West High School InvenTeam

We will invent an autonomous, solar-powered robot designed specifically to locate and tag Unexploded Ordnance (UXO) left after a military conflict or as the result of weapons testing. The UXO Grazer is a small (1.5m x 1.5m) autonomous all-terrain vehicle with independent drive and suspension on all four wheels. Equipped with a solar panel or sustainable power, a multi-frequency metal detector, and an onboard computer equipped with GPS, the UXO Grazer will implement a quasi-random “grazing” algorithm in the search for unexploded ordnance, staying within the confines of a predefined area. As such, it will remain in the field indefinitely requiring only occasional interaction with the ordnance recovery crew. The crew will request the GPS coordinates of located target materials via the UXO Grazer’s wireless network and then use this list to quickly locate and remove the offending materials. The UXO Grazer, in addition to supplying GPS coordinates, will also apply a visible paint mark that will make pinpoint location easier for the disposal crew.