Capable of climbing unaided from the ground into an aircraft, and small
enough to pass between the seats in the tourist class areas, 'Cyclops' is
helping security services overcome the threat of terrorist bombs. We find
out what drives this rather special 'robot'
There are two standard methods of neutralising a suspect explosive
device. One is 'termination' - literally blowing it up - the second and
preferred method is 'disruption', which levels a high-pressure water jet
at the device with the aim of separating its component parts. A
remotely-controlled vehicle called 'Cyclops', which has been under
development for nearly 12 years by Poole, Dorset based A B Precision, is
firmly in this latter category. Recently, it was successfully tested
onboard a 747 aircraft, which it searched from tail to cockpit, even
climbing the stairs to the upper deck lounge.
Being battery powered, Cyclops' drive systems had to be small and light,
but powerful enough to meet the demanding specification. Two Maxon RE35
and one Maxon RE 25 'maximum performance' motors power the main drive and
grippers, all three being driven via planetary gearheads. RE35 motors
with gearheads are also used to power Cyclops' arm, which is capable of
extending to 2m. Meanwhile, at the robot's business end, the latest Maxon
A-max motors, featuring moving coil rotors, are used to power the
all-important 370o panning camera and 'disruptor' positioning head.