Project STARTER Trials Due for Completion This Year

Harris Corporation used AUSA 2018 in Washington on 8 October to announce that its T7 explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) robot has completed a rigorous set of qualification tests, proving its capability and reliability in all expected environmental and electromagnetic conditions. The T7 robot was selected by the British Ministry of Defence (MoD) to provide operators with advanced EOD capabilities for its Project STARTER programme and is slated to complete user trials later this year

T7 incorporates cutting edge technologies such as haptic feedback to give it human-like manipulation, allowing the user to feel what the robot feels and an intuitive ‘fly the gripper’ control system, which reduces mission duration and training time. It also provides high levels of performance and reliability in austere environments.

“T7’s selection by the UK MoD represents the first of many opportunities for Harris to deliver lifesaving technology to warfighters and law enforcement personnel worldwide,” commented Harris Electronic Systems’ President, Ed Zoiss. “Having now passed an all-encompassing battery of tests –­ including extreme temperatures, blowing sand and rain, humidity, vibration, and electromagnetic interference – T7 is ready to help keep service members and first responders out of harm’s way.”

Harris robotic solutions, including T7, are built to handle a wide range of missions, including EOD; improvised explosive device (IED) defeat; chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosives (CBRNE) defeat; and hazardous materials (HAZMAT) clearance. The system’s open architecture easily integrates upgrades, future payloads, and new capabilities, including autonomy and advanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensors. These capabilities make T7 an ideal solution for the worldwide heavy robot market, including the US Army’s Common Robotic System-Heavy (CRS-H) robot requirement.