Toward a Common Architecture for the Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic Systems (AEODRS) Family of Unmanned Ground Vehicles

The Advanced Explosive Ordnance Disposal Robotic System (AEODRS) is a Navy-sponsored acquisition program developing a new generation of open, modular EOD Robotic Systems. This paper describes a common architecture for a family of EOD Robotic Systems including the rationale, development, and decomposition into common physical, electrical, and logical interfaces. The paper further describes the role of an open standard for the interchange of information within unmanned ground vehicle systems. The Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) has enabled the development of the architecture's standards-based interfaces, both at the extra-vehicle controller-interface level, and for the interface and integration of vehicle payloads and subsystems. Finally, the paper explores the contribution of the architecture's common topology, protocols, services and infrastructure to the development of common controllers, payloads and subsystems. Additionally, the effects of the achieved commonality is discussed in terms of reduced field logistics footprint, increased mission flexibility, reduced deployment time for fielding new capabilities, and extended useful design life.