Bumblebee MGR-4 (robot sapper)

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• Robots (robotics)
• Combat robots and drones

2024

Initiation of use in the demining of civilian objects

At the end of May 2024, the Rostec state corporation and the High-Precision Complexes holding, which is part of it, demonstrated a new modification of the Bumblebee MGR-4 sapper robot. The robot began to be used to mine civilian objects in new regions of Russia. This was reported by the press service of Rostec.

According to her, MGR-4 is the result of joint efforts of specialists from the Kovrovsky Electromechanical Plant "KEMZ" and VNII "Signal," which are part of the holding "High-Precision Complexes." A feature of the robot is the presence of a remote control system equipped with external cameras and sensors. Thanks to this, the Bumblebee is able to conduct demining at a distance of up to 1 kilometer, thereby ensuring the safety of rescue sappers.

source = Rostec

As noted in the state corporation, in the process of testing, the robot sapper received a number of improvements, among which a new mine countermeasure trawl stands out. It demonstrates high effectiveness in neutralizing small-sized anti-personnel mines, which pose a significant danger to civilians. Bekhan Ozdoev, who heads the cluster of conventional weapons and special chemistry at Rostec, emphasized the particular relevance of this revision when working with booby traps designed to defeat sappers.

Today Rostec is conducting comprehensive tests of MGR-4 in real conditions. This made it possible to quickly refine the car. For example, the Bumblebee received a new mine trawl. It is particularly effective against undersized anti-personnel mines, which pose a serious threat to civilians. At the same time, the MGR-4 retained its main advantage - the robot allows the operator to be in a safe place - at a distance of up to 1000 meters, "Ozdoev emphasized.

Tests of the Bumblebee will be completed in the second half of 2024. Vladimir Pimenov, who holds the position of General Director of the All-Russian Research Institute "Signal," noted that work on improving and finalizing the demining complex does not stop. The holding aims to create an affordable machine that meets all the necessary requirements.

According to her "Rostec," the introduction of the robot-sapper "Bumblebee" is designed to significantly increase the efficiency and safety of demining work, preserving the lives of both sappers-rescuers and civilians. Its use is of particular importance in new regions of Russia, where the problem of mine danger is most acute.^[1]

Equipping with a compact trawl

Holding "High-precision complexes" of the State Corporation Rostec has modernized the remotely controlled machine of humanitarian demining MGR-4 "Bumblebee." The sapper robot was equipped with an improved compact trawl that simplifies the transportation of the machine and allows you to more effectively neutralize anti-personnel mines, including small-sized Petals. Rostec announced this on April 3, 2024.

source = Rostec

The trawl has reduced size and weight, which makes it possible to transport the robotic machine in the back of a conventional truck in a fully assembled form. It is also equipped with additional trawling elements - hammers that do not give a chance to "hide" even the smallest anti-personnel mines.

Such equipment is especially in demand in new regions, where the enemy uses stealth mines of the Petal PFM-1 against civilians and intensive work on humanitarian demining is underway. The updated "Bumblebee" is first shown in the exposition of "High-Precision Complexes" at the exhibition "Exhibition."

"Bumblebee" - a system with remote control. Robotization of the machine eliminates direct human involvement in dangerous processes, minimizes the risk to sappers and increases the speed of mine clearance. The mine trawl is capable of neutralizing a wide range of anti-personnel mines, including small-sized pressure mines. The main purpose of this technique is to help quickly establish a peaceful life in the new Russian regions, "said Bekhan Ozdoev, industrial director of the arms complex of the State Corporation Rostec.

The humanitarian demining machine was developed on the basis of a mini-loader Ant-1000 the enterprises of "High-Precision Complexes" - the Kovrovsky Electromechanical Plant and the All-Russian Research Institute "Signal." Earlier, Rostec showed tests of the demining complex in the OurCrash project.

2023: Product Announcement

In mid-August 2023, Rostec presented a unique robot sapper MGR-4 Bumblebee. It is based on the Ant-1000 mini loader.

As the first deputy general director of Rostec Vladimir Artyakov told TASS in mid-August 2023, soon the Bumblebee will be sent to the zone of a special military operation for "experimental operation in real conditions."

MGR-4 "Bumblebee"

The agency writes that the Bumblebee MGR-4 is the modernization of the robotic demining complex developed by the KEMZ and VNII Signal (part of the High-Precision Complexes). It is equipped with a hydraulically driven winch, a chain hammer trawl and is designed to detect and eliminate anti-personnel mines.

The car was upgraded by results of tests on the ground of the Ministry of Emergency Situations. There is no cabin and all manual control systems. The control panel has been improved, which has become more convenient, its operating time has been increased. The changes also affected the working organ of the robot sapper. The Ant platform is robotic using the unified software and hardware complex "Promete" - this is a unique development of specialists from the All-Russian Research Institute "Signal" and the holding "High-Precision Complexes. The modernized sample uses a mine trawl with an increased soil loosening depth of up to 250 mm, the shape of impact hammers has been replaced, the chain length has been adjusted. The range of the radio control signal is up to 1000 m.

According to the developers, they wanted to exclude human participation in mine clearance work. There is no cabin and all manual control systems in the machine. It is known that the MGR4 is controlled remotely, which significantly reduces the risks for sappers.^[2]

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