Remote vehicle

A system for providing enhanced operator control of a remote vehicle driving at increased speeds, the system comprising:

• a head-mounted display configured to be worn by the operator and track a position of the operator's head;
• a head-aimed camera mounted to the remote vehicle via a pan/tilt mechanism and configured to pan and tilt in accordance with the tracked position of the operator's head, the head-aimed camera transmitting video in distributed keyframes to be displayed to the operator via the head-mounted display as a main image;
• at least one additional camera on the pan/tilt mechanism, the at least one additional camera configured to transmit video into the main image for an available inset view;
• and
• a computer running a behavior engine, the computer receiving input from the operator and one or more sensors, and being configured to utilize the behavior engine, operator input, sensor input, and one or more autonomous and/or semi-autonomous behaviors to assist the operator in driving the remote vehicle.

A method for operating a remote vehicle comprising both high-friction tracks and wheels having a diameter that is greater than hubs around which the high-friction tracks extend, each wheel being selectively engaged with a corresponding hub, the method comprising:

• driving the remote vehicle to a destination at a high speed using a head-aimed camera and a head-mounted display while the wheels are selectively engaged, wherein the head-mounted display is configured to be worn by an operator and track a position of the operator's head, and wherein the head-aimed camera is mounted to the remote vehicle via a pan/tilt mechanism and configured to pan and tilt in accordance with the tracked position of the operator's head, the head-aimed camera configured to transmit video in distributed keyframes to be displayed to the operator via the head-mounted display;
• jettisoning the wheels using a jettisoning mechanism controlled by the operator upon arriving at the destination;
• and
• driving remote vehicle at a slower speed using the high-friction tracks after the wheels have been jettisoned.