The U.S. Office of Naval Research (ONR) will continue the
ground-breaking Cargo UGV project and has awarded a contract to Oshkosh
Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE: OSK), using
Oshkosh TerraMax®
unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) technology. The ONR is advancing the
project originated by the U.S. Marine Corps Warfighting Lab.
Oshkosh Defense MTVR equipped with TerraMax UGV technology (Photo: Business Wire)
The Cargo UGV project was initiated in 2010 to identify how UGV
technology could be integrated into the Marine Corps’ tactical wheeled
vehicle (TWV) fleet to reduce Marines’ exposure to threats and to
streamline logistics convoy operations. Under the MCWL Cargo UGV effort,
two Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacements (MTVRs)
were upgraded with TerraMax systems that enabled fully unmanned
operation. Government evaluations revealed that the state-of-the-art
autonomous capability offered practical utility in a variety of
operational situations. Live force experiments in which combat-veteran
Marines were trained to operate the UGVs in concert with manned vehicles
furthered the development of concepts of operation for robotic systems
in combat environments.
Oshkosh will be attending the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems
International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems 2014, May 13-15 in Orlando, Fla.,
to demonstrate the benefits of TerraMax UGV technology and discuss the
Cargo UGV project.
“The Cargo UGV project has pushed unmanned technology into the TWV realm
like no other effort, and the results have proven how mature and ready
TerraMax UGV technology is for use in the field,” said Chris Yakes, vice
president of Advanced Products Engineering at Oshkosh Corporation. “We
are eager to continue work with the ONR to further demonstrate the
readiness level of UGVs and the interoperability of TerraMax technology
with other mission systems.”
Under a contract through the Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC),
Oshkosh and the National Robotics Engineering Center (NREC) will work
with the ONR and the Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) to integrate
ONR-specified counter-improvised explosive device (C-IED) technologies
onto the Cargo UGV MTVRs to demonstrate force protection advantages of
semi-autonomous tactical wheeled vehicles for C-IED missions.
The TerraMax UGV system will be enhanced to intelligently incorporate
C-IED payloads, such as ground-penetrating radar and mine roller
systems, and the TerraMax OCU will provide over-the-horizon situational
awareness to accompanying manned vehicles. The system is highly
interoperable, using a widely adopted, non-proprietary open architecture
messaging standard that enables modularity and easy integration of new
subsystems.
The Cargo UGV project is being conducted as part of the ONR’s SIAFU
program to demonstrate an integrated “system of systems” that provides
on-the-move, autonomous and multi-platform explosive hazard defeat (EHD)
capabilities. The current phase of work will culminate in a technology
concept demonstration in 2015.
TerraMax UGV Technology
Oshkosh TerraMax UGV technology is designed as a modular appliqué kit
that can be tightly integrated into modern production vehicles or
retrofitted onto legacy platforms. Vehicles equipped with the TerraMax
UGV technology can seamlessly collaborate with manned vehicles to carry
out missions at full operational tempo. TerraMax UGVs function
autonomously across varying terrains and in all weather conditions, day
or night – and original vehicle payload and performance are retained.
Developed to support rapid deployment, troops can be trained to oversee
TerraMax-equipped vehicles in only a few days to take advantage of an
unsurpassed standoff and advance situational awareness capability. The
user-friendly operator interface meets the unique demands of troops in
the field, enabling warfighters to focus on mission success without
undue distraction, and empowering a single operator to supervise
multiple autonomous vehicles. Oshkosh is teamed with the NREC of
Carnegie Mellon University for perception system and autonomy software
development.
Oshkosh also is transitioning technologies from the TerraMax UGV system
to provide active-safety features for the manned operation of vehicle
fleets, including electronic stability control, forward collision
warning, adaptive cruise control and electric power-assist steering.
Oshkosh representatives will be available to discuss Oshkosh TerraMax
UGV technology and the company’s broad portfolio of vehicles,
technologies and services at AUVSI booth #1022.
