Communication and mobility enhancements to the scout robot

Small scale distributed robotic systems are ideal for tasks that larger, more expensive robots may not be able to undertake such as surveillance or inspection in enclosed areas. Small scale robots also have the advantage of being easily portable to an area of interest. However, the advantages related to the small size and portability cause an increase in the complexity of development. In addition, the more pronounced effects of interacting with the environment in terms of mobility and communications lead to robotic systems of limited functionality. In order to address such deficiencies, several novel developments and improvements have been made to the Scout robot, which will be discussed. These improvements include the development of a communication relay system facilitating longer distance operation, an improved actuating wheel system increasing the Scout's mobility and a grappling hook system to elevate the Scout. By enhancing the Scout robotic team in this way, the functional use of the team is expanded, allowing more practical use.