U.S. ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT …...to fulfill the Army’s Robotic and Autonomous System (RAS) commonality objectives by establishing an affordable means to deliver advanced

1DISTRIBUTION A. See first page.

U.S. ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES

DEVELOPMENT COMMAND –

GROUND VEHICLE SYSTEMS CENTER

Kevin Mills

Associate Director

Ground Vehicle Robotics

2 April 2019

Industry Days – Ground Vehicle Robotics

DISTRIBUTION A.

Approved for public release;

distribution unlimited.

OPSEC #2103


KEY PROGRAMS BUILDING A FOUNDATION FOR MUM-T

Logistic Resupply

P

L

S

Expedient Leader FollowerAutonomous Ground Resupply

Develop and demonstrate an improved and optimized distribution system that integrates new & emerging technologies across the full spectrum of operational and tactical supply movement operations.

FOB

COP

UAS

Unmanned Aerial SupplyDistant Drop-Off

Unmanned Aerial SupplyCOP Drop-Off

Autonomous UGV Security

CommsSatellite

Rapidly delivery and issue 70leader follower enabled PLSs

to Soldiers for a one year Operational TechnicalDemonstration (OTD)

starting 4QFY19.

Small Robotics for Urban/Subterranean

Development of capabilities

to support urban and underground operations such as unmanned complex tunnel investigation, CBRNE missions and reconnaissance.

Robotic Combat Vehicles Future Manned / Unmanned Teaming FormationsCombat Vehicle Robotics

Develop/integrate technologies that enable scalable integration of multi-domain robotic and autonomous system capabilities teamed within Army formations supporting all combat warfighting functions.

Background/AGR STO SO Week 2 OPSEC SHORT.mp4


Autonomy Architecture enables getting hardware into Soldier's hands with incremental software capability improvements over time.

Issue two companies (60 PLS Trucks) with Leader Follower capability to soldiers for 12 month operational evaluation.

4QFY19 3QFY20 3QFY22

Logistic Resupply

Army does not have to re-buy autonomous similar capability for different platforms

Baseline capability will be built on for more complex tactical, weaponized systems

Robotic Combat Vehicles

AGVRAAutonomy Behavior “App Store”

PLS

FMTV M91520+ Other Platforms

Demonstrated

HX-60

Expedient Leader Follower

Combat Vehicle Robotics (CoVeR) program will advance autonomous

behaviors to enable mounted Manned Unmanned Teaming

CAPABILITY TO SOLDIERS SOONER


OPEN MODULAR GROUND VEHICLE AUTONOMY

Interoperability Profile (IOP) defines software massaging & hardware interfaces between major subsystems of unmanned ground systems utilizing existing standards

ROS is an open source software framework for robotic development that provides the following features to allow for modular software development:

Autonomy Software Framework (ROS-M)

Autonomous Ground Vehicle Reference Architecture (AGVRA) - Set of guidelines to enable the robotics community to fulfill the Army’s Robotic and Autonomous System (RAS) commonality objectives by establishing an affordable means to deliver advanced capability to the Warfighter by utilizing architectural best practices and standards.

• 3D Simulation• Logging/Analyzing Sensor Data• System visualization, etc.

Modular addition of capabilities by adding nodes to the system

Large number of users actively contributing to ROS

community

Less time spent here means More time to spend here

Ground Vehicle Robotics (GVR) Modular Software Approach (MSA)• Defined modular autonomy software architecture for Army ground autonomous systems• Success of this approach relies on strong government and industry collaboration developing

interface standards at the appropriate level between applications.

