Colossus Unmanned Ground Vehicle

Colossus is a technical support unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) built by Shark Robotics, a UGV designer and manufacturer based in France.

The electrical unmanned system is designed to assist ground forces and fire-fighters in a range of missions such as fire extinguishing, equipment transport, medical evacuation, and reconnaissance.

The vehicle is in service with the Paris Firefighter Brigade (BSPP) of the French Army and other fires and rescue service departments of France and foreign countries.

It was recently displayed at the International Defense Exhibition 2019 (IDEX 2019) held in Abu Dhabi, UAE, in February 2019.

Colossus UGV design and features

Colossus UGV comes with a rugged modular design, which can be configured for different missions within 30 seconds.

The unmanned vehicle’s chassis is built using aeronautical grade aluminium and welded steel material. It complies with IP67 water-proofing standard and can withstand thermal radiation.

The base weight and payload capacities of the robot are 485kg and 550kg, respectively. The UGV measures 1.6m-long, 0.78m-wide, and 0.76m-high.

Colossus UGV payload

The vehicle can be outfitted with a variety of accessories depending on the mission requirements. Optional accessories include motorised water cannon, smoke ventilator, handling arm, additional battery, smoke extracting fan, bull bar, and a connection cable.

The robot can be configured with a stretcher to support medical evacuation missions and a cargo carrying basket for the transport of heavy equipment.

It can be provided with picatinny rails for mounting two-way day and night pan, tilt, and zoom (PTZ) camera turret, featuring thermal cameras and high-definition 360° cameras with 25X zoom. It will also allow for the integration of ballistic armour for self-protection.

The vehicle can be optionally provided with HazMat (hazardous material) and chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear (CBRN) sensors.

Colossus UGV command and control

Shark Robotics offers three types of control units suitable for various operations of the vehicle.

IK-SHARK standard handheld control station features a small display screen, two joysticks, toggle switches, and push buttons for controlling the water cannon and lights. The standard control system operates on dual transmission frequency at 433MHz and 870MHz to a distance of 300m.

NX-SHARK tablet or smart-phone, which is compatible with android and IOS platform, can be used to control the robot at a distance of 500m. It features a three-axis joystick to operate cameras onboard the robot.

GTAC-SHARK vehicle-mounted control station is based on CF 19/CF 20 standards. It features keypad, touch screen, three-axis joystick, touchpad, and multiple control switches. It displays real-time video and map of the operational area.

Colossus UGV communication

Colossus UGV incorporates a robust communication system, which allows for the transmission of data and imagery over a radio range of 200m inside a building. The line of sight communication range is 500m.

The robot’s communication range can be further increased up to 5,000m when fitted with an optional IP long-distance transmission device.

Propulsion and performance

Power for the robot comes from two 4kW electric motors, driven by six 29.8V lithium-ion batteries.

With an operating speed of 3.5km/h, the robot can perform operations in autonomous mode for up to eight hours depending on the mission type, while its maximum endurance is 12 hours.

The UGV is able to handle all types of terrains and traverse through water. It can cross obstacles of 0.3m and climb gradients of 50^o and slide slopes of 45^o. The onboard electromagnetic braking system offers enhanced mobility.

The traction capacity of the Colossus UGV is 2t.