U.S. Army awards $9M autonomous unmanned systems contract to Robotic Research

Robotic Research, LLC of Maryland gained a three-year, $9 million military contract last week for work on Autonomous Unmanned Systems Teaming and Collaboration (AUSTC) for a variety of missions.

Robotic Research has worked with the U.S. Army’s Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center in the past under Small Business Innovative Research contracts, but this latest contract will build on those arrangements. The military has a specific interest in upping these unmanned technologies for use in subterranean environments and counter-weapons of mass destruction operations. In theory, they will allow ground forces and commanders informed decisions ahead of military operations, improve intelligence and awareness, and provide invaluable mapping data.

Robotic Research will conduct AUSTC technical demonstrations of sensing technologies for these drones, improve autonomy, elaborate 3D and 4D mapping capabilities, as well as engage localization, tracking, visualization, and weapon system integration, among others.

“It is a great honor to expand our work for the US Army, the Defense Threat Reduction Agency, and the Special Forces community on the family-of-systems for autonomous collaborative robotic teaming in support of challenging subterranean missions,” Alberto Lacaza, president of Robotic Research, said. “The Robotic Research team shares the Army leadership’s commitment to rapidly fielding effective autonomous Counter-WMD solutions for our Nation’s warfighters.”

Robotic Research also serves as the U.S. Army’s autonomy kit provider for autonomous convoy operations on its Oshkosh Defense PLS vehicles.