Northrop Grumman Corporation’s subsidiary Remotec Inc. has announced that it has unveiled the newest member of its Andros line of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs), the Interoperability Profile (IOP)-compliant Nomad.
IOP is a U.S. Department of Defense initiative to organize and maintain interoperability standards for UGVs. With IOP-compliant software messaging and hardware interfaces, Nomad can easily integrate the best available capabilities, sensors and payloads for multiple functions and missions.
“Building on our 30-year heritage, Nomad represents another exciting chapter of Andros innovation, performance and value in render-safe operations,” said Dan Verwiel, vice president and general manager, missile defense and protective systems division, Northrop Grumman. “Future upgrades can be spiraled via IOP compliance and its next-generation track pods allow Nomad to go where others cannot.
“We continue to improve affordability. Over the past few months, working with supply chain, advanced materials and manufacturing availability, we have cut even more costs to make the Nomad available to a greater range of users,” said Verwiel.
Like other robots in the Northrop Grumman Andros fleet, Nomad incorporates the feedback from decades working with first responder and military customers to offer advanced technology, ease of use and reliability.
The mid-size Nomad weighs 164 pounds and measures 35.5 inches long, 23 inches wide and 26 inches high when its mast is horizontal or 42 inches high when the mast is fully vertical. Nomad’s manipulator arm has a lift capacity of 15 pounds when fully extended and high dexterity through extensive shoulder pitch, shoulder rotation, elbow pitch and wrist roll abilities. Its four independent track pods provide extreme mobility with stability climbing uneven terrain, complex obstacles and inclines as steep as 60 degrees.