Battlefield Extraction Assist Robot – BEAR

The US Army has developed a new unmanned ground vehicle that can rescue victims from an array of dangerous situations.

The humanoid BEAR – Battlefield Extraction-Assist Robot – is being developed by Vecna Robotics and features a powerful upper body controlled by hydraulics that can lift 500 pounds.

And because it’s remote controlled, it can locate victims on the battlefield, in a mine shaft, toxic spill of earthquake-damaged structure, then lift them to safety without risking anymore lives.

The robot was developed as a solution to improve search and rescue missions while reducing the time military, police, and emergency response personnel spend risking their lives each day.

The developers are currently testing the 8th prototype of the BEAR. Each version has brought new improvements including explosion- and fire-resistant treads; a ruggedized, high-speed, high-energy drive system; explosion- and fire-resistant battery cells; and enhanced dexterity.

Vecna say it’s still working on the BEARs ability to navigate through complex environments and to elevate the level of human-robot interaction. Check out the video below to see what the BEAR is capable of.

The project is sponsored by the U.S. Army’s Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center – a part of the U.S. Army Medical Research and Material Command.

Share This