Leica and Milrem Unveil World’s First All-Terrain Mobile Mapping UGV

Simon Martin posted 2016-06-22

While unmanned aerial vehicles––or drones––continue to grow in popularity thanks to technologies that are accessible to consumers and an increased interest in aerial photography, unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) are also starting to gain more attention as a way to gather valuable imagery closer to land.

More recently, Leica Geosystems, an imaging, measurement and surveying company, and Milrem AS, an industrial unmanned vehicle manufacturer, partnered to develop the Pegasus:Multiscope, the world’s first unmanned off-road mobile mapping vehicle for surveying, security and monitoring applications.
The Pegasus:Multiscope, the world’s first unmanned off-road mobile mapping vehicle. (Image courtesy of Milrem AS.)
Built by outfitting Milrem's existing Multiscope UGV with Leica Geosystems’ Pegasus:Two mobile mapping sensor platform, the new UGV allows for commercial businesses and government agencies to eliminate physical risk and automate existing processes, including surveying challenging terrain for civil engineering infrastructure projects and monitoring hazardous areas, such as near nuclear power stations or areas of intense conflict. Due to the UGV’s low ground pressure, it is able to easily traverse across any type of terrain, including mud, sand and snow.

Due to the UGV's low ground pressure, it is able to easily traverse across any type of terrain, including mud, sand and snow. (Video courtesy of Milrem AS.)

Technical specifications of the Pegasus:Multiscope include:

  • Maximum speeds: 15 to 22 mph
  • Zero turning radius
  • Ground pressure: 0.98 to 1.635 psi
  • Driving capability up to 45° rise
  • Base length of 79 in, width of 36 in to 83 in and height of 38.5 in
  • Weight: 1,985 lb
  • Payload: 1,655 lb
  • Pulling force: 11,000 lbf
  • Power source diesel generator, Li-ion battery packs and graphene ultracapacitors that allow for up to 10 hours of nominal work use

For civil engineering use, in particular, the Pegasus:Multiscope is able to survey potentially dangerous or difficult areas—such as unstable riverbanks when surveying for bridge construction or slippery hillsides when surveying for residential construction—cost effectively with the use of calibrated cameras.

“The Pegasus:Multiscope proves how far UGVs have advanced to help significantly increase efficiency in civil engineering, border patrol and a range of commercial applications,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem. “We’re thrilled to partner with Leica Geosystems for the first product in the Multiscope modular UGV series and demonstrate how our combined technology offers reduced labor costs, faster results and much higher reliability than existing options.”

”We live in an ever-changing world where difficult terrain can prohibit our abilities to advance. We can now overcome these challenge with the Pegasus:Multiscope, enabling mobile mapping to be carried out in places unreachable by traditional vehicles,” added Stuart Woods, vice president of Leica Geosystems Geospatial Solutions Division. “Knowing Milrem’s pioneering reputation, we are proud to partner with this solutions provider to bring a flexible and robust autonomous platform that speaks to our organizations’ combined innovation.”

Simon Martin is a writer and industrial designer in New York City.