Browse Topic: Unmanned ground vehicles
Planetary and lunar rover exploration missions can encounter environments that do not allow for navigation by typical, stereo camera-based systems. Stereo cameras meet difficulties in areas with low ambient light (even when lit by floodlights), direct sunlight, or washed-out environments. Improved sensors are required for safe and successful rover mobility in harsh conditions. NASA Goddard Space Flight Center has developed a Space Qualified Rover LiDAR (SQRLi) system that will improve rover sensing capabilities in a small, lightweight package. The new SQRLi package is developed to survive the hazardous space environment and provide valuable image data during planetary and lunar rover exploration.
Golden packages on the Moon? Not exactly. This is no extraterrestrial gift depot, but a cutting-edge project in the LUNA hall. Here, the German Aerospace Center (Deutsches Zentrum für Luftund Raumfahrt; DLR) has been researching how payload boxes, sensors, rovers and astronauts can connect to form an integrated network. These participants, or nodes within the network, exchange signals that facilitate both communication and navigation.
Silicon Sensing Systems Ltd Plymouth, United Kingdom
Fangzheng Liu, Nathan Perry, Tobias Roeddiger, Sean Auffinger, Joseph Paradiso, Ariel Ekblaw MIT Media Lab Cambridge, MA
Jet Propulsion Laboratory Pasadena, CA
In intelligent surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) missions, multiple autonomous vehicles, such as unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) or unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs), coordinate with each other for efficient information gathering. These vehicles are usually battery-powered and require periodic charging when deployed for continuous monitoring that spans multiple hours or days. In this paper, we consider a mobile host charging vehicle that carries distributed sources, such as a generator, solar PV and battery, and is deployed in the area where the UAVs and UGVs operate. However, due to uncertainties, the state of charge of UAV and UGV batteries, their arrival time at the charging location and the charging duration cannot be predicted accurately. We propose a stochastic modeling approach to deal with these uncertainties based on certain physical assumptions such as the flight time for a UAV, distance travelled for a UGV, and the final state of charge of the battery before they leave the host charging vehicle. Based on the stochastic model, an aggregated charging power demand is forecasted. A model predictive control-based operation is then used for the operation of the distributed sources on the host vehicle to meet the forecasted charging power demand. The host vehicle battery works as a buffer during abrupt changes in the charging power demand. The operational scenario is simulated with ten UAVs, ten UGVs and a host vehicle carrying a diesel generator, a battery pack and a PV system. The result of this work is applicable to energy-aware charging management for a fleet of vehicles.
RMIT University’s Arnan Mitchell and University of Adelaide’s Dr. Andy Boes led an international team to review lithium niobate’s capabilities and potential applications in the journal Science. The team is working to make navigation systems that help rovers drive on the Moon — where GPS is unable to work — later this decade.
NASA launches satellites, rovers, and orbiters to investigate humanity’s place in the Milky Way. When these missions reach their destinations, their scientific instruments capture images, videos, and valuable insights about the cosmos. Communications infrastructure in space and on the ground enables the data collected by these missions to reach Earth. Without ground stations to receive it, however, the extraordinary data captured by these missions would be stuck in space, unable to reach scientists and researchers on Earth.
During her recent remarks at the National Defense Industrial Association's (NDIA) Emerging Technologies for Defense conference, U.S. Deputy Secretary of Defense Kathleen Hicks outlined the agency's new “Replicator” initiative. Under the new Replicator initiative, over the next 18 to 24 months, the Defense Department will deploy thousands of low cost autonomous systems across multiple domains. DoD officials are limiting the amount of information they will release around technology or platform specifics for Replicator. Hicks did confirm however that Replicator has been established to counter the rapid buildup of the People's Republic of China's (PRC) armed forces, weapons and new technologies.
ABSTRACT This paper contains descriptions and demonstrations of automated test drivers (ATDs) for several different style off-road vehicles. These robotic ATDs can be used without a human operator, to drive vehicles in scenarios that are unsafe for human drivers. Full-scale vehicle tests including rollovers, pitchovers, and crashes involving Recreational Off-Highway Vehicles (ROVs), All-Terrain Vehicles (ATVs), and Zero-Turn Riding Mowers (ZTMs) are included in the paper. The mechanical actuators used to control steering, throttle, and braking differ for the different ATDs. However, they use similar control strategies, network architecture, and electronics. Using these similar items as a starting point would be beneficial for developing ATDs for different styles of military vehicles. Citation: G. Heydinger, S. Zagorski, D. Andreatta, M. Bartholomew, “Development and Use of Driving Robots for Conducting Unmanned Tests of Off-Road Vehicles,” In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 15-17, 2023.
