PITTSBURGH — RE2 Robotics, a leading developer of robotic manipulation systems, announced today that the U.S. Army SBIR office and U.S. Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) awarded it a Phase II Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grant to develop robotic technologies to assist combat medics in the field.
The combat medic is one of the most dangerous and demanding responsibilities in warfare. Often in the course of reaching, assessing, and treating a wounded soldier’s injuries, combat medics are placed directly in harm’s way. As a result, many medics and soldiers have been injured or killed while trying to save others under hostile conditions.
There is ongoing interest in understanding how unmanned systems can be used to reduce the risk of injury to combat medics and other personnel when attempting to rescue and extract wounded soldiers in hostile or dangerous situations.
The objective of this program is to develop and demonstrate an innovative and novel medical module payload for future military ground vehicles that enable a single medical support person to evacuate a combat casualty.
RE2 last month won a contract to design ARIBO, an assistive robotic arm for use by the U.S. military.
A force multiplier for combat medics
With this medical module payload, one person would be able to accomplish the extraction instead of the normal two, resulting in a force multiplier for the squad. RE2’s medical module payload, called LIFELINE, will assist combat medics in maneuvering and evacuating wounded soldiers under extremely hostile conditions.
RE2 researched, designed, and developed a LIFELINE prototype during Phase I of this SBIR program. The goal for Phase II will be to continue refining the design, with major emphasis placed on weight reduction to reduce the burden on the soldier during installation.
The company will develop a final prototype will be developed to conclude the Phase II of this program.
“Our team is honored that the Army has selected RE2 once again to further develop technology to help improve the safety of our brave military personnel while in hazardous combat situations,” stated Jorgen Pedersen, president and CEO of RE2. “The LIFELINE technology, in addition to our Patient Assist Robotic Arm and the ARIBO Assistive Arm programs, further extends our reach into the healthcare market.”
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Disclaimer: This press release is supported by the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command under Contract No. W8IXWH-16-C-0062. The views, opinions, and/or findings contained in this article are those of the author(s) and should not be construed as an official Department of the Army position, policy, or decision unless so designated by other documentation.
About RE2 Robotics:
RE2 Robotics develops mobile robotic technologies that enable robot users to remotely interact with their world from a safe distance — whether on the ground, in the air, or underwater. RE2 creates interoperable robotic manipulator arms with human-like performance, intuitive human robot interfaces, and advanced autonomy software for mobile robotics. For more information, please visit www.resquared.com or call 412.681.6382.
