Air Force's Robotic Bags Will Pack Themselves

The Air Force is responsible for lugging around the rest of the military's gear. Pallets are the workhorses that crews use to get the job done. They're flat planks that support cargo and allow it to be tied down, pushed along and generally moved around onto transport vehicles like the C-130.

Moving, stacking, and coordinating all those pallets takes a more than a few foot-tons of back-breaking work. So, a while back, the Air Force proposed building an "intelligent robopallet" that would do let the cargo load itself. The air service recently awarded contracts to two companies - HStar Technologies and Stratom - to start making it happen.

Hstar's attempt at a self-packing luggage system, dubbed "i-Pbot" in Apple-style, would use omnidirectional wheels and hydraulic actuators to allow the pallets to move themselves around wherever they're needed. The system would also feature a wireless sensor network to allow it to communicate with other pallets, to ensure efficient movement.

Stratom's roboloader is based on the standard 463L pallet and will use an automated, guided vehicle to lug around up to five tons. It'll also have a wireless network that allows it to phone home to a central command location and coordinate with its fellow roboloaders.

Source: wired.comAdded: 10 June 2011