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While robots aren’t ready to carry the burden of being a soldier, they are more than able to carry their load. Lockheed Martin’s Squad Mission Support System (SMSS) is a 11 foot long, two ton, six-wheeled autonomous vehicle that can carry 1200 pounds of cargo up to 125 miles, and it’s going to be in Afghanistan along side active soldiers this year! Its advanced sensors and autonomous behavior allow it to follow preplanned paths, travel to way points, or just trail behind a human like 3800 pounds of infatuated puppy. The SMSS will allow ground troops to travel farther with less fatigue, but that’s just the beginning. In the future, vehicles like the SMSS could hold the key to completely unmanned supply lines and support systems. Check out videos of the autonomous rover in action below. Ready to join the thousands of ground robots already in Afghanistan, the SMSS is the latest sign that the modern US military relies on a balanced team of man and machine.
The SMSS is all about augmenting the capabilities of ground troops. US soldiers can carry a heavy load of weapons and supplies into combat, wearing them down and slowing their movement. With the SMSS carrying that equipment, soldiers can go farther and have more energy when they arrive at their destination. Also, the SMSS can be loaded with additional supplies for each mission, whether that’s food, heavy weapons, or even other robots. The following video highlights how the SMSS can operate with supervised autonomy or remote control, but the vehicle is also equipped to be driven manually...[Full Article]
