Challenge (Summary)
Reamda designs and manufactures innovative remote-controlled robotic solutions for complex tasks including bomb disposal/de-mining, demolition and surveillance. The company initially produced every component of its solutions in-house, including the tablets used in its remote-control units, but the high costs involved led the company to seek out a more practical COTS alternative.
Solution (Summary)
Following an extensive review of the market, the only device that ticked all Reamda’s boxes was the Getac UX10 fully rugged tablet. Key features include a powerful Intel® processor, ergonomic 10” screen, fully rugged reliability, light weight, and matte black finish – an essential requirement for its customers in the military and defence industries.
Benefits (Summary)
Since implementing the UX10 at the heart of its universal controller unit two years ago, feedback from clients has been overwhelmingly positive.
Getac’s engineers also worked closely with Reamda at the outset to ensure the UX10 interfaced seamlessly with the company’s controllers, resulting in a streamlined and cost effective manufacturing process from day one.
/ Challenge /
Founded in the Republic of Ireland 2001, Reamda develops military and engineering products for both national and international markets. The company specialises in the design and manufacture of innovative robotic solutions for complex tasks including bomb disposal/de-mining, demolition and surveillance, with products ranging from 15 kilograms to 40 tonnes.
Reamda’s main design philosophy is to focus on simplicity, meaning customers can get to grips with its products as quickly as possible and start deploying them in the field without the need for lengthy training programmes beforehand.
“It takes a lot of work to make things simple,” says Padraig O’Connor, Managing Director of Reamda. “Our solutions are built to perform challenging tasks in extremely dangerous environments, so making them as easy to use as possible means operators can stay focussed on the task at hand, without having to worry about overly complex controllers and button layouts”.
When Reamda first began making its remotecontrolled robotic solutions, every aspect of them was designed and manufactured inhouse, right down to the tablets at the heart of the controller units. However, the company quickly realised that this approach was too cost prohibitive over the long term. As such, it decided to replace its proprietary tablets with a fully rugged commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) alternative, reducing costs and simplifying manufacturing in the process.
/ Solution /
Reamda had a list of key criteria that the new COTS tablet had to fulfil. It needed to be fully rugged, powerful, and built around a 10” screen, which the company felt was the best size from an ergonomic perspective. It also needed to be lightweight, have good heat dissipation and be available in a matte black finish, which is an essential requirement for devices used in the military and defence industries.
Following an extensive review of suitable COTS options on the market, there was only device that ticked all Reamda’s boxes – the Getac UX10 fully rugged tablet.
Built around Intel’s i5/i7 Intel® Core Processor and Intel® UHD Graphics, the UX10 boasts excellent speed and visual performance. Its 10” LumiBond screen ensures excellent usability in all conditions, while its rain and glove touch capability guarantees visibility and productivity even in extreme temperatures and weather.
The UX10 also features IP66 and military-grade MIL-STD 810H certifications for peace of mind when in the field. It resists water, dust, salt, vibration, and will withstand temperatures from -29°C to +63°C (-20°F to 145°F), and a 6-foot (1.8m) drop while in operation.
Despite its fully rugged credentials, the UX10 weighs just 1.22 kilograms, meaning it can be carried and operated for extended periods of time without any issues, while its matte black finish makes it ideally suited to military and defence scenarios.
/ Benefits /
Once Reamda had settled on the UX10, Getac’s engineers worked closely with the company to correctly interface the device into its universal controller units, which produced immediate benefits.
“Interfacing the UX10 correctly from the start was a key part of the process for us,” said Padraig. “Doing so means the manufacturing process has been seamless, with no unexpected issues causing problems down the line.”
Reamda has now been using the UX10 at the heart of its universal controller unit for two years and feedback from customers has been consistently excellent.
“They absolutely love the device,” adds Padraig. “Implementing the UX10 has taken a complex part of our solution and made it much simpler. The controller interface is now COTS across the board, making it easy to build and maintain, while offering both significant cost savings and increased reliability in the long run.”
/ About Reamda /
Reamda was founded in 2001 and has been developing military and engineering products for both national and international markets since its formation. The company provides specialist solutions in the fields of robotics, embedded control systems, simulation, wireless telephony and video communication systems and remote sensor data acquisition including both radiological and x-ray equipment.
