The United States has developed a prototype for an unmanned ground combat vehicle.
The six-wheel vehicle, termed Crusher, has been completed and presented as a platform for the U.S. Army. The Crusher, designed to help protect convoys and support ground troops, weighs 6.5 tons and can reach a speed of 40 kilometers per hour.
The Crusher, designed to travel over rough terrain, was produced by Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Center. The university, based in Pittsburgh, Pa., developed the vehicle with a $35 million grant from the Defense Department in a project called Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle PerceptOR Integration.
The vehicle, based on its predecessor Spinner UGV, is powered by electric motors embedded in each of the vehicle's six wheels. A turbo diesel generator recharges batteries.
The hull of the Crusher, designed to carry four metric tons of payload and armor, consists of high-strength aluminum tubes and titanium nodes protected by a steel skid plate. Designers said Crusher would influence the Army's Future Combat Systems program.
"We're developing Crusher to provide technology insights to the broader Army community to show people what can be done and pave the way for the future," said John Bares, director of the National Robotics Engineering Center. "Although it's not being designed for production, Crusher could be matured further to withstand the rigors of military fielding."
Bares said he envisions a vehicle such as Crusher could protect convoys. He said eventually the vehicle, which would undergo field tests every quarter for the next two years, would help in combat missions.
"In five to 10 years, we should see robots working alongside our troops to protect them and help with tasks in the field," Bares said.
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