Flexible, node based communications

infrastructure

Library of GPR autonomy software (ITAR compliant) provided to industry through software distribution agreement (20+ outside entities have the software)

Enabling competition at the software module level (prevents vendor lock, mitigates talent migration, enables gov’t to capitalize on industry innovation)

Common software framework/architecture to streamline test and evaluation process (Delta test for new capabilities rather than totally new system)

Transition path for future capabilities such as AI / ML enabled autonomy

Key standards for unmanned systems


DEVELOPMENT PATH FOR AUTONOMY

Hardware in the Loop System Integration Lab

High Fidelity Simulation

Algorithm Improvement

System Prototyping

Physical Experimentation

Autonomous system development is an interdisciplinary practice underpinned by

continuous virtual and physical testing

Safety Certification

Soldier Feedback


AUTONOMOUS SYSTEMS STRATEGIC CAPABILITY

PROGRESSION

2025

2035

Extend the Reachof the Warfighter (2020)

2015

2020

Active Safety Driver Assist Appliqué Kits (2015)

• Fault-Tolerant Architectures• Enable unmanned cargo

delivery• Enhanced Platoon, Squad, and

Soldier situational awareness.

• Autonomy augments the Solider

• Advanced machine learning• Enable manned and unmanned

teaming in both air and ground maneuver through scalable sensors, scalable teaming, Soldier-robot communication, and shared understanding

• Autonomous system operates as team member

Autonomy Augmented Legacy Systems

Fully Integrated Kitted Solutions

Purpose Built Unmanned Platforms

Autonomous Convoy Operations (2020-2025)

Combined ArmsManeuver (2030-2035)

Far T

erm

Cap

ab

ilit

ies

Near T

erm

Cap

ab

ilit

ies

Mid

Term

Cap

ab

ilit

ies

• Remote Lethality• Semi-Autonomous Mobility• Man/Unmanned Teaming

Capability on legacy systems

• Autonomy as a force multiplier

7DISTRIBUTION A. See first page. The forecast data is for planning purposes, does not represent a pre-solicitation synopsis, does not constitute an invitation

for bid or request for proposal, and is not a commitment by the government to purchase the desired products and services

Technology Description• $490M effort to develop a continuum of unmanned ground combat system platforms capable of defeating a

peer competitor maneuver force of equal or lesser size in any operating environment.

ROBOTIC COMBAT VEHICLE

7UNCLASSIFIED / DISTRIBUTION A .#637



Robotic Combat Vehicle

8

Investment StrategyExisting Contracts :

DCS -Technical and Engineering Services Contract: operator interface development,

systems engineering, test and field-service support.

Southwest Research Institute – autonomy integration;

Ricardo Defense – vehicle refurbishment and maintenance support.

Opportunities for Partnership FY19

• OTA: Robotics Enhancement Program – market research and demonstration informing

RCV requirements and technical maturity of systems


• OTA: RCV-L – lightly armored unmanned ground vehicle systems capable of

maneuvering with mounted infantry and transportable by rotary wing aircraft.

• OTA: RCV-M – C130-transportable unmanned ground vehicle systems capable of

engaging and defeating some Tier I threats, with advanced sensor packaging to establish

enemy COP for target hand-off.

• OTA: RCV-H – purpose-built, survivable unmanned ground vehicle systems capable of

decisively engaging tier 1 near-peer threats.

UNCLASSIFIED / DISTRIBUTION A .#637

POC:

Keith Briggs, GVR

586.282.4682

[email protected]



Technology DescriptionSoftware ecosystem for military RAS, based on open ROS, which provides a trusted community of

Government and industry software developers with the means to amass, maintain, and utilize a

federated collection of reusable ROS software packages suitable for military applications

Robotic Operating System – Military (ROS-M)

9

Investment StrategyExisting Contracts FY19-20

• Phase IV: Start Oct 2018, End Jan 2020. $3M.


• Phase V: Start Date: Jan 2020, End Date: TBD. $1M-$3M – Joint-service implementation of ROS-M

packages to demonstrate performance of missions in the Air, Ground, Sea, and Space domains.