ABSTRACT Geotechnical site characterization is the process of collecting geophysical and geospatial characteristics about the surface and subsurface to create a 3-dimensional (3D) model. Current Robot Operating System (ROS) world models are designed primarily for navigation in unknown environments; however, they do not store the geotechnical characteristics requisite for environmental assessment, archaeology, construction engineering, or disaster response. The automotive industry is researching High Definition (HD) Maps, which contain more information and are currently being used by autonomous vehicles for ground truth localization, but they are static and primarily used for navigation in highly regulated infrastructure. Modern site characterization and HD mapping methods involve survey engineers working on-site followed by lengthy post processing. This research addresses the shortcomings for current world models and site characterization by introducing Site Model Geospatial System (SMGS). This site model leverages an octree spatial data model to store heterogeneous geotechnical information in a Volumetric Pixel (Voxel) grid, which allows for more efficient algorithms in data analysis and fusion. SMGS provides a real-time, dynamically updated, 3D data model with semantically derived costmaps for navigation and Engineer operations, ground truth localization without GPS, and produces standard Geographic Information System (GIS) maps. Citation: M. Richards, K. Murphy, I. Lopez Toledo, A. Soylemezoglu, “A Semantically Classified Geo-spatial 3D Octree Voxel Based System for Geotechnical Site Characterization,” In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 15-17, 2023.
ABSTRACT Automotive electrical/electronic (E/E) architectures are continuously evolving to meet the technological challenges of the highly connected, software-defined vehicle. Advances are being made in µController/µProcessor compute hardware, software, and cyber security methodologies, to provide enhanced security, safety, flexibility and functionality. These advancements will mature through millions of miles of road/lab testing and reach TRLs suitable for use by the Army to implement safe and secure cyber-resilient platforms for manned and unmanned ground vehicle systems. This paper will describe three specific advances that will benefit Army vehicle programs of the future: Software that leverages the Modular Open Systems Approach (MOSA) as a secure and flexible Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) framework; Hardware-based Communication Engines for high bandwidth/low latency network communications; and a Hardware Security Module (HSM) that enhances the cyber-resilience of the next generation of the Army’s neXtECU module. Citation: J. Cates (GuardKnox), K Nielson, J. Stempnik, “Advanced Modular Vehicle Architectures and Cyber Resilience in the Software Defined Vehicle,” In Proceedings of the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS), NDIA, Novi, MI, Aug. 15-17, 2023.
ABSTRACT 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.
Since the dawn of the space race, the idea of sending humans to Mars has been the subject of aerospace engineering and scientific studies. From the successful flyby of NASA’s Mariner 4 in 1964 to the Perseverance rover in 2020, the missions to Mars have come a long way.
Electrification and autonomous technologies open a whole new world of possibilities for the defense sector. While there are certainly barriers and challenges to integrating these technologies and making them commonplace in the near term, there is also huge potential to revolutionize the state of warfare and defense, especially when considering unmanned ground vehicle platforms. At large, an electric and autonomous future in the defense sector will greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of military operations, while also substantially reducing the environmental footprint, fully burdened cost of fuel and risk to human life. Likewise, purely electric propulsion systems do not emit any exhaust gases and are much quieter than conventional counterparts, which is an asset for stealth efforts. Even though these vehicles may not be a reality for quite some time given the need for significant technology and infrastructure advancements, engineers should be diving headfirst into the design possibilities that this sort of transformation unlocks. To fully maximize the benefits that autonomy and electrification can bring, a completely new vehicle architecture is required, making room to re-envision what these vehicles could look like, what technology can be integrated and how much more power can be squeezed from having more design freedom.
Electrification and autonomous technologies open a whole new world of possibilities for the defense sector. While there are certainly barriers and challenges to integrating these technologies and making them commonplace in the near term, there is also huge potential to revolutionize the state of warfare and defense, especially when considering unmanned ground vehicle platforms. At large, an electric and autonomous future in the defense sector will greatly improve the efficiency and effectiveness of military operations, while also substantially reducing the environmental footprint, fully burdened cost of fuel and risk to human life. Likewise, purely electric propulsion systems do not emit any exhaust gases and are much quieter than conventional counterparts, which is an asset for stealth efforts.
