An autonomous robot is a robot that acts without recourse to human control. The first autonomous robots environment were known as Elmer and Elsie, which were constructed in the late 1940s by W. Grey Walter. They were the first robots in history that were programmed to "think" the way biological brains do and meant to have free will. Elmer and Elsie were often labeled as tortoises because of how they were shaped and the manner in which they moved. They were capable of phototaxis which is the movement that occurs in response to light stimulus.
The BMP-3 is a Soviet and Russian infantry fighting vehicle, successor to the BMP-1 and BMP-2. The abbreviation BMP stands for Boevaya Mashina Pekhoty.
Military robots are autonomous robots or remote-controlled mobile robots designed for military applications, from transport to search & rescue and attack.
An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is a vehicle that operates while in contact with the ground and without an onboard human presence. UGVs can be used for many applications where it may be inconvenient, dangerous, or impossible to have a human operator present. Generally, the vehicle will have a set of sensors to observe the environment, and will either autonomously make decisions about its behavior or pass the information to a human operator at a different location who will control the vehicle through teleoperation.
The Multi-Mission Unmanned Ground Vehicle, previously known as the Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment vehicle (MULE), was an autonomous unmanned ground combat vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control for the United States Army's Future Combat Systems and BCT Modernization programs. The last component of the program was canceled in July 2011.
TerraMax is the trademark for autonomous/unmanned ground vehicle technology developed by Oshkosh Defense. Primary military uses for the technology are seen as reconnaissance missions and freight transport in high-risk areas so freeing soldiers from possible attacks, ambushes or the threat of mines and IEDs. The technology could also be used in civilian settings, such as autonomous snow clearing at airports.
The Black Knight is a prototype unmanned ground combat vehicle (UGCV) designed by BAE Systems. It weighs approximately 12 tons and is deployable from a C-130; thus, the Black Knight can be airlifted by military transport aircraft. Similar in appearance to a tank, it is armed with a turret-mounted 25 mm gun and a 7.62 mm coaxial machine gun. The vehicle is fitted with a 300-horsepower (220 kW) Caterpillar Inc. diesel engine. The vehicle is currently being evaluated by the US Army. It is a proof of concept for military unmanned vehicles, specifically as a combat asset.
Squad Mission Support System is an unmanned all terrain wheeled vehicle developed by Lockheed Martin.
An uncrewed vehicle or unmanned vehicle is a vehicle without a person on board. Uncrewed vehicles can either be under telerobotic control—remote controlled or remote guided vehicles—or they can be autonomously controlled—autonomous vehicles—which are capable of sensing their environment and navigating on their own.
Guardium, developed by G-NIUS, is an Israeli unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) used by the Israel Defense Forces along Gaza's border. It was jointly developed by Israel Aerospace Industries and Elbit Industries. It can be used in either tele-operated or autonomous mode. Both modes do not require human interaction. The more unmanned ground vehicles patrolling the area the less human resources needed while guaranteeing deterrence. The joint program was terminated in April 2016, but the vehicle has remained in service with the IDF.
The Modular Advanced Armed Robotic System (MAARS) is a robot that is being developed by Qinetiq. A member of the TALON family, it will be the successor to the armed SWORDS robot. It has a different, larger chassis than the SWORDS robot, so has little physically in common with the SWORDS and TALON
Howe & Howe Technologies is an American private business headquartered in Waterboro, Maine that specializes in the development, manufacturing, fabrication and design of specialized armored and military-grade-spec vehicles, most notably the Ripsaw combat vehicle. Other products include the Badger, recognized as the world's smallest armored assault vehicle by Guinness World Records and the SR1, or Subterranean Rover 1. The Ripsaw is claimed to be the world's fastest dual tracked vehicle.
The Fleet-class unmanned surface vessel, also called the Common Unmanned Surface Vessel (CUSV) and later the Mine Countermeasures Unmanned Surface Vehicle, is an unmanned surface vessel designed for the United States Navy to be deployed from Freedom and Independence-class littoral combat ships and intended to conduct mine and anti-submarine warfare missions. As of 2012 four units of the class have been built; the first was delivered to the U.S. Navy in 2008.
The Textron TAPV is an armoured car currently in use by the Canadian Army. It is essentially a heavier armoured upgrade of the M1117 Armoured Security Vehicle, developed for use by the military police of the US Armed Forces.
The Uran-9 is a tracked unmanned combat ground vehicle (UCGV) developed and produced by JSC 766 UPTK, and promoted and offered by Rosoboronexport for the international market. According to a release by Rosoboronexport, the system is designed to deliver combined combat, reconnaissance and counter-terrorism units with remote reconnaissance and fire support.
THeMIS, unmanned ground vehicle (UGV), is a ground-based armed drone vehicle designed largely for military applications, and is built by Milrem Robotics in Estonia. The vehicle is intended to provide support for dismounted troops by serving as a transport platform, remote weapon station, IED detection and disposal unit etc.
The Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) is a United States Army program intended to procure a variety of armored vehicles to add new capabilities to Army units and replace existing platforms that are nearing the end of their service life. The program covers the following systems:
Milrem Robotics is an Estonian robotic vehicle manufacturer. Their primary products are the THeMIS UGV, the Multiscope UGV and a robotic combat vehicle designated as the Type-X.
The Type-X is a robotic combat vehicle designed and built by Milrem Robotics. Unveiled in 2020, it is the second UGV to be manufactured by the company after its flagship product THeMIS.
