Air-Ground Autonomous VEhicles (AGAVE)
Abstract
The Air-Ground Autonomous VEhicles (AGAVE) program will explore the seams between air and ground vehicles. New approaches are required to address one of the most symmetric of all warfighting domains - ground combat. The program will seek to provide improved mobility solutions for supporting combat operations that place unmanned assets forward to explore and inform troops prior to entering an area, or to provide continued perimeter and overhead surveillance during operations. Technologies will be explored to allow increased levels of autonomy, improved operating ranges, improved mobility through complex 3-dimensional battlespaces, and integration of the requirements for both ground and air mobility in complex urban warfare settings. Reduced manning requirements will be a part of the design space evaluation, with unmanned vehicles operating in a supporting role instead of a traditional supported role. Novel approaches to multi-modal platforms, platform states, and manned-unmanned teaming that reduce the need for highly trained personnel dedicated to monitoring unmanned vehicles will be explored. Problems that cross all domains, such as high energy density power supplies, navigation through uncertain and changing environments, and supervisory autonomy of vehicles will be addressed. Novel networking and teaming approaches to achieve tactical tasks will also be explored to close the seams between ground and air unmanned vehicles and to improve confidence in identifying risks associated with both natural hazards and enemy actions prior to ground personnel entering an area. Cueing from other assets and long range, long duration autonomous assets will be included in the overall tradespace explored.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2021
- Source ID
- 88d2ed1b3e76beac8325d77320f65797