ABSTRACT
A wide variety of unmanned vehicles are increasingly ”nding their way into daily operations. This includes unmanned air vehicles (UAVs), such as the Predator or Hunter, which are being used by the military to provide video and sensor views of areas which are remote from the operator and small radio-controlled UAVs that are popular with model airplane enthusiasts for recreation purposes. Unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are being used for a variety of applications ranging from vacuuming household rugs, to exploring the rubble of buildings that have been destroyed by hurricanes, tornadoes, or bombs in order to locate and rescue survivors, to vehicles that can traverse a wide variety of terrain to haul materials, provide video of remote areas, and even act as a remote weapon system for military applications. Similarly unmanned underwater vehicles (UUVs) and unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) provide remote capabilities in naval operations (Figures 12.1 and 12.2).