About Oshkosh Defense
Oshkosh Defense is a leading provider of tactical wheeled vehicles and
life cycle sustainment services. For more than 90 years, Oshkosh has
been mobilizing military and security forces around the globe by
offering a full portfolio of heavy, medium, light and highly protected
military vehicles to support our customers’ missions. In addition,
Oshkosh offers advanced technologies and vehicle components such as TAK-4®
independent suspension systems, TerraMax® unmanned ground
vehicle solutions, Command Zone™ integrated control and
diagnostics system, and ProPulse® diesel electric and
on-board vehicle power solutions, to provide our customers with a
technical edge as they fulfill their missions. Every Oshkosh vehicle is
backed by a team of defense industry experts and complete range of
sustainment and training services to optimize fleet readiness and
performance.
To learn more about Oshkosh Defense, please visit us at www.oshkoshdefense.com.
About Oshkosh Corporation
Oshkosh Corporation is a leading designer, manufacturer and marketer of
a broad range of specialty access equipment, commercial, fire &
emergency and military vehicles and vehicle bodies. Oshkosh Corporation
manufactures, distributes and services products under the brands of
Oshkosh®, JLG®, Pierce®, McNeilus®,
Jerr-Dan®, Frontline™, CON-E-CO®, London®
and IMT®. Oshkosh products are valued worldwide in businesses
where high quality, superior performance, rugged reliability and
long-term value are paramount. For more information, please visit to www.oshkoshcorporation.com.
®, TM All brand names referred to in this news release are
trademarks of Oshkosh Corporation or its subsidiary companies.
Forward-Looking Statements
This press release contains statements that the Company believes to be
“forward-looking statements” within the meaning of the Private
Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. All statements other than
statements of historical fact, including, without limitation, statements
regarding the Company’s future financial position, business strategy,
targets, projected sales, costs, earnings, capital expenditures, debt
levels and cash flows, and plans and objectives of management for future
operations, are forward-looking statements. When used in this press
release, words such as “may,” “will,” “expect,” “intend,” “estimate,”
“anticipate,” “believe,” “should,” “project” or “plan” or the negative
thereof or variations thereon or similar terminology are generally
intended to identify forward-looking statements. These forward-looking
statements are not guarantees of future performance and are subject to
risks, uncertainties, assumptions and other factors, some of which are
beyond the Company’s control, which could cause actual results to differ
materially from those expressed or implied by such forward-looking
statements. These factors include the cyclical nature of the Company’s
access equipment, commercial and fire & emergency markets, which are
particularly impacted by the pace of U.S. and European economic
recoveries; the strength of emerging market growth and projected
adoption rate of work at height machinery; the expected level and timing
of DoD and international defense customer procurement of products and
services and funding thereof; risks related to reductions in government
expenditures in light of U.S. defense budget pressures, sequestration
and an uncertain DoD tactical wheeled vehicle strategy, including the
Company’s ability to successfully manage the cost reductions required as
a result of lower customer orders in the defense segment; the Company’s
ability to win a U.S. Joint Light Tactical Vehicle production contract
award; the Company’s ability to increase prices to raise margins or
offset higher input costs; increasing commodity and other raw material
costs, particularly in a sustained economic recovery; risks related to
facilities consolidation and alignment, including the amounts of related
costs and charges and that anticipated cost savings may not be achieved;
the duration of the ongoing global economic uncertainty, which could
lead to additional impairment charges related to many of the Company’s
intangible assets and/or a slower recovery in the Company’s cyclical
businesses than Company or equity market expectations; risks related to
the collectability of receivables, particularly for those businesses
with exposure to construction markets; the cost of any warranty
campaigns related to the Company’s products; risks related to production
or shipment delays arising from quality or production issues; risks
associated with international operations and sales, including foreign
currency fluctuations and compliance with the Foreign Corrupt Practices
Act; the Company’s ability to comply with complex laws and regulations
applicable to U.S. government contractors; the impact of severe weather
or natural disasters that may affect either the Company, the Company’s
suppliers or its customers; the impact of cyber security risk and costs
of defending against, mitigating and responding to a data security
breach; and risks related to the Company’s ability to successfully
execute on its strategic road map and meet its long-term financial
goals. Additional information concerning these and other factors is
contained in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission, including the Form 8-K. All forward-looking statements speak
only as of the date of this press release. The Company assumes no
obligation, and disclaims any obligation, to update information
contained in this press release. Investors should be aware that the
Company may not update such information until the Company’s next
quarterly earnings conference call, if at all.
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