The Army Applications Laboratory, U.S. Army Futures Command has awarded Sarcos Defense a $1 million contract earmarked for testing a robotic solution Sarcos developed for ammunition handling and maneuvering.
The Sarcos robotic ammunition handling solution utilizes a dexterous robotic arm designed to be integrated into the Army’s fleet of Self-Propelled Howitzer Systems, specifically the Extended Range Cannon Artillery system.
“The Extended Range Cannon Artillery system is used extensively in the U.S. Army for long range precision firing, but the downside to this system is the weight of the ammunition needing to be hand-loaded by Soldiers in the field,” Sarcos Vice President of Business Development Reeg Allen said. “Our ultimate goal with the development of this robotic ammunition solution is to help the Army successfully accomplish their missions with lower rates of injury by having a robot lift and place the heavy ammunition rounds. We are excited about this accelerated testing that will help get this robotic system into the hands of Army personnel soon.”
The scope of work calls for Sarcos to execute extensive testing of the robotic system to ensure it meets Army use requirements that include shock and vibration absorption and withstanding extreme temperatures, humidity, and sand and dust incursion.
The robotic system was designed to address fatigue and injuries among soldiers stemming from the prolonged lifting and placing of 100-pound rounds of ammunition from a rack to the cannon loader.