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Australian Defence Cooperative Research Centre Trusted Autonomous Systems (TAS) and British defence company BAE Systems Australia have developed advanced artificial intelligence for uncrewed ground vehicles (UGVs).
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Both companies are moving towards next-generation autonomous capability for the Australian Army, after completing a four-year research and demonstration program.
The Trusted Autonomous Ground Vehicles in Electronic Warfare (TAGVIEW) system would allow multiple unmanned ground vehicles to operate simultaneously to carry out mission objectives while identifying and evading potential threats.
Modular in design and integrated with BAE Systems’ autonomous Vehicle Management System, TAGVIEW will be compatible with a range of different UGVs.
It can feature a range of technologies including optic cameras, light detection and ranging equipment, internal navigation and route planning systems.
During the demonstration phase, TAGVIEW was installed on several M113 optionally crewed combat vehicles and trialled in a series of planned relocation, logistical and sweep search missions.
“The army requires autonomous capabilities like this to protect our soldiers from harm, removing them from the most dangerous tasks, while still maintaining a human in the loop directing the system,” according to Lieutenant Colonel Rachael Ayoub from the Australian Army’s Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation and Coordination Office.
“The successful demonstration on the M113s shows that through enhancing or augmenting our existing capabilities, we can create trusted autonomy and extend functionality.”
Funded by the Commonwealth of Australia and led by TAS, Australia’s first Defence Cooperative Research Centre, the TAGVIEW program also involved the University of Melbourne, the University of Adelaide’s Australian Institute of Machine Learning, and the Commonwealth’s Defence Science and Technology Group.
“We continue to push the boundaries of science and technology to provide Australia and our allies with a capability advantage on a future battlefield, according to Andrew Gresham, BAE Systems Australia defence delivery managing director.
“TAGVIEW has been a unique collaboration, bringing together the strengths of Defence, industry, and academia to fast track the development of a transformative autonomous technology.”
Trusted Autonomous Systems’ chief technology officer, Dr Simon Ng, said TAS is developing the project, reviewing its technical progress and achievements, and working with BAE Systems on the design of trials and demonstrations.
“It's been exciting to see what a diverse team from industry, researchers and DSTG can do and highlights the value of a collaborative approach in achieving innovation for Defence,” Dr Ng said.
University of Adelaide Australian Institute for Machine Learning Professor Ian Reid, said experts are excited to showcase advanced technologies integrated on a M113 platform for the first time.
“For a vehicle to operate with any degree of autonomy, it must be able to sense and understand its surroundings,” according to Professor Reid.
“Computer vision and machine learning are the core technologies that unlock this capability to understand the vehicle’s environment.”
University of Melbourne Head of the Department of Electrical and Electronic Engineering, Professor Chris Manzie, said the project is a great demonstration of how academia and industry can work together to develop capability and highlights the important role research can play in supporting national interests.
