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US Army awards Kodiak Robotics $50 million contract for autonomous trucks

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Kodiak Robotics, a self-driving trucking company, today announced it has been awarded a $49.9 million, 24-month United States Department of Defense (DoD) agreement to help automate future US Army ground vehicles led by the Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program.

This effort will be in support of vehicles designed for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other high-risk missions.

Through this award, which started in October 2022 and was awarded by DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) on behalf of the Army’s RCV program office, Kodiak will leverage its commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy autonomous capabilities for driverless vehicles that further strengthen national security. [Read more…] about US Army awards Kodiak Robotics $50 million contract for autonomous trucks

Badger Technologies sends autonomous security robot to patrol US National Veterans Memorial and Museum

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Badger Technologies, a product division of Jabil and leader in retail automation, is collaborating with TrackTik Software, a leader in cloud-based security workforce management, to automate manual security checks at the National Veterans Memorial and Museum in Columbus, Ohio.

A pilot program is under way using Badger PatrolBot autonomous robot and TrackTik software to augment the museum’s 24/7 security team, safeguard world-class exhibits and offer an extra measure of protection to museum visitors and staff.

As the nation’s first and only memorial dedicated solely to telling the stories of veterans, NVMM is honoring the courageous women who have served their country by naming the robot “Deborah” after Deborah Sampson. [Read more…] about Badger Technologies sends autonomous security robot to patrol US National Veterans Memorial and Museum

US military selects Parrot as new supplier of drones

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Parrot, a drone manufacturer, has been selected to take part in the Blue Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) programme by the US Army and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU).

The DIU is a Department of Defense organisation that accelerates commercial technology for national defense.

The Blue sUAS programme is a spin-off of the Short-Range Reconnaissance (SRR) programme launched by the Army and DIU in April 2019. [Read more…] about US military selects Parrot as new supplier of drones

Kingetics makes ‘big innovations’ in footwear-exoskeleton-robotic ambulation science

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By Dakota Grossman, writer, and Dr Steven King, managing member, Kingetics

Kingetics, a small veteran owned startup company has developed and tested new technology that has shown significant improvements in protecting our soldiers as well as improving the gait of mechanical walking systems.

Load carriage and high impact forces on the lower limbs are often cited as leading causes of musculoskeletal injuries. Injury rates during military training range from 1 per cent to 16 per cent, and up to 30 per cent in elite  infantry  units.

Data from Podiatry Arena shows that there are about 32,000 broken bones per year during military combat, costing the US Department of Defense an estimated $240,000,000 in medical expenses.
 [Read more…] about Kingetics makes ‘big innovations’ in footwear-exoskeleton-robotic ambulation science

RE2 delivers two-armed robot to US Army

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resquared robotics

RE2 Robotics has delivered a two-arm Highly Dexterous Manipulation System (HDMS) to the US Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) under an Army Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II extension contract. 

Robotic systems for explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) typically include a single manipulator to perform critical tasks such as inspection, detection, and neutralization of explosive devices. These manipulators are often limited in their dexterity, reach and lifting capacity.  [Read more…] about RE2 delivers two-armed robot to US Army

Carnegie Mellon demonstrates autonomous helicopter and ground vehicle technology to US military

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Carnegie Mellon demonstrated how autonomous aerial and ground vehicles can work together
Carnegie Mellon demonstrated how autonomous aerial and ground vehicles can work together
Robotics and automation experts at one of the world’s leading universities have demonstrated autonomous ground vehicles and aircraft with “new collaborative capabilities for keeping warfighters safe”.

Carnegie Mellon University (CMU) and Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company, using a UH-60MU Black Hawk helicopter enabled with Sikorsky’s Matrix Technology and CMU’s Land Tamer autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV), recently participated in a joint autonomy demonstration that they say proved the capability of new, ground-air cooperative missions.

Such missions could prevent warfighters’ exposure to hazardous conditions, such as chemically or radiologically contaminated areas, say the experts. [Read more…] about Carnegie Mellon demonstrates autonomous helicopter and ground vehicle technology to US military