Modular remote control offers quick conversion

Defence technology company QinetiQ has developed equipment that can convert most items of plant to remote control and allow the operator to be up to 1km away from the machine.

In areas where the operator can safely use the machine in the normal way, this can be done at the flick of a switch.
The Appliqué Robotic Kit comes in distinct modules, most of which are generic, and for military use the system includes CCTV cameras with a 15-inch monitor on the Portable Command Control.

A JCB 4CXM and a Cat320B excavator were the first items to be converted. Fitting the system takes 12 hours.
By incorporating small joysticks in the command unit, remote operation mimics the controls found in the cab. When driving the 4CX, the gear changes are limited to two pre-selected ratios and reverse, and steering is via a joystick.

The company sees the main civilian uses for the system as working in radioactive areas, chemical spills, fires and work in confined spaces, as well as humanitarian relief (such as in the aftermath of an earthquake).

However, cheaper systems without the CCTV and using a less powerful, less secure transmitter/receiver system could be applied to the demolition industry, deep excavations and cliff-edge operations.