Robotic
Convoys
Truck convoys are the lifeline of America’s
Army during conflict, supplying everything troops
need. But convoy Soldiers are exposed to every
danger, from extreme weather and sleep deprivation
to improvised explosive devices to firefights
or kidnapping.
Using the leader-follower technology developed
through TARDEC’s VTI program and ARL’s
Robotics CTA program, a single Soldier could
pilot an entire convoy from a crew station positioned
anywhere in the convoy.
Leader-Follower Technologies
- Navigation Based, Imager/Radar based, Map
Registration based
- Autonomous Navigation – simple teleoperation
to fully autonomous
- Wide ranging HRI capabilities to support
varying mission requirements
- Modalities: Simple teleoperation, to fully
autonomous planning and execution
- Various levels of crew aiding automation
and behaviors available
 This emerging autonomous convoy capability eliminates
the need for a driver in every vehicle, allows
Soldiers to rest, run prognostics on their vehicle
or other vehicles in the convoy, or perform other
critical duties. Used in manned vehicles,
GDRS’ robotic convoy capability allows
the crew to concentrate on security, rest on
the move, and decreases accidents due to human
error.
In field experiments using real equipment, in real
environments, under the control of Soldiers who
have served in the field in places such as Iraq,
Afghanistan, and Bosnia, the VTI program has demonstrated
the feasibility of robotic convoys.
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