PackBot is Top Dog in DHS SAVER Study

Last summer, the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL), through the Department of Homeland Security's SAVER program, conducted an independent assessment of commercially available unmanned ground vehicles for emergency response. The evaluation brought together a group of experienced emergency responders from across the country to test the systems in simulated real-world scenarios.

The results? PackBot 525 proved itself best-in-class with the highest Overall Score and the highest marks across the board in Deployability, Usability, and Capability.

Alongside several competitor systems, PackBot 525 was put through the paces in an emergency multi-story building medical response, a hazardous chemical spill in a warehouse, and a building collapse reconnaissance mission in rugged terrain.

Each of these systems was assessed across 20 criteria to produce the end scores including maneuverability, autonomous functionality, communication range, ease of use, and camera visual acuity. Consistently outperforming the alternative systems in these pivotal areas, the PackBot 525 was noted as exceeding operator expectations for its manipulator arm, image quality, and ability to navigate tight and challenging spaces.

In one compelling moment of the trial, PackBot was able to recover an overturned unit stuck in rubble with another PackBot unit, while the competitor systems were forced to send personnel down-range to recover. This critical distinction means the difference between a human life potentially being put into harm's way for recovery, versus a purely unmanned solution the entire mission through.

The UGS team also credits the PackBot's much longer battery life (4 times that of the competition) as key to success, allowing the test mission to continue to completion while the other fielded systems were forced to stop and swap batteries.

[Insert attached photo here with caption: PackBot surveying hazardous material in a similar emergency scenario]

“The DHS SAVER results validate the mission our UGS teams have been rallying around for years: making Teledyne FLIR Defense unmanned systems an essential part of our nation’s emergency response toolkit,” said Tung Ng, Vice President of USNA. “Whether investigating disaster sites or responding to hazmat reports, PackBot 525 is tested and proven to lead its industry class in capability, deployability, and usability. We are proud to see our teams’ hard work, planning, and persistence recognized in this latest evaluation.”

These published results will be vital in guiding agencies around the United States in selecting the most effective unmanned solutions for their emergency response efforts. As the report notes, "Having the right tools provides a safer work environment for responders and a

safer community for those they serve."

Congratulations to the Teledyne FLIR Defense UGS team for supporting the evaluation and proving PackBot's superior performance in any critical mission.

Link to report: Multifunctional UGVs for Emergency Response Assessment QuickLook