UGVs or unmanned ground vehicles have much lower profiles than their UAV counterparts. There’s a lot of future unexploited tech in this area. Tot I start a thread in this area...

This is an interesting article talking about the Cougar.

http://www.nosc.mil/robots/pubs/usis03aums.pdf

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys...ound/cougar.htm

US project office website for UGVs.

http://www.redstone.army.mil/ugvsjpo/

Some other UGVs...

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys...-ugvsummary.jpg

A take on UGVs by popular mechanics...

http://www.popularmechanics.com/technology...aw/4252643.html

Lockheed martin’s MULE...this might one day fight alongside the bionixes and leopards...

http://www.lockheedmartin.com/products/mule/index.html

And as posted long time ago on this forum about STK's involvement with MULE...
http://www.nationaldefensemagazine.org/arc...gapore3515.aspx

The press release on the MOU bet STK and LM.
http://www.stengg.com/pressroom/press_rele...d.aspx?paid=599

SG M113 AUGV
http://www.dtic.mil/cgi-bin/GetTRDoc?AD=AD...oc=GetTRDoc.pdf


UGVs that can blast tanks (2003 article)
http://www.smh.com.au/articles/2003/08/18/1061059754120.html

it would be interesting to have UGV (eg modified Flyer) that can roughly keep up with the BXII and become part of the armoured battle "team". eg it could be used to go forward onto the ridge line for forward recce, danger zone clearance, target designation, etc. it should have a "follow-me" mode so that it can drive itself behind or alongside the mother-AFV.

The USMC's gladiator UGV.

http://www.globalsecurity.org/military/sys...d/gladiator.htm

Currently manned vehicles can be taken out by a RPG/ATGM/high calibre guns by killing the crew.

The advantage of UGVs are that if you take out the propulsion, the guns can still fire. Its the "terminator" concept. One needs to take out the datalink (very hard to hit) or the entire vehicle.

News you won't read about in the mainstream news....

http://www.army.mil/-news/2009/05/06/20657...-45th-soldiers/

"While the CUGV equipment may be new for the Soldiers of the 71st, the Singapore Army owns and operates the equipment already. While the Singapore Army uses it for explosive ordinance detonation capabilities, U.S. Soldiers use the CUGV for hazardous material sensing missions."

http://www.usarpac.army.mil/8tsc/71stChem.html

"interested in getting a smaller version of the vehicle for use by his troops."

Link to FAS write up on the Fox vehicle:

http://www.fas.org/man/dod-101/sys/land/m93a1.htm

that's a sweet find...my mind is in a mini frenzy now :P

Pics of UGVs developed by DSO...

Prototype Crew-Class UGV
Autonomous Robotic System
Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Explosive (CBRE) Robots

http://www.dso.org.sg/technologies.aspx

read somewhere that there is a US congressional mandate that requires 60% of US ground force vehicles by 2016 to be unmanned. can anyone corroborate this and verify is this true ?

Don't think so.

The robotics strategy white paper released in March 2009 makes references to the 2001 NDA Act which requires 1/3 of operational combat vehicles under the FCS programme to be unmanned by 2015.

Robotics strategy white paper

By 2006, over 4000 UGVs were already operational (mostly bombots).

http://www.jointrobotics.com/Activities/co...ber%202006).pdf

Looks like the number deployed is even greater. Aviation week quotes 12,000.

http://www.aviationweek.com/aw/generic/sto...Nimble%20Robots

thank you bro !

my bad must have remembered the numbers and details wrongly. but its really interesting. wow that many unmanned vehicles huh. i wonder if our AUGV technology can be exported as a modular / kit form.

Raytheon deploys the GSS prototypes

http://raytheon.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=1400#

Some sort like the local ACMS. GSS is a follow-on of sorts to the Land Warrior program, which was developing a similar system to extend all communications that could be received by vehicle-borne systems to the individual soldier.

If things get too heavy, there's rex, the robotic mule...

http://www.iai.co.il/32981-40059-en/MediaRoom_News.aspx

"REX, which can carry up to 200 kilograms, is designed to assist groups of 3-10 ground soldiers on operational and logistical missions for up to 72 hours without refueling, and acts as a robotic "beast of burden" for the modern soldier."

UK orders dragon runner robots. Smaller than marcbots, bombots.

http://www.defenseindustrydaily.com/Britai...e-Troops-05966/

Lockheed Martin's Autonomous Car

Video link here: LM HOW - Autonomous Car

Actually there is a real need for UGV for search and rescue missions, eg..a building collapse and need to find victims in those narrow openings , these UGV can prove, valuable, Govt. can embark these as projects with DSTA, Universities....more meanful projects rather than those remote robots...
people in the mechantronics and robotics field have alot to gain in these development.

So.... maybe DART teams may have new (made in S'pore) tool soon...perhaps?

Amplify (extend) its application, of course, you will find these "stuff' useful in the battlefield......just like in he Movie Transformers.

TARDEC APD/CERV upcoming demo.

Jan 7, 2009

Earlier showcase
Dec 15, 2009

UGVs include:

- Hybrid Electric (HE) High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMWV) – TARDEC, working alongside DRS Technologies, has developed the XM1124 HE HMMWV. The HE HMMWV is a diesel-series hybrid on a M1113 chassis with an all-electric drivetrain, which includes a high-power Lithium-ion battery pack with high energy density. The vehicle has also demonstrated extended silent watch up to six miles at a speed of 20 mph.

- Squad Support Unmanned Ground Vehicle – The SSUGV was developed through collaboration with the automotive industry and performs reconnaissance, surveillance and target acquisition.

- TALON IV – TALON provides Soldiers the ability to identify explosive devices visually and neutralize them from a safe stand-off distance.

- iRobot PackBot with FasTac – These robots are used for surveillance and reconnaissance missions and can provide limited explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) support.

- iRobot Warrior – Warrior is designed to travel over rough terrain and climb stairs while performing a variety of critical mission tasks.