ACTIVE VEHICLE STABILIZATION FOR RECONNAISSANCE AND COMMAND CONTROL ON THE MOVE

Reconnaissance of distant targets with long reaching sensor technology demands a stable platform upon which to operate. Traditionally this requires vehicles deploying mast mounted sensors to remain stationary while collecting data. Pairing electronically controlled active Electromechanical Suspension System (EMS) technology developed by The University of Texas Center for Electromechanics (UT-CEM) with current reconnaissance vehicle platforms creates highly mobile intelligence gathering systems capable of operating on the move over rough and unimproved terrain. This report documents the establishment of criteria by which to judge sensor platform stabilizing performance of EMS and then uses these metrics to evaluate performance improvements over conventional passive vehicles. Based on this analysis it may be possible to operate effectively over cross-country terrains at speeds of 10 to 15 mph while collecting useful reconnaissance data.