Oshkosh Defense to Demonstrate Advanced Unmanned Ground Vehicle Technology at US Army Robotics Rodeo

Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation, will demonstrate the latest in unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) technology at the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and Fort Hood III Corps Robotics Rodeo, today through Sept. 3, in Fort Hood, Texas.

The company will use Oshkosh military vehicles to demonstrate the Oshkosh TerraMax™ autonomous vehicle system and its capabilities, including robotic logistics convoy operations, advanced perception technology and human-assisted change detection, during two unique demonstrations.

“Oshkosh continues to embrace, develop and advance cutting edge autonomous technology for military applications,” said Andy Hove, Oshkosh Corporation executive vice president and president, Defense. “We have some of the best minds in the industry working to apply autonomous technology to missions that will help our military customer.”

Oshkosh Defense is an industry leader in the development of autonomous vehicle technology. The company has a history of teaming with technology experts to continue breaking new ground and as a result, the Oshkosh TerraMax autonomous vehicle system incorporates the latest in advanced robotic hardware and software components:

• The Oshkosh Command Zone electronics system provides a drive-by-wire capability, which allows intelligent computer control of steering, acceleration, braking and transmission.
• A new IBEO LUX laser scanner offers enhanced sensing capabilities as part of the light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system for 360-degree obstacle detection. The laser scanner’s low-profile packaging reduces the visual signature of the sensors on the vehicle, allowing the vehicle to blend in more seamlessly within the military’s fleets.
• Oshkosh and the National Robotics Engineering Center of the Robotics Institute at Carnegie Mellon University are working to improve the occupants’ situational awareness by fusing scanning laser ranging technology with electro-optical vision to create an immersive 3D display of their surroundings. The Perception Capabilities Demonstrator technology system is also able to render imagery from a previously driven route alongside real-time data, allowing a human operator to analyze the scene for changes and quickly identify potential threats such as IEDs. Future developments of this emerging technology will focus on improved localization for autonomous operations in varied environments, including areas with little or no GPS coverage.
• TORC Technologies has created a Route and Mission Development Tool (RMDT) that allows for offline development of missions using aerial imagery.

Oshkosh continues to refine and develop autonomous technologies to help the military achieve a future of unmanned logistics missions and improved situational awareness for vehicle occupants, in an effort to help save the lives of uniformed service members.