Robotic Dual-Arm System Showcased for EOD at UK MoD Event

L3Harris demonstrated a new robotic dual-arm capability at a demo day hosted by Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl), an executive agency sponsored by the U.K. Ministry of Defence (MoD). 

In the most recent project, L3Harris delivered a robotic dual-arm payload for seamless integration onto existing robotic systems for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD). 

For this project, L3Harris developed a payload integration for the large T7 robot which enables it to use HDT Global’s Adroit® dual-arm manipulator, controlled by L3Harris’ intuitive haptic controller.

The payload provides operators with a high-strength lifting arm and a high-dexterity arm designed to handle complex missions that require a greater range of motion. 

The robotic arm is built for tackling intricate tasks such as unzipping backpacks or unscrewing the end-caps from pipe bomb improvised explosive devices. L3Harris showcased this dual-arm system at an MoD training facility during a two-day demo event alongside several other robotic and autonomous EOD capabilities funded by Dstl. 

The human-like flexibility and dexterity offered by the dual-arm payload ensures threats are dealt with much quicker and more efficiently than with a single arm. An additional T7 in the demo was used to display several deployable sensor applications in realistic mission scenarios.

L3Harris Intuitive Haptic Controller

With EOD mission tasks proving demanding, and time-consuming, L3Harris’ intuitive haptic controller is designed to provide a seamless user experience and a wide range of motion from both arms, increasing precision and reducing task completion time. 

Additionally, training time and cognitive burden is substantially reduced through the controller’s user-friendly design. A human factors study conducted with the U.S. Army Research Lab and further experimental data reportedly showed the control system reduces operator workload by 20% and task completion time by 20%.

Dr. Paul Bosscher, Advanced Concept Engineer at L3Harris, commented, “The demo provided the ideal platform for us to gain some valuable feedback on the dual-arm system from MoD operators who expect to use it during real-life EOD missions. It also opened up interesting discussions about the potential applications of the capability beyond EOD, with specialists from other fields such as chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear and explosives detection exploring how the capability might benefit their work.”