QinetiQ North America Sends Unmanned Bobcat Systems to Japan |
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QinetiQ North America
7918 Jones Branch Drive, Suite 350
McLean, VA, 22102
USA
Press release date: March 28, 2011
(RESTON, VA.) QinetiQ North America today announced that the government of Japan has accepted its offer to provide unmanned vehicle equipment and associated training to aid in Japan's natural disaster recovery efforts. QinetiQ North America's technology and services will allow Japan's response teams to accomplish critical and complex recovery tasks at a safer distance from hazardous debris and other dangerous conditions.
The equipment being staged in Japan for rapid, on-call deployment includes QinetiQ North America's Robotic Appliqué Kits, which turn Bobcat loaders into unmanned vehicles in just 15 minutes. The kits permit remote operation of all 70 Bobcat vehicle attachments, such as shovels, buckets, grapples, tree cutters and tools to break through walls and doors. The unmanned Bobcat loaders include seven cameras, night vision, thermal imagers, microphones, two-way radio systems and radiation sensors, and can be operated from more than a mile away to safely remove rubble and debris, dig up buried objects and carry smaller equipment.
QinetiQ North America is also staging TALON and Dragon Runner robots in Japan in the event they are needed. TALON robots have previously withstood rigorous deployment and twice daily decontamination at Ground Zero. The TALON robots are equipped with CBRNE (Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear and Explosive) detection kits that can identify more than 7,500 environmental hazards including toxic industrial chemicals, volatile gases, radiation and explosive risks, as well as temperature and air quality indicators. The TALON robots provide night vision and sound and sensing capabilities from up to 1,000 meters away.
QinetiQ North America's lightweight Dragon Runner robots, designed for use in small spaces, will be available for investigating rubble piles, trenches, culverts and tunnels. Thermal cameras and sound sensors on the Dragon Runners can provide data from up to 800 meters away, permitting the robot's "eyes and ears" to serve in spaces too small or dangerous for human access.
In addition to the unmanned equipment, a team of QinetiQ North America technical experts will provide training and support to Japan's disaster response personnel.
"We are honored to have this opportunity to support Japan's recovery efforts," said QinetiQ North America Technology Solutions Group President JD Crouch. "Our unmanned vehicles will provide reliable, effective, first responder technology to help protect the brave men and women who are working to save lives and restore critical services."
QinetiQ North America is a world leader in robotic technology solutions that save lives in defense, security and first responder environments. For more information, follow us on Facebook at www.facebook.com/qinetiqnarobotsor Twitter at www.twitter.com/qinetiqnarobots.
ABOUT QINETIQ NORTH AMERICA QinetiQ North America delivers world-class technology, responsive services, and innovative solutions for global markets, focusing on US government and commercial customers. More than 6,000 QinetiQ North America engineers, scientists and other professionals deliver high quality products and services that leverage detailed mission knowledge and proven, reliable tools and methodologies to meet the rapidly changing demands of national defense, homeland security and information assurance customers. Headquartered in McLean, Virginia, QinetiQ North America had annual revenues of more than $1 billion in the fiscal year that ended March 31, 2010. QinetiQ North America is part of QinetiQ Group PLC (LSE:QQ). For more information, please visit www.QinetiQ-NA.com.
ABOUT BOBCAT COMPANY Bobcat Company, headquartered in West Fargo, N.D., is a business of Doosan Infracore Co., Ltd., a worldwide leader in the manufacturing and distribution of compact and heavy industrial products. Bobcat compact equipment includes skid-steer, all-wheel steer and compact track loaders; compact excavators; mini-track loaders; VersaHandler® telescopic tool carriers; utility vehicles; compact tractors and Toolcat(TM) utility work machines. Bobcat is a global brand with more than 600 dealer locations in North America and the leader in compact equipment - the industry's original innovator, beginning more than 50 years ago with the first compact machine and predecessor to the skid-steer loader. For more information on Bobcat products, visit www.bobcat.com.
Contact: Christina Schave - Two Rivers Marketing E-mail: christinas@2rm.com Phone: (515) 557-2037
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