Haifa – Israel / New Delhi: Elbit Systems and Roboteam launched ROOK, a multi-payload military 6X6 Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) on Tuesday, November 16. The UGV features unique design and built-in autonomy suite offering a combination of greater capacity, improved manoeuvrability and must-have on-field agility that are key for greater mission effectiveness.
The ROOK UGV was developed based on the operational experience accumulated through fielding of the 4×4 PROBOT UGV systems in several countries including the US, France, Israel and the UK.
The ROOK was designed from scratch as a robotic UGV platform in compliance with applicable Military Standards, applying Modular Box structure enabling on-field components replacement with no need for qualified technician or OEM lab maintenance, and efficient upgrades and modification without OEM involvement. A built-in TORCH-X Robotic and Autonomous (RAS) application, provides ROOK with full autonomy and the capability to efficiently navigating rough terrain, during both day and night to deliver supplies, evacuate casualties, perform intelligence gathering missions (including by dispatching on-board VTOLs), and operate as a remote weapon system.
With self-weight of 1200kg, low centre of gravity and ground clearance of 24cm, ROOK is capable of carrying up to 1200kg of payloads while maintaining superior manoeuvrability and transferability. Full compliance with the UGV Interoperability Profile (IOP) turns ROOK into a multi-payload platform providing users with seamless plug and play payload integration.
Using modular hybrid energy configuration of batteries and optional internal generator, ROOK provides operational endurance of up to 8 drive hours and a speed of 30km per hour. ROOK is operated either via the TORCH-X RAS application or through an all-weather 7-inch ruggedized display unit, enabling a single operator to control several unmanned systems.
According to Elad Levy, CEO and founder of Roboteam, ROOK is “the mothership of unmanned vehicles”. It has built-in autonomy and built-in artificial intelligence that provides a full solution. Without that level of sophistication, you would not want to rely on it in the field.
“There is no end to the vision and imagination. The ROOK is just the first step. We are talking about a revolution,” said Levy.
Yoav Poizner, the senior director of Elbit C4I and Cyber said, “ ROOK is the next step toward enabling “everything that happens in the sky” through use of drones and aerial robots to occur on the ground and in the field where soldiers need it, too. The UGV’s innovative design and built-in autonomy suite offers improved capacity, manoeuvrability and agility from its previous models, creating “a human machine” that is “really part of the team.
Roboteam founded in 2009 has the ability to match and meld its engineering with the actual reality of the battlefield. The first big contract for Roboteam came in 2012 when it supplied 100 man-carried robots to soldiers in Afghanistan. Since then, the company has expanded, and now has robots in 20 countries worldwide.
Roboteam and Elbit joined forces in mid-2019 with a commercial agreement that led to making its PROBOT operational. The ROOK is its latest collaboration.
