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TALON Operations is in the process of building several distinct “families” of robots that will be able to perform a variety of tasks, and will all be operated with one universal control unit. Today, TALON Ground Robotics includes four “families” that are easily distinguished by size: small, medium, large and extra large. Their names are Dragon Runner™ (15 to 50 lb), TALON® (80 to180 lb), MAARS™ (300 to 400 lb)and TAGS-CX (5,000 to 6,000 lb) and they are all controlled with one new Digital Control Unit (DCU).

How are TALON military robots different from other robots on the market?

Man-portable -- At about 115 lb (52 kg), TALON can be easily transported and is instantly ready for operation.

Rugged -- TALON robots can take a punch and stay in the fight. One was blown off the roof of a Humvee in Iraq while the Humvee was crossing a bridge over a river. TALON flew off the bridge and plunged into the river below. Soldiers later used its operator control unit to drive the robot back out of the river and up onto the bank so they could retrieve it.

Fast -- TALON is the fastest robot on the market today easily keeping pace with a running soldier.

High payload capacity -- Long-term system versatility optimizes investment. TALON has the highest payload capacity and payload-to-weight ratio, allowing for the incorporation of a broad array of sensor packages.

Mobile -- Climbs stairs, negotiates rock piles, overcomes concertina wire, plows through snow.

Intuitive -- Easiest robot to operate; joystick controls; quad screen display.

Outstanding situational awareness -- Can hold up to four color cameras, including night vision, thermal and zoom options.

Withstands repeated decontamination -- Demonstrated at Ground Zero after 2001 World Trade Center attack in New York City. Electronics withstood 45 straight days of being decontaminated twice a day without failing.

Long battery life -- TALON robots have the longest battery life of all man-portable robots.

Best service history -- Easy to maintain and sustain; best spare parts, service and repair history.

Download the TALON brochure.

EOD Robots

TALON EOD robots have been in continuous, active military service since 2000 when they were successfully used in Bosnia for the safe movement and disposal of live grenades. They were the only American-made robots successfully used at Ground Zero in search and recovery efforts after the September 11 attack on the World Trade Center and the only robots to last through the entire mission without requiring a major repair.

TALON EOD robots were the first military robots taken into Afghanistan during action against the Taliban and Osama bin Laden in February 2002. They initially accompanied the Special Forces on a Classified mission, and are still there now doing EOD work. They were on the ground in Kuwait when coalition forces massed in 2003 and have been in Iraq ever since performing EOD/IED (improvised explosive device) missions.

Read an email about the exploits of "Gordon," an EOD TALON in Iraq.

Watch video of a TALON robot destroyed by a roadside bomb in Iraq. Watch Video (16MB)

NOTE: This is a Windows Media Video, you can download Windows Media Player here.

SWORDS Robots

Editor's Note, April 14, 2008: Contrary to what you may have read on other web sites, three SWORDS robots are still deployed in Iraq and have been there for almost a year of uninterrupted service.

There have been no instances of uncommanded or unexpected movements by SWORDS robots during this period, whether in-theater or elsewhere. (A few years ago, during the robot's development, there were several minor movement issues that were expected, identified and addressed during rigorous stateside testing --prior to the Army's safety confirmation back in 2006. Any comments made after that timeframe about "setbacks" related to the robotics industry are hypothetical -- never in response to some nonexistent SWORDS incident after the safety confirmation.)

There has been no withdrawal of funding from the SWORDS program. The Army funded three robots, and that's what they are using today in Iraq

TALON Robot Operations has never "refused to comment" when asked about SWORDS. For the safety of our war fighters and due to the dictates of operational security, sometimes our only comment is, "We are unable to comment on operational details."

Read more about SWORDS current deployment in Iraq.

SWORDS' successor, the new and improved SWORDS 2.0, is the robot we have named MAARS. Scroll down to read more about our purpose-built MAARS robots.

