The 6.1 meter long unmanned tank rolls through rough terrain as if it were asphalt. See it for yourself in this video.
DARPA, the US military’s research institute, has been working on autonomous vehicles for decades. Now it comes with an unmanned tank weighing almost 11 tons and 6.1 meters long.
At the end of 2023, the so-called RACER Heavy Platform (RHP) was released at a military training area in Texas. Last week, DARPA announced that those tests were successful and published this video.
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Green eyes
The tank drone rolls without any problems over terrain full of obstacles, such as vegetation, ditches, deep puddles and rocks. In total he covered more than 48 kilometers. That route had been mapped out in advance, so the test was intended to test the autonomous control at a simple level, collect sensor data and assess mobility.
Remarkably, the RHP appears to have glowing green eyes. This makes the vehicle look futuristic, but they actually serve a purpose. A DARPA spokesperson told Gizmodo that “it is simply an indicator light to indicate the status of the vehicle. Green = on and in autonomy mode”.
Smaller cousin
The autonomous tank is part of DARPA’s Robotic Autonomy in Complex Environments with Resiliency (RACER) program. The goal is to develop autonomous ground vehicles that can navigate off-road terrain without human input.
For example, DARPA previously developed the RACER Fleet Vehicle (RFV), a kind of off-road buggy that weighs approximately 2 tons and is 3.3 meters long. He was also allowed to take test drives again, where he completed a rough course without practicing and achieved a top speed of 48 kilometers per hour. Also watch the video below.
More innovations
DARPA plans to renew the RACER vehicles approximately every 6 months, continuing to develop autonomous technology.
Ultimately, the US hopes to be able to roll combat vehicles – such as the autonomous tank – into battle without risking human lives. These could then perform dangerous tasks, such as reconnaissance, supply or clearing the way with their firepower.
Source: DARPA
