Kirtland EOD unit shows off skills at Robot Rodeo

  • Published
  • By Lee Ross
  • Nucleus editor
KIRTLAND AIR FORCE BASE, N.M. --  Kirtland's 377th Explosive Ordnance Company got a chance to go hands-on with some new technology and tested their robot handling skills against eight other teams.

Airmen were able to gain the robot handling experience at indoor and outdoor sites May 11 through 15 at the 9th annual Western National Rodeo and Capability Exercise, which was put on by Los Alamos and Sandia national laboratories.

According to Tech Sgt. Song Lee, section chief for logistics for the EOD unit, the experience was very valuable for his Airmen.

"It's not often we get to come together and showcase our skills," he said.

He added that he enjoyed seeing new technology in action, such as seeing an unmanned aerial vehicle demonstration.

Dave Novick, a robotics engineer at Sandia, piloted the vehicle.

During the demonstration, Lee watched a live video feed through a monitor and Novick moved the UAV according to Lee's directions, flicking the controls to make the vehicle hover over several locations where simulated bombs were hidden on a course at the Robotic Vehicle Range May 14.

Lee said he was impressed the UAV, which is produced by a commercial vendor that is not affiliated with Sandia.

The UAV could be a useful tool, Lee said, but only if the conditions were just right. The model that was demonstrated can't take off in the wind, he said, which makes it less useful for Lee's purposes, he said.

"In ideal conditions, it would be great," he said.

The opportunity to give feedback directly to the vendors about their products was great, though, he said. He was able to tell vendors about some small, relatively easy- to-fix items that would make a big difference in the field. In one case, the lights on a robot weren't bright enough, in another a video camera with a wider angle lens would have worked better, he said.

"You get to see what the vendors are putting out, what will work and what won't," he said. "We all get to give input on the future of robotics. When we give them advice, they can go back and channel it up."

Getting his Airmen some hands-on experience with a variety of robots, and their controls, is also a great value, he said.

"My guys have been doing really well," he said. "I couldn't ask for more."