POC:

Mr. Timothy Thomas, GVR

[email protected]


• Facilitates collaboration by providing a secure environment for sharing military

RAS software based on an open, de facto industry standard

• Increases innovation by enabling organizations to focus resources on developing

new, innovative capabilities on top of existing software

• Improves software reliability & security by enabling multiple developers to find

and fix defects and make improvements to the same software code used in multiple

RAS

• Allows Open, Gov’t-owned, Gov’t-purpose, and Proprietary licensing

• Phase 4 (Current): Beta testing of software registry, website, and development tools.

Partnering with ROS 2 Technical Steering Committee (TSC)* to advance ROS 2

development *ROS 2 TSC is led by Open Robotics, with founders Microsoft, TARDEC, Amazon, Intel, LG, Bosch,

Apex.AI, Arm, Toyota Research Institute, and ROBOTIS

• Partnership opportunities:

• Participate in Beta testing (populate registry & utilize ROS-M packages).

Support development of ROS-M’s priorities for ROS 2



Technology Description

• Autonomous Ground Resupply (AGR) is a 6 year (FY16 start), $157.8M program to develop and

demonstrate an improved ground supply distribution system across multiple levels of strategic and tactical

sustainment operations. The effort will equip existing military ground vehicles with scalable robotic

technology through the integration of modular kits, common interfaces, and a common architecture to

improve inter-node supply movement. Further, the system will modernize and optimize the operations

within the supply nodes to improve accountability and throughput. Additionally, an integrated suite of

physics-based simulation tools, including HIL/SIL systems, will be used to model developing TTPs.

• The objective of AGR is to integrate new and emerging technologies into the Army’s sustainment system

to improve throughput, accountability, and safety and provide the Warfighter with the flexibility needed to

meet future needs. The AGR STO will develop M&S tools to support the design, development, testing,

and evaluation of AGR vehicles in realistic terrain and weather conditions with software delivered in FY17,

FY19, and FY21.

Autonomous Ground Resupply (AGR)

10

POC:

Bernard Theisen, GVCS GVR

586.282.8750

[email protected]

FOB

COP

UAS

Unmanned Aerial SupplyDistant Drop-Off

Unmanned Aerial SupplyCOP Drop-Off

Autonomous UGV Security

CommsSatellite

• Increment I FY16-FY17 – Architecture Development• Research and development of a fault-tolerant architecture for optionally-manned

systems

• Develop standard software libraries for optionally-manned systems

• Technical and operational demonstrations of prototype hardware and software

• Increment II FY18-FY19 – Capability Enhancement & Architecture

Refinement• Addressing hardware, software, and architecture issues identified during testing

• Development and integration of autonomous behaviors to fill capability gaps

• Operational demonstration of enhanced hardware and new software

• Increment III FY20-FY21 – Capability Enhancement & Increased Reliability• Addressing software and reliability issues identified during testing

• Development and integration of autonomous behaviors to fill capability gaps

• Final operational demonstration of enhanced system capabilities




Autonomous Ground Resupply (AGR)

11

Investment Strategy

Existing Contracts:

• Integrated System Developer - LM FY16-21 $20.4M

• Autonomy Kit – RR FY16-21 $12.9M

• By-wire Kit – Oshkosh FY16-21 $13.0M

• Warfighter Machine Interface – DCS Corp. FY16-21 $42.2M

• Advanced Distributed Modular Acquisition System – ATC FY16-21 $1.5M

• Modeling & Simulation – Quantum Signal FY16-21 $3.7M

• Off-road Planning Behavior – National Robotics Engineering Center FY17-21 $3.7M

• Retrotraverse Behavior – Robotic Research FY18-21 $1.1M

• Leader-Follower Behaviors – Auburn University FY17-21 $1.2M

• Dynamic Obstacle Detection/Obstacle Avoidance – Lockheed Martin FY18-19 $3.3M

• Convoy Assembly Behavior – Neya Systems FY18-19 $2.0M

• Formations Behavior – Southwest Research Institute FY18-19 $2.0M

Opportunities for Partnership FY20-FY21 – NAMC

• Trailer Behaviors

• Intersection Handling Behaviors

• Depot Behaviors

• Rules of the Road Behaviors

• Traffic Sign/Signals Behaviors

• High Vegetation/Heavy Dust Behaviors

• Other Driver Intent Behaviors

All values are estimates and may change.




