QinetiQ asks Persistent Systems to provide communications and networking for unmanned ground vehicles
WALTHAM, Mass. – Unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) designers at QinetiQ U.S. in Waltham, Mass., needed communications and networking subsystems for the Common Robotic System-Individual (CRS-I) that QinetiQ is providing to the U.S. Army. They found their solution from Persistent Systems LLC in New York.
Persistent Systems officials have announced that their company has received additional orders from QinetiQ US to provide thousands of MPU5 mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) devices in support of the Army’s CRS-I program.
CRS-I will provide infantry soldiers with a lightweight mobile UGV for reconnaissance, surveillance, and target acquisition (RSTA). In 2019 the Army chose QinetiQ to provide the company's SPUR UGV for CRS-I. Persistent Systems supplies the communications and command-and-control element of the UGV.
The QinetiQ SPUR UGV offers rapid deployment from its backpack stowed state, tactical mobility, long radio range, manipulator arm, sensors, and mission modules for foot soldiers. It can be carried on a MOLLE II assault pack with a controller, pan-tilt-zoom camera and manipulator arm.
The Persistent Systems MPU5 unmanned vehicle command-and-control system is an advanced, scalable MANET radio, with secure networking, as well as data, video, voice, and Android computer system.
“The MPU5’s low-latency networking capability allows the operator of the SPUR platform to send commands to the UGV as well as receive video and other sensor data back, which can also be shared with everyone else on the network,” says Nick Naioti, vice president for business development at Persistent Systems.
“To date, Persistent Systems has supplied hundreds of radios for CRS-I and we are just entering full-rate production for the program,” Naioti says.
For more information contact QinetiQ U.S. online at www.qinetiq.com, or Persistent Systems at www.persistentsystems.com.
