious object and pick it up with the help of its onboard 6 DoF intelligent manipulator. The complete operation is autonomously controlled by onboard controllers and the live video feed of the operation can be transmitted to a centralized control station for monitoring. This platform is capable of being operated in a day or night conditions

• Manipulator Arm with a reach up to 2.0 m
• The arm has a lifting capability of 15 kg at 2 m in a horizontal position from the center of its base.
• Permits swivel of the arm in a horizontal plane up to +/- 90 degree
• Climbing capability: 12-degree slope.
• Speed up to 5 kmph on a flat surface.
• In-built brakes, Camera for detection and classification of the object, LiDAR-based scanning, and Force controlled gripper
• Endurance:4 hrs

Also read: India’s Secret Military Base in Mauritius

Robot Sentry

The Robot Sentry is an autonomous and steerable four-wheel-drive unmanned robot intended for urban outdoor operations on relatively flat terrain. It explores and maps the area, while continuously providing video feedback of its surroundings. The robot utilizes localization sensors for determining its location and pose. It has perception sensors for environment mapping during navigation. The robot communicates with the remote station on a WiFi network. This makes it possible to operate a number of such sentry robots in a multi-agent configuration.

• On-board algorithmic capability includes simultaneous localization and mapping (SLAM), path planning, exploration, object detection identification, and road detection.
• Perception suite consisting of 3D-LiDAR, monocular and stereo cameras, ultrasonics with on-board computer
• The payload carrying capacity up to 5 Kg
• Weight: 62 Kg
• Max speed 7.2 Kmph
• Max slope 15 degree

So these are the Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) developed by DRDO. These ROV’s are helping our defence forces to operate swiftly.

Thank you