Expedient Leader Follower (ExLF)

12

POC:

Scott Heim, GVSC GVR

586.282.4723

[email protected]

Products• Applique kits installed on Palletized Loading System (PLS) platforms:

• By-Wire Kit: Provides electronic control of the base platform and

add advanced driver assist (ADAS) features.

• Autonomy Kit: Provides advanced sensing and software for

robotic capabilities cable of providing the manned driving

functions.

• Warfighter Machine Interface (WMI): Provides situational

awareness and an interface for Soldiers to command and

control (c2) the robotic platforms.

Pay Off• Assured mobility across multiple domains at the time and place of a

commander's choosing

• Operate semi-independently and sustain operations for ample

duration

• Force Multiplier:

• 37% Reduction in Convoy Personnel*

• 59% Increase in Cargo Throughput*

* Based on RAND Autonomous Study


Technology Description2 year, $74.5M total, ExLF will accelerate delivery of leader follower (LF) capability to Soldiers by building

and issuing 90 LF systems to Soldiers for a 1-year Operational Technical Demonstration (OTD). ExLF

will inform the L/F CPD and transition to a Program of Record.



Expedient Leader Follower (ExLF)

13


Investment Strategy

Existing Contracts:

• Integrated System Developer - LM FY18-21 $10.0M

• Autonomy Kit – RR FY18-21 $28.4M

• By-wire Kit – Oshkosh FY18-21 $18.2M

• Warfighter Machine Interface – DCS Corp. FY18-21 $7.2M

• Advanced Distributed Modular Acquisition System – ATC FY18-21 $865K

• COSITE Analysis – CERDEC FY18 $70K

• Cybersecurity – DCS FY18-19 $726K

• Cybersecurity – Army Research Lab SLAD FY18 $100K

• Cybersecurity – Army Research Lab VTC FY18 $100K




Coalition Assured Autonomous Resupply (CAAR)

14

POC:

Jeff Ratowski, GVSC GVR

586.282.2224

[email protected]

Products• Sequential Demonstrations of the ‘state of the art’ technologies involved in

CAAR Resupply operation from the ship to front line forces.

• Warfighter evaluation and assessment of CAAR concepts and

technologies for the advanced development of robotic resupply coalition

and national tactics, training, and procedures (TTP).

• Expedited transition of technologies from labs to user evaluated systems

between national research and development (R&D) centers and between

coalition partner labs.

Pay Off• Demonstration of advanced CAAR concepts/technologies that enable on

demand access to supplies from front line units.

• Reduced manpower/risk by optimizing force structure decisions related to

resupply logistic missions across the spectrum of the supply line.

• Inform technology readiness of robotic autonomous systems (RAS) as it

relates to their implication on Future Force Organizations/Structures.


Technology Description3 year, $26.5M total US/UK investment to accelerate, demonstrate and evaluate the [cost/mission] effective

use of autonomous systems for coalition [UK/US] based Coalition Assured Autonomous Resupply (CAAR)

to positively change the future conduct of military logistics.



Coalition Assured Autonomous Resupply (CAAR)

15


Investment Strategy

Existing Contracts:

• HX-60 and LMTV Development – Lockheed Martin FY17-19 $6.5M

• HMMWV Development and WMI – DCS Corp. FY17-19 $4.9M

• MUTT – General Dynamics FY19 $0.3M

• Remote Weapon Station – ARDEC FY17-19 $0.75M




Technology Description

• AGVRA is a set of guidelines to enable the robotics community to fulfill the

Army’s Robotic and Autonomous System (RAS) commonality objectives by

establishing an affordable means to deliver advanced capability to the

Warfighter by utilizing architectural best practices and standards.

