More than 40 vendors and five universities showcased nearly 75 different technologies during the 2012 Robotics Rodeo at Fort Benning, GA.
Sponsored by the Army's Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC) and the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), through the Maneuver Battle Lab, the Robotics Rodeo provides a venue for the military to harness the research and development community's potential to counter the complex and adaptive threats on today's battlefield. It brings together the defense, homeland security, academia and industry communities to energize robots in support of the warfighter.
Innovators participated in task-based scenarios and open robotics demonstrations aimed at motivating industry, educating developers and gaining insight into the current and emerging state of ground robotics technology and artificial intelligence. From an Army standpoint, it was an opportunity for scientists and engineers from government and industry to link up with soldiers who might someday employ the robots and unmanned systems in combat.
Addressing capability caps in defeating the improvised explosive device, or IED, threat was a central theme throughout the Rodeo. This year, it was set up for unmanned platforms to perform in three operational vignettes: they had to provide supplies, dig hasty fighting positions for a squad, and autonomously search and detect the presence of opposing forces.
It was the first time JIEDDO participated in a challenged-based acquisition process. The organization set up four events -- endurance, detection, disruption and reconnaissance -- based on problem sets where robots could play a role in counter-IED operations.
The robots on display at the Rodeo ranged in size from handheld devices to 4,500-pound vehicles, said Ed Davis, the Maneuver Battle Lab's deputy director. Outcomes will be used to further support the MCoE's "Squad: Foundation of the Decisive Force" initiative by advancing possible robotic technology solutions.
