— How did your company appear and when did it start developing robotic systems (RTC) for the army?
— We launched production in Kazan in 2010.
One of our directions was the production of CNC machines (computer numerical control. -
RT
) and components for them.
However, about ten years ago, cheap Chinese machines began to appear on the Russian market.
Despite the low quality, people began to buy them, and domestic producers had a hard time.
Then my partners and I decided that we needed to partially repurpose production and occupy one of the vacant niches.
This is how the idea of creating industrial robots came about.
We released the first one in 2015, and it still works well.
Today, our machines serve machines and, according to a given algorithm, perform various repetitive operations on the conveyor.
For example, they put parts in a box or, when processing wood, they feed veneer into a roller dryer.
Like everyone in the country, we have relatives and friends who serve in the Northern Military District zone.
One day the guys came on vacation and told how a soldier in their unit was wounded and, while they were trying to take him out of the battlefield and drag him to shelter, three more were hit.
“Brother” and the position of the wounded during evacuation
© Akrodim
After this, we decided to produce an unmanned tracked platform that would eliminate the risk of losses during evacuation.
By mid-summer 2023, Arkodim had created a tracked robot that can reach a wounded person and transport him to the nearest trench or other safe place.
The product was named “Brother” by analogy with a nurse who saves military personnel on the battlefield.
— Today, the media are increasingly reporting on the use of various robotic platforms on the contact line. How does Bratishka differ from other similar unmanned platforms?
— Indeed, there are a lot of developments.
Some of them are garage-made, others are the result of painstaking work of reputable design bureaus.
In our model, we took into account all the experience of Arkodim in the field of robotics and tried to make “Brother” a reliable and effective assistant for fighters.
Our tracked model is easy to service in the field - a minimum of tools is required to repair a breakdown or replace a part after hitting a mine.
In addition, the “Brother” has an armored body that protects the equipment placed inside it.
The height of the model is 30 cm, length is 1.2 m, width is 0.8 m. Thanks to its low profile and small dimensions, “Brother” is hardly noticeable to the enemy, especially if it moves in the grass.
At the same time, having a mass of about 200 kg, it is capable of dragging a load of comparable weight.
Its electric drive has a power of about 9 kW, which corresponds to 12 hp.
With.
The maximum speed of the platform is 15 km/h, the power reserve is up to 16 hours, depending on the installed battery.
Robot "Brother" being tested
— At what distance is “Brother” controlled and how resistant is it to electronic warfare?
— “Brother” was created to work in the so-called red zone (in tactical medicine, the area of combat engagement with the enemy, where first aid is limited or impossible due to enemy shelling. —
RT
).
Many people confuse evacuation to the nearest first aid station or hospital with removing a fighter from under enemy fire.
In the latter case, sometimes we are talking literally about 50-100 m, which can be overcome by being dragged on a stretcher to a relatively safe place and receive first aid there.
At the same time, we immediately took into account that we should not place the fighter on the roof, that is, the surface of an unmanned vehicle.
In this case, the profile immediately increases and, accordingly, the likelihood of its detection.
The safest thing to do is to carefully drag the wounded person along the ground at low speed.
This method is not ideal, but it is the least noticeable of all possible.
“Brother” is controlled via a radio signal at a distance of up to 2 km, and with a repeater - up to 10 km.
We use our own protocol and equipment, operating on unpopular frequencies.
However, every two months you have to improve the level of protection, since the enemy quickly learns to overcome it.
For this purpose, Bratishka provides flashing, which is easily carried out at the front using instructions from Arkodim.
The robotic complex is controlled like a regular FPV drone - using VR glasses and a remote control.
We also recommend using a drone to control traffic.
Still, a top-down view is preferable to a camera on board the Bratishka if it is moving in poor visibility conditions - in tall grass or on an uneven surface.
However, the new version of our model will feature an elevating video camera, which will provide the operator with a better overview.
— How were the “Brother” tests carried out and when do you plan to launch the model into mass production?
— In January 2024, we showed “Brother” in Crimea, Donetsk, Lugansk and at the Ministry of Defense training ground in the Rostov region.
There, soldiers from the headquarters of the Southern Military District became acquainted with the capabilities of our development.
Also on February 16, the robot was demonstrated to the head of Tatarstan, Rustam Minnikhanov.
We plan to produce the first batch of “Brothers” during March.
We expect to release 15 platforms.
Most of them have already been ordered, and they will immediately go to the Northern Military District zone at the disposal of combat units of the Russian Armed Forces.
Modifications of RTK "Brother"
© Akrodim
In the future, we will work based on requests from the front.
For now, our capacity is designed to produce 30 RTKs per month, but if necessary, the enterprise can increase the production rate to hundreds of units.
We are confident that such a robot is definitely needed in every sector of the front.
The experience of the SVO, in principle, clearly demonstrated that unmanned vehicles can perform a wide range of functions, and most importantly, minimize human losses.
But, of course, any RTK projects require an influx of investment from the state or private funds.
At this stage, Akrodim invests only its own funds.
In any case, we will continue to develop “Brother” and introduce new solutions to it.
This year, our specialists will test a version of the RTK with a manipulator arm, which, without the help of people, will be able to attach an immobilized soldier to a carbine or the strap of a bulletproof vest and drag him to a safe distance.
Our troops will be able to use this device to remove the “200th” from the line of combat contact.
— Does “Brother” have other modifications that our fighters could use in battle?
— In parallel with “Brother,” we are working on the “Younger” project.
This is a small-sized and faster tracked robot for sabotage and reconnaissance missions.
It accelerates to 30 km/h, can carry up to 20 kg of payload and can be controlled at a distance of up to 10 km.
We plan to release this RTK in three versions.
The first one is Kamikaze.
The name itself suggests that the robot most likely will not return from a combat mission.
It can be used to undermine the support and for other purposes.
The second version - "Sapper" - is intended for remote mining of dangerous areas of the front.
This robot will also be able to transport two anti-tank mines.
In this version, it is capable of disabling armored vehicles of the Ukrainian Armed Forces.
He can drive up to a tank or armored personnel carrier unnoticed, drop mines under them and, driving away, detonate them.
The latest version, "Reconnaissance", will receive various sensors and a night vision camera for reconnaissance and identifying enemy positions.
We are now testing the first prototype of the Junior in the Minesweeper version, and closer to summer we expect to release the final sample, which will become the basis for mass production.
Project RTK "Brother" with a turret for a Kalashnikov machine gun
© Akrodim
— Did feedback from the frontline influence the progress of your developments?
— Initially, we created “Brother” only to transport the wounded, but as we tested and communicated with the soldiers, we realized that its capabilities would not be limited to this.
Thus, the production model will have a towbar for a trolley on which you can transport food or ammunition.
If necessary, “Brother” will also take light equipment in tow.
In addition, based on “Brother,” we are creating a combat robot with a turret for a Kalashnikov machine gun with a belt for 150 rounds.
The installation will receive an intelligent system with a rangefinder, which, when aiming, will take into account the trajectory, ballistics, and speed of the bullet.
The operator will only need to move the robot into position and select the target through the camera.
If you fire in small bursts, this will ensure good results and save ammunition.
We hope to release a prototype turret at the end of March, after which its testing will begin at the Ministry of Defense training ground in Tatarstan, and then in the Northern Military District zone.
According to our soldiers, the turret will be effective in storming enemy positions and will help save more than one life in close combat.