Hazmat Robots

TALON Hazmat robots use JAUS (Joint Architecture Unmanned Systems) software to make it possible to “plug and play” up to seven detection devices mounted on a quick-release universal mounting tray for easy removal. In addition, the personal digital assistant (PDA) at the operator control unit (OCU) has been upgraded to include audio and visual alarms if any of the mounted detection devices exceed preset limits, so operators can concentrate on maneuvering the robot and not be distracted by having to constantly monitor the sensors.

Read more about TALON SWAT/MP.

Watch a video overview of the TALON SWAT/MP robot. Watch Video (4MB)

Watch TALON SWAT/MP blow a padlock off a door. Watch Video (2MB)

Watch TALON SWAT/MP blow a door lock off a door and plant a charge and blow a door off its hinges. Watch Video (3MB)

MAARS^TM Robot

Foster-Miller's latest innovation in robotics, MAARS^TM (Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System) introduces a new modular design to its popular family of TALON® and SWORDS robots for military and first responders.

MAARS™ uses the more powerful M240B medium machine gun and has significant improvements in command and control, situational awareness, maneuverability, mobility, lethality and safety compared to its SWORDS predecessor. MAARS and SWORDS are ROV's (remotely operated vehicles). They are not autonomous.

The purpose-built MAARS^TM chassis provides a uni-body frame with easier battery and electronics accessibility. Other features include a larger payload bay, higher torque, creating faster ground speeds and improved braking. The new Digital Control Unit (DCU)significantly improves command and control and situational awareness for the operator resulting in greater safety margins. The complete system weighs about 350 pounds.

MAARS^TM will also come with a new manipulator arm having a nominal 100 lb lift capability. The arm can quickly replace the turret mounted M240B weapon, literally transforming MAARS from a remote weapons platform for force protection to an Improvised Explosive Device (IED) identification and neutralization tool. The MAARS^TM robot will not only permit units to employ multiple mission payloads but production of common chassis and DCUs will also lead to economies of scale resulting in lowered customer costs.

Read a flyer about the MAARS robot.

Look at a poster outlining MAARS capabilities.

Read how the war fighter will be able to control escalation of force from nonlethal to lethal with the MAARS robot.

Watch a brief demo of the MAARS robot. Watch Video (44MB)

Watch an interview on FOX about the TALON and MAARS robots.

Dragon Runner Field Transformable SUGV

The Dragon Runner™ smal tactical robot was originally developed for the U.S. Marines by Automatika, which became a Foster-Miller subsidiary in 2007. The basic model weighs 14 lb and measures only 12.2 x 16.6 x 6 in. The basic Dragon Runner gives users the ability to “see around corners” in urban environments.

Over the course of the past year, engineers and roboticists at Foster-Miller and Automatika have worked on enhancements that now make it possible to take that basic Dragon Runner and add whatever combination of treads, flippers, cameras, sensors and/or arms a mission requires. Here’s an example of how it works:

Do you need to perform an under-vehicle inspection? Pop on the wheels, drive the robot under the vehicle, and start inspecting. Need the robot to enter a multi-story building? Pop off the wheels, attach the stair-climbing flippers and treads, clip the arm onto the top, drive the robot up the stairs, use the gripper to open the door, and enter the building.

View a flyer about the Dragon Runner robot.

Watch this space for more details on the new field transformable Dragon Runner SUGV (small, unmanned ground vehicle) as they become available.

TAGS-CX Unmanned Vehicle

In September 2005, the U.S. Army’s Tank-Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center (TARDEC) instituted a robotics systems integration and evaluation laboratory “skunk works.” The first unmanned system in the skunk works was the TAGS-CX (Tactical Amphibious Ground Support System - Common eXperimental) platform with Applied Perception, a subsidiary of Foster-Miller, as the prime contractor.

This modified COTS platform was developed with modularity and interoperability as the key design requirements. The overall TAGS-CX concept is to have one general purpose, high-mobility platform that provides a standardized mechanical, electrical, and messaging interface to allow numerous heterogeneous “plug-and-play” payloads to be installed. By standardizing at each of these levels, TAGS-CX can be easily configured for a number of different missions, a capability not provided by any currently available unmanned ground system.

TALON Family of Military, EOD, MAARS, Hazmat, SWAT and Dragon Runner Robots