• Objectives:

• Broadly increase knowledge and understanding of open standards

and architectures for U.S. Army RAS, enabling effective code reuse,

modularity, expandability, and upgradability.

• Reduce integration burden, leading to accelerated innovation and

access to “best-of-breed” technologies from vendors in niche areas.

Autonomous Ground Vehicle Reference Architecture (AGVRA)

16

Products

• Phase 1: Architecture Framework (current) – Sept 2019

Establish relationships with software engineers & architects through

NAMC, publish AGVRA v1 architecture framework consisting of a UML/SysML

modeling language for development of model views together with associated

policies and examples.

• Phase 2: Common Development Environment (CDE) – Sept 2020

Complete the SysML-based modeling environment, develop CDE which

encompasses a registry, repository, description templates and PM & Engineering guidance documentation.

• Phase 3: Technical Architecture Reference (TAR)– Sept 2021

Develop TAR model comprising of a library of interoperability, component and execution models for future Product Line

Architectures (PLA).

POC:

Mr. Shannon Griffith, GVR

(586) 239 2470

[email protected]

Architecture

Concepts &

Quality

Attributes

Existing

Standards &

Architectures

U.S. Army

RAS

Program

Architectures


Investment Strategy

Existing Contracts

• Architecture and Open Systems SME Working Group - DCS FY19 $1,200,208.40

• Robotics Research Expertise – MIT Lincoln Labs FY19 $220,000.00

• Robotics Architecture Expertise – NREC FY19 $150,000.00

Opportunities for Partnership

• NAMC OTA – Seeking a core team to

developing, maintaining and

extending AGVRA, create virtual

models/reference architectures



Technology Description• Manned-Unmanned Teaming Platform Enablers (MPE) is a 3-year GVSC funded and

executed technology maturation initiative (TMI), starting in FY20, to reduce risk in three

critical areas for manned-unmanned teaming: remote lethality, unmanned maneuver

and the network.

17

Investment StrategyExisting Contracts FY17-19

• N/A, New Start in FY20


• Realistic transportable simulators of Robotic Combat

Vehicle (RCV) control vehicle layout to enable virtual

assessment of Soldier Machine Interface

POC:

Milot Resyli, TARDEC GVR

586.282.5586

[email protected]


Manned-Unmanned Teaming Platform Enablers

• The program is focused on:

• NDI UAS Integration onto Combat Vehicles

• Integration of small unmanned aerial systems (UAS) onto ground combat

platforms in operationally realistic conditions.

• Mobile Robotic Control Station Simulator to Improve Robotic Control Interfaces

• Representative simulators that can be taken to the Soldier to rapidly

accelerate robotic control station development/feedback loop cycles.



• Relevant annotated data set for military vehicle mobility

for future AI development.

• Formation control in an undistributed environment with

and without GPS.

• High speed autonomy on complex terrain.

• Coordination and collaboration framework between

unmanned ground and air vehicles.

• Shared map data between ground and air vehicles in

real time.

AUTONOMOUS MOBILITY THRU INTELLIGENT

COLLABORATION (AMIC)

18

Investment StrategyOpportunities for Partnership FY20

Sensor/Data Collection Architecture $2500K

Data Storage and Processing $3000K

Formation Control Algorithm Development $1500K

POC:

Calvin Cheung, TARDEC GVR

586.571.6198

[email protected]


Technology DescriptionDevelop/integrate Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning (AI/ML) technologies to increase

autonomy and mobility to perform teamed operations with manned and unmanned air and

ground vehicles in a military relevant environment through data collection on relevant Soldier

training exercises. Products include:



• MUMT enabled formation will be iteratively challenged against

multiple phases of the MTC / Complex Breach scenario to

measure improved operational effectiveness and system

performance.

