EXPENDABLE LOW-PROFILE MODULAR UGVS for COMBAT VEHICLE UNDERBODY OPERATION

Presented are two designs for compact, low-profile UGVs with high cross-country mobility, intended for underbody operations with heavy manned vehicles. These UGVs are designed to remotely detect and assess combat damage incurred during combat operations, and analyze wear, leaks, and cracks, without the need for a human technician to be exposed to enemy fire, allowing crews to rapidly assess the conditions of their vehicles. Since robots required for underbody inspection would necessarily maintain a low, compact profile, they could also perform effective last-mile resupply in a contested environment, their small size allowing them to hide behind terrain and battlefield debris much more effectively than a heavy logistics robot. Naturally, a robotic vehicle that is capable of rapid underbody inspection of friendly vehicles or last-mile resupply could also be easily adapted as a combat platform to be used against enemy vehicles.

Citation: A. Washington, et al., “Expendable Low-Profile Robot for Vehicle Underbody Operation”, in Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 15-17, 2023.