Perpustakaan Digital ITB

The development of advanced technology allows human life activities to be conducted with the aid of mechatronics ( mechanical and electronics system ). One particular area that extensively needs mechatronics is the military field. At present the role of human is transferred to machines that can effectively perform tasks previously done by military personnel. The remote weapon station ( or RWS ) is one example of mechatronics application in military. The RWS has a light automatic gun mounted on a moving platform that has two degrees of freedom. The moving mechanism is operated by electric motors controlled from the inside of combat vehicles by the military personnel. As a result, the personnel no longer need to get out of the vehicle to operate the weapon so that risks of being injured can be minimized. The design process begins with the literature survey continued with the composition of the design. Manufacturing process is performed after the proper sizing of all components is completed. Functionality-testing of the prototype is performed using an air gun with similar dimensions and weight. The installation of surveillance camera, infrared camera, and laser range finder allows the RWS to be operated at various conditions naight and day, also during good and bad weather. Based on the functionality testing, it may be concluded that the prototype satisfies the intended design requirements and objectives. As a future work, the RWS needs to be equipped with protective armor, recoil mechanism, and closed-loop controller to track and lock targets