Applied Research Associates, Inc. (ARA) introduced an exciting advancement for autonomous solutions, previewing their autonomously equipped ground system during the National Defense Industrial Association’s Tactical Wheeled Vehicle Conference this week. The tracked platform, shown with payloads for mobility and countermobility operations, is designed with a common deck system to offer modular mission payloads.
“This platform is the culmination of nearly 30 years of fielding off-road robotic and autonomous technologies. We have been fortunate to work with the Army over the years and feel we are uniquely positioned to deliver the right system at the right time.”
Matt Fordham, ARA Vice President
ARA’s platform is built upon a ruggedized, flat deck, rubber-tracked platform. The power plant is a diesel/electric hybrid to meet the Army’s needs for operating in theaters with contested logistics, offering sustainability, decreased noise level, and power offload. The platform also meets the Army’s requirements for the Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (S-MET) Increment (Inc) II.
ARA’s Otonos will serve as the autonomy and robotic architecture. Since the 1990s, ARA has been making some of the world’s most dangerous jobs safer through advances in tele-operation and automation. Otonos is ARA’s fourth generation robotics and autonomy architecture for offroad vehicles and equipment.
“We are clear on the Army’s vision and understand the importance of delivering a dynamic platform for an ever-changing world,” said ARA Business Development Director Col. John Hall, USA (Ret.). “We know now, more than ever, warfighters need systems that offer modularity and sustainability in contested environments. Thanks to modular open systems architecture for payloads, soldiers will be able to leverage the platform for a wide range of mission sets.”
