Crusher UGV Gets Army Money For Pimpage
Writing by Evan Ackerman on Tuesday, 4 of December , 2007 at 6:19 am
Military supply convoys are one of those necessary evils when it comes to any major operation, and the US Army is looking to shift resupply duties over to unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) as soon as it’s feasible. Carnegie Mellon (winners of the DARPA Urban Challenge) have landed a $14 million grant to improve their “Crusher” UGV, adding a more advanced suspension system and upgrading the hybrid electric drive. The real interesting part, though, is the software, which allows Crusher to autonomously navigate through complicated and unfamiliar environments by combining GPS with a suite of onboard sensors, as well as (optionally) a little scout UAV.
The vehicle itself is already pretty burly. Weighing in at 6.5 tons, it has a top speed of 26 mph, a range of 450km, and (as you can see from the video) is quite a climber, able to move over rugged terrain with little trouble. Most importantly for the army, it can haul over 25% of it’s own weight in cargo. Now all it needs is some spinners on those six wheels and it’ll be good to go… You know, just a little bling to break up those drab army colors.
[ Press Release ] VIA [ Crave ]
Category: Military
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