For the military, the use of large tactical trucks has been commonplace
since Soldiers started using mules to carry equipment. In today’s asymmetrical
fight in both Iraq and Afghanistan, driving large vehicles through enemy
territory can be extremely dangerous as well as emotionally draining to the
Soldiers. The use of intra-theatre lift has become the primary mode of
transportation for many Soldiers, but larges amount of equipment still needs to
move around the battlefield.
Oshkosh Defense LLC has developed large tactical vehicles
with increased armor and threat detection capability commonly called MRAPs,
which stand for mine resistant ambush protected vehicles. These have become
commonplace in US war zones, but they do not always provide protection from traumatic
brain injury during large explosions. The fact that Soldiers are still dying
and getting severely injured is a key reason we need to find a better solution
to intra theatre transportation in war.
The unmanning of these vehicles could provide safety and
reliability to the Soldiers as well as increase efficiency. Oshkosh has been
modifying their MRAP trucks with a suite of sensors and computer hardware in
order to allow for not only unmanned driving, but also fully autonomous
driving. The TerraMax unmanned ground vehicle is the product of years of
development in both the truck platform and the sensor and computing package.
The TerraMax is able to not only follow roads or preprogrammed routes, but it
is able to scan the environment around it and select the best route based on
many smaller factors.
The benefit to this autonomous route selection system is
that it required very little user interaction, which also means less operator
training. Oshkosh has developed a 3-day training program for rapid deployment
implementation. Additional, the autonomous route selection capability can allow
the TerraMax to take lead instead of just following a manned vehicle. The
ability to operate in a convoy is also an extremely important aspect to
military transportation. The TerraMax can be programmed to follow a specified
distance from the vehicle in front of it. Not only can the TerraMax maintain a
specified following distance, but due to the fact that the sensors don’t rely
on maintaining visual contact with the vehicle in from of it, it can follow a
vehicle that is beyond its line of sight, which could be essential in high
threat environments in order to protect from improvised explosive device (IED)
attacks.
The TerraMax uses a system called trinocular vision to
enable the autonomous route selection. The system consists of 3 cameras that
are able to develop a three-dimensional view of the environment around the
vehicle. This system also utilizes a stereovision system that is used for close
range sensing. The TerraMax has one stereo pair of cameras in the front and one
stereo pair in the rear. Both sets of stereo pairs are augmented with a laser
range finder, which help obstacle avoidance as well as allow it to operate in
normal road traffic conditions. The system also has side-facing cameras to
provide the system with lane detection, as well as important information on
spacing when pulling into an intersection with other cars driving in the area.
The TerraMax’s range of sensors and capabilities provide the
warfighter an extremely versatile tool in the fight again IEDs and other
asymmetrical warfare techniques. The ability to autonomously transit through
cities and open desert keep Soldier safe and equipment moving. By networking
multiple TerraMax systems, an entire convoy could safely navigate long
distances. One of the best parts of the system is that it safely integrates
with manned trucks. This is essential because it can help with the integration
of the system. Unlike Unmanned Aerial Systems (UASs), which don’t allow a pilot
to jump inside and fly it, the TerraMax can be incrementally manned or
unmanned. As the military decision
makers trust increases in the system, a
multi level approach to automation could be accomplish without much change to
the system itself. This means that early field-testing could easily and quickly
progress into a fully fielded project.
As a Soldier, I look forward to seeing this technology sweep
the battlefield and save lives. Unfortunately, the enemy can still destroy
these trucks and disrupt supply chains, but human life would not need to
accompany the loss of equipment and trucks. Always keep in mind that human
capital and experience is the hardest thing to lose and replace on the
battlefield.
References:
Oshkosh Defence LLC. (2015, February 19). OSHKOSH DEFENSE
SHOWCASES UNMANNED GROUND VEHICLE TECHNOLOGY AT IDEX 2015. Retrieved April 4,
2015, from http://oshkoshdefense.com/news/oshkosh-defense-showcases-unmanned-ground-vehicle-technology-idex-2015/
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