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Army robots help secure Super Bowl XL

By Ashley John
February 17, 2006

ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md.(Army News Service, Feb. 17, 2006) – With thousands of fanatic football fans flocking to Detroit to experience the excitement of Super Bowl XL, security had to be stepped up more than a few notches for the big game so the Army answered the call.

To help support heightened security efforts, the Army deployed several Omni-Directional Inspection System – or ODIS -- robots during the week-long event which were developed by the Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center in Warren, Mich., and built by Kuchera Defense Systems in Windber, Pa.

ODIS is a robotic system that assists in under-vehicle inspections at military and other security checkpoints. Currently used by Soldiers in Iraq and Afghanistan, ODIS provides users with a highly mobile platform that can be controlled from a safe standoff position, putting the user out of harm’s way while giving them enhanced visibility and sensor placement capability for inspections.

FirstLink, a Department of Defense Center for National Excellence located at the University of Pittsburgh, facilitated the introduction of TARDEC and Kuchera to the NFL Security Office which ultimately led to ODIS’ involvement in Super Bowl security activities.

While ODIS has been used in other prominent civilian settings, Super Bowl XL was the largest civilian event at which it has been deployed. Airmen from the 110th Fighter Wing Security Forces Squadron of the Michigan Air National Guard had the opportunity to operate ODIS at various checkpoints in Detroit.

ODIS allows the user to search under long trucks, the middle, underside of vehicles and cars that are lower to the pavement than normal – much better than the conventional mirror on a stick. It also provided 24-hour security inspections for NFL headquarters at the Detroit Marriott Renaissance Center and operational security at the 15th annual America Online NFL Experience at Cobo center.

Given the increased importance of unmanned robotic vehicles for both military and civilian operations that present high risk to personnel, the future of ODIS is expected to be a bright one. Future adaptations of ODIS technology will eventually see it involved in survivor missions and in the detection of chemical/biological hazards in contaminated areas.



(Ashley John serves with the Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center, Warren, Mich.)