• Force multiplier for combat effectiveness with scalable manned-

unmanned teams, Increased lethality, Improved standoff for

Soldiers, Increased situational awareness

Rapidly Accelerate Unmanned Systems to the Warfighter for

Experimentation

• Iteratively experiment with manned / unmanned system with

Warfighters to shape S&T requirements as well as future

CONOPS and DOTmLPF-P

• 2026 Capstone Operational Experiment will meaningfully

demonstrate the necessary autonomous and enabling

technologies for ground and air assets to conduct a Movement

to Contact and Combined Arms Complex Breach.

Combat Vehicle Robotics (CoVeR)

19

POC:

Jillyn Alban, TARDEC GVR

586.571.2139

[email protected]


Technology Description• $282M effort to develop/integrate technologies that enable autonomous system capabilities

teamed within Army formations

• Support all combat warfighting functions (close combat, reconnaissance, targeting and

acquisition, etc.)



Combat Vehicle Robotics (CoVeR)

20


Investment Strategy

Existing Contracts:• CoVeR Surge Support - DCS Corp. $9.8M

• Modeling and simulation enhancements – Quantum Signal - $1.0M

• Unmanned maneuver – Neya Systems - $3.1M

• Soldier-robotic Interface enhancements - Charles River – $0.8M

• Soldier-Robotic Interface enhancements/Automated terrain detection - GS Engineering -

$0.9M

Opportunities for Partnership FY20-FY26

• Evaluating additional NAMC proposals from RPP18-8 2.1 for potential “basket pulls”

• Technology supporting CoVeR focus areas beyond FY20:

• Unmanned maneuver in complex environments

• Unmanned platform control with minimal interventions

• Enhanced Soldier-robotic interface to enable multi asset control across formations




Robotic Technology Kernel (RTK)

21

POC:

David Conger, TARDEC GVR

586-219-0562

[email protected]

Technology Description• RTK is an autonomy software library that is government owned,

designed, and maintained.

• RTK provides common, robust robotic capabilities across a variety of

platforms.

• RTK operates on ROS, the Robot Operating System

[http://www.ros.org]

Product Overview• Continuous development via DI2E, powered by the Atlassian Suite.

• RTK is released annually as RTK CoRe [Code Release].

• RTK CoRe 2018 [August 2018]

• RTK CoRe 2019 [Target: April 2019]

• Modular code distribution to maintain security.

• Strict use and management of software distribution agreements.

• Distribution on a need-to-know basis.

Pay Off• A common autonomy software environment for technology insertion

from TARDEC partners.

• Reduces cost and delays for autonomy development.

• Avoids “vendor lock” concerns.

• Baseline software for ROS-M, a military-specific implementation of the

ROS framework.


http://www.ros.org/



Robotic Technology Kernel (RTK)

22


Investment Strategy

Budget:

• FY19 - $4.7M

• FY20 - $5.6M

Existing Contracts:

• Autonomy Software Development Southwest Research Institute $1.2M [FY19]

• Vehicle Integration DCS Corporation $2M [FY19]

• Multi-Agent Command and Control Spatial Integrated Systems $600K [FY19]

• Vision-Based Perception Framework MIT Lincoln Laboratory $600K [FY19]

• Semantic Perception ARL / General Dynamics $300K [FY19]

Opportunities for Partnership [FY19-FY21]

• Behavior-Based Framework

• Multi-Agent Cooperative Planning / Map Sharing

• Negative Obstacle Detection

• Dynamic Obstacle Detection / Obstacle Avoidance (OD/OA)

• Road Detection

• Multi-Sensor Calibration

• Improved Sensors

• Visual/LIDAR Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM)



Visit Us at Booths 16-17

GVR

Documents

U.S. ARMY COMBAT CAPABILITIES DEVELOPMENT …...to fulfill the Army’s Robotic and Autonomous System (RAS) commonality objectives by establishing an affordable means to deliver advanced