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Navy’s First Contracted Robotics Warfare Specialist

Friday, September 6th, 2024

PHOENIX – Future Sailor (FS) Karla Torres-Casillas became the Navy’s first contracted Robotics Warfare (RW) Specialist after enlisting in the Navy at Military Entrance Processing Station (MEPS) Phoenix, Aug. 27, 2024.

The RW rating became available for active-duty contracts on Aug. 27, 2024.

“I came here not sure of what job I wanted or qualified for,” said Torres-Casillas. “I got so happy when I received the news that I got the job. I am going to be the first member of my family to serve in the military. My parents sacrificed a lot to provide our family with a better quality of life and I owe it to them to do well with this amazing opportunity the Navy is giving me. My family moved to San Diego from Mexico when I was young. It was really hard to move and leave behind my uncles, aunts, cousins, and friends. I can’t even imagine how hard it was for my parents. That is why I want to make them proud and show them that it was worth the sacrifice.”

Damage Controlmen 1st Class Kreig Newton, assigned to Navy Talent Acquisition Group (NTAG) Phoenix and the senior classifier for MEPS Phoenix, led Torres-Casillas in the history-making enlistment. During the job-picking process, he realized that Torres-Casillas was fully qualified for the newly available RW rating.

“I was surprised when I saw that RW was available as of today,” said Newton. “I called headquarters to confirm RW and then realized she was qualified based on her [ASVAB] line scores. I mentioned the job to her and she was super excited. I will never forget the look on her face after I told her she was going to be the first contracted female Robotics [Warfare] Specialist.”

“Petty Officer Newton was amazing,” said Torres-Casillas. “He asked me a lot of questions about my interests. Then he told me about Robotics [Warfare] Specialist. It sounded perfect to me. It is a little overwhelming to be first but I am ready for the challenge.”

Torres-Casillas, now a Delayed Entry Program Future Sailor, will continue to work with her recruiter Aviation Boatswain’s Mate 2nd Class Tremaine Smith, assigned to NTAG Phoenix, Navy Recruiting Station Desert Sky. Smith is no longer just a recruiter to Torres-Casillas; he is her first Navy mentor, and his new job is to help her get ready for the next step in her Navy career: boot camp. Torres-Casillas is expected to depart Phoenix for the Navy’s boot camp in Great Lakes, Illinois in January 2025.

The establishment of the RW rating, announced in the U.S. Navy’s NAVADMIN 036/24, underpins the Chief of Naval Operations Adm. Lisa Franchetti’s plans for building and developing “a team who has the reps and sets in sensors, platform autonomy, and mission autonomy programs, and can provide input in machine-learning feedback processes,” a priority she discussed in her keynote address at the WEST 2024 naval conference.

The creation of the RW rating has distinguished the Navy as the first Department of Defense branch to establish a dedicated enlisted workforce specialized in unmanned and autonomous technology.

The Navy’s Fact Sheet focused on RW Conversion Opportunity provides further details on the specific NECs, ASVAB scores, and background requirements for applicants:

www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Portals/55/Messages/NAVADMIN/FACT_SHEETS/Fact_Sheet_NAV_036_24_Conversion

For information regarding the application process, visit the RW enlisted community management page on the MyNavy HR website at: www.mynavyhr.navy.mil/Career-Management/Community-Management/Enlisted/Robotics-Warfare

From Mass Communication Specialist 1st Class Jasen MorenoGarcia

Posted in Guest Post, Navy, Robotics | Comments Off on Navy’s First Contracted Robotics Warfare Specialist

Artificial Intelligence in Convoy: Rheinmetall Takes First Place at ELROB 2024

Friday, August 30th, 2024

Rheinmetall has once again demonstrated its expertