Persistent Systems took the opportunity during the 2019 Xponential exhibition held in Chicago from 30 April to 2 May to highlight the enhancements made to its Rugged Display handheld control unit, which can be used for various applications including unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and unmanned aerial systems (UASs).
Company officials revealed that at least two more developmental versions of the control unit are expected, with an aim to finalise its design by mid-2020.
Persistent Systems will further develop its Rugged Display handheld control unit before its final release. (IHS Markit/Melanie Rovery)
The current version of the Rugged Display weighs 250 g, although the production version is envisaged to be lighter. Other design changes to the unit include improvements to its display quality as well as its ergonomics.
The Rugged Display can operate in conjunction with the company’s MPU5 Wave Relay mobile ad hoc networking (MANET) radio.
The MPU5 weighs 368 kg excluding the battery, radio frequency (RF) card, and antennas. Multiple-input and multiple-output (MIMO) technology enables an extended line of sight (LOS) and non-line of sight (NLOS) range and an increased throughput in complex urban, subterranean, and maritime environments.
The radio can support live voice-over-internet protocols, video, and other high-demand applications, and has been tested up to a range of 212 km using a tracking antenna.
It utilises existing infrastructure to augment the capacity of a wireless network, and enables users to incorporate multiple meshed devices to expand the communication infrastructure. For example, the type has been used with up to 320 nodes simultaneously supporting applications including UGVs, UASs, vehicles, and stationary units although the company claims that there is virtually no cap on additional nodes.
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