A state-of-the-art review of the technical meaning and application of the term ‘maneuver’, used by the U.S. Army and ground vehicle engineering communities, was performed with regard to various military activities, including modeling and simulation (M&S), to focus on the value and applicability of the term to military vehicle dynamics. As shown, U.S. military doctrine has built through history and experience a unique concept of maneuver-in-general and its application in U.S. Army unified land operations. Yet, the term ‘maneuver’ needs further technical categorization and characterization for the purpose of dynamics of military unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) and vehicle design for maneuver. While the NHTSA and SAE standards and definitions provide solid foundations for M&S of cars and trucks to enhance the safety of those vehicles (manned and autonomous), occupants, and pedestrians on roads, the standards cannot address all needs of military vehicles in maneuver. Military UGVs are designed to operate in hyper-dynamic battlefield and tactical conditions on severe terrains where manned systems cannot operate. These operational conditions require a different approach to modeling, simulation, and real-time UGV-self-assessment of its dynamic behavior to be technically capable to fulfill autonomous missions and tasks for the sake of the safety of warfighters and the UGV itself. In the paper, a technical definition for a military vehicle maneuver is presented with the purpose of encompassing vehicle agile movements with extended safety due to controllable instability and also unsafe movements on a need basis. Sub-element definitions of a vehicle maneuver and new ideation of agile movement is proposed to narrow the scope to vehicle military tasks in austere environments. Along with formulation, a graphical interpretation is provided to illustrate advantages of the proposed approach for planning UGV motion using geometric and kinematics characteristics. The contextual application is shown in an operation study to illustrate where the terms can improve M&S.
The Association for Uncrewed Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) is bringing this year's XPONENTIAL 2023 to the Colorado Convention Center in Denver, Colorado. The event, which runs from May 8 - 11, will feature three days of educational programming and more than 600 exhibitors representing all aspects of the unmanned vehicle and robotics industries showcasing their latest technology to attendees from all over the world. So, what's on tap for this year's XPONENTIAL 2023? The theme for this year's XPONENTIAL is “The Blueprint for Autonomy” and AUVSI has updated the event with new features based on attendee feedback.
Magna's full-vehicle expertise, systems savvy, and start-up mindset are opening new mobility markets - with extra pepperoni. Pizza is a subject that puts a smile on most faces, but for Matteo Del Sorbo, the delight extends far beyond the actual pie. “We’re having a lot of fun with this program!” exclaimed Del Sorbo, the executive VP at Magna International and global lead for the Tier 1's New Mobility enterprise, in an interview with SAE Media. “It's demonstrating our ability to innovate and move fast. And it's opening another new market that we very much want to play in.”
What Is It? What Does it Do? How Does It Work? The Distributed Extreme Environment Drive System (DEEDS) is an advanced space-rated avionic and actuation control system that addresses a wide thermal range of operations for harsh environments. This new technology development, undertaken by Motiv Space Systems (Motiv), addresses some of the most stringent environmental requirements of lunar and deep space exploration. It will enable sustained operations for critical systems like lunar rovers, robotics, cranes, offload equipment, ISRU processing equipment, and cargo manipulation systems. DEEDS was funded under NASA's SBIR ‘Moon to Mars’ Sequential Program and builds on previously established cryogenic operating avionic SBIR-funded technologies that have been successfully commercialized for orbital and lunar lander systems.
To achieve battlespace dominance, energy flow characterizations of individual platforms and the aggregate battlespace must be developed to adapt and exploit the variable operating conditions. Army Research Laboratory, White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico The future battlefield will be filled with multiple dissimilar energy networks including unmanned and manned vehicular platforms actively engaged in cooperative control and communications capable of overpowering an adversary and dominating the battlespace. This chaotic multi-domain operational environment will be limited by variable operating conditions (mission profiles, terrain, atmospheric conditions), copious amounts of real-time actionable intelligence derived from weapon and sensor suites, and most importantly, the energy capabilities of each platform. To achieve dominance within the battlespace, energy flow characterizations of individual platforms and the aggregate battlespace must be developed with respect to the variable operating conditions. As an example, consider the power-requirement differences between the General Atomics MQ-1 Predator (an unmanned aerial vehicle), the Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle, and the Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vessel (an unmanned sea vehicle). The predator is designed to provide air superiority, support fires, maneuvers, communication, and coordination-based missions. The Gladiator supports fires, maneuvers, communication, and coordination-based missions. The mine counter-measures vessel is designed to assist with maneuver and coordination-based missions and could be extended to support fire-based missions. Current and future military operations will routinely coordinate with multiple dissimilar heterogeneous systems spanning multiple domains resulting in Multi-Domain Operations (MDO).
Items per page:
50
1 – 50 of 435