Robots Go to War

How They Work

Need a robot to fly from A to B? No problem. Need one to charge through the mountains, dodging trees, rocks and ditches? Well . . .

Two big head-scratchers unique to autonomous vehicles are perception and path-planning. Robots must see well enough to recognize obstacles and be smart enough to avoid them. A robot has to be able to tell the difference between, say, a harmless bush and a half-ton boulder. Even trickier is a negative obstacle. Is that depression in the distance a dip in the road or an impassable ditch?

Information processing, therefore, is critical. Most autonomous systems use sensors that scan the environment to create a 3-D model of the world. Pattern-recognition algorithms identify obstacles and project them onto a 2-D map that color-codes the world according to how suitable it is for locomotion (green for "all systems go," red for "danger, Will Robinson"). GPS and a complementary inertial navigation system, which tracks movements based on speed and turns, locate the robot and its destination on this map. Path-planning algorithms then plot the best route for the ´bot while taking hundreds of preprogrammed rules into consideration, such as: Stay on the road if possible. Avoid grades higher than 10 percent. And never-repeat, never-drive off a cliff.

Automating the Army: Step 1

Unmanned Convoys

Objective

The first military use of fully-autonomous ground vehicles will be in basic convoy operations. Large vehicles will follow known roadways to Air Force, Army or Marine Corps bases, carrying fuel, supplies and ammunition. Although convoy missions will typically be on paved roads, even the earliest autonomous trucks will need full off-road capability in case their roads become impassable.

Status

The Oshkosh Truck Corporation's TerraMax [above] is poised for such missions. In October it was one of five vehicles to successfully complete the 132-mile Darpa Grand Challenge, a desert race through the Mojave Desert. Equipped with ladar and stereo cameras, it uses synthetic vision and advanced navigation technology to maneuver through the most challenging off-road environments.

Automating the Army: Step 2

Battlefield Support

Advanced autonomous capabilities will bring robots into combat, keeping soldiers supplied and protected

Objective
Once autonomous vehicles can be trained to get safely from point A to point B, they will be given greater responsibilities, in actual combat environments. As sensor technology advances, battlefield support will fall to smaller jeep-like vehicles.

Status

The Army's Multifunctional Utility/Logistics and Equipment (MULE) vehicle will help pave the way for the vehicle shown here. The 2.5-ton MULE will carry 2,000 pounds of equipment for infantry squads. It can also be configured as a remote weapons platform or mine sweeper.