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AUVSI: B2B initiatives abound
Among a myriad business-to-business initiatives unveiled at AUVSI Unmanned Systems North America is a new robotic vehicle platform developed by Dakota Vehicle Systems in Canada.
According to vehicle designer and Dakota general manager Don Bradshaw, the new platform, dubbed 'Troop Truck,' is the result of his 15 years of experience with ground vehicle platforms.
'I was involved with the drive systems on some of the larger sized unmanned ground vehicles that you see here at AUVSI,' Bradshaw explained. 'But this is a totally new design of vehicle that basically contains the ‘I wants’ of many users.'
Bradshaw credits the 'Troop Truck' platform with a top speed of 'around 55 miles an hour, depending on payload, grade, and traction conditions.'
'It’s extremely ‘gradable,'' he added. 'Empty it will do 100 percent side grades and it will do 100 percent fore and aft grades, depending on what you have for traction and vegetation.'
Depending on configuration, the current 6500 lbs vehicle design has a cargo capacity of an additional 4000 lbs.
The current design will also water ford to depths of 51 inches and can also be towed at high speed with very little preparation.
The current Troop Truck design features pairs of foam-filled tires surrounded by a rubber track.
'The entire vehicle is what I call ‘fly by wire,’' Bradshaw observed. 'All of the actions of this vehicle are done electronically, so that when you go to put your higher level electronics on it there are no mechanical constraints.'
Bradshaw noted that the vehicle was also designed to be readily adaptable to diesel-electric drive.
'The vehicle we have here at AUVSI is a technology demonstrator,' he said. 'We are using it to develop and prove the technology.'
Asked about the company’s goal for unveiling the platform at AUVSI, Bradshaw offered, 'We’re pushing the high jump bar up. Everybody is aware of what the current vehicles out there will do. And we have now introduced a vehicle that will do more – which is now the new level for the high jump bar.'
He continued, 'One of our other primary reasons to be here is that business-wise we would like to attract a US partner who would do the control systems and the weapon systems integration, and also would be the marketing point to the customers – military and homeland defence. It just makes the most business sense to do that.'
'We have come to the [US] market, where we think there is the greatest need in near term application,' he added. 'And we are currently having discussions with at least four large US defence contractors in regards to this platform. They see it as the way of the future.'
'There are a number of programmes where this vehicle could have applicability,' he noted. 'One of the big things, for example, would be to use them to help offload weight from the shoulders of infantry.'
'If you look at where unmanned aerial vehicles were 10 years ago – 10 years from now this unmanned ground vehicle field will be hugely larger than it is now. And, of course, we want to have the best platform out there,' he said.
By Scott Gourley, Denver
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