OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Defeating improvised explosive devices (IED) is critical to clearing routes and ensuring freedom of maneuver on the battlefield. Unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) capable of semi-autonomous navigation in tactical environments represent a promising technological enabler for effective route clearance. Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), has developed its TerraMax™ UGV technology to reduce troops’ exposure to threats and enable commanders to accomplish more with fewer resources.

Oshkosh will feature the TerraMax UGV technology at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems 2013 show Aug. 12-15 in Washington, D.C.

“The TerraMax UGV technology already has demonstrated a high level of maturity as a means to deliver force protection and force multiplication to Warfighters operating in logistics-convoy missions,” said John Beck, chief unmanned systems engineer for Oshkosh Defense. “Integrating TerraMax UGV kits with counter-IED payloads onto platforms like the Oshkosh M-ATV can provide a safe and effective way for combat engineers to perform route-clearance operations.”

The Oshkosh TerraMax UGV technology is engineered as a scalable appliqué kit. It can be integrated on new-production vehicles, including those built by other manufacturers, or retrofitted on existing vehicle fleets. Vehicles using the TerraMax technology can retain their original payload and performance capabilities, and run planned missions in a supervised autonomous mode or by “shadowing” a lead vehicle. The Oshkosh TerraMax UGV technology includes:

• Field-ready kit solution

• A robust, multi-modal sensor suite

• Advanced machine-learning

• in GPS-denied environments

The TerraMax UGV technology employs a widely adopted open-architecture standard that allows for easy integration and interoperability of new subsystems.

Oshkosh’s third-generation Command Zone™ hardware enables tightly-integrated drive-by-wire actuation and readily supports remote activation of any analog or discretely-controlled functions, such as counter-IED payloads, through input/output expansion modules.

TerraMax-equipped UGVs can perform in the same weather conditions and operating environments as manned vehicles, requiring minimal human interaction and operator training.

The TerraMax UGV operator control unit (OCU) facilitates semi-autonomous commands and remote control or tele-operation. The OCU selectively displays overhead map data and multiple video feeds in a familiar picture-in-picture format and can serve as a force multiplier through one-to-many control, allowing a single operator to monitor and supervise coordinated operations of multiple TerraMax-equipped UGVs.

Oshkosh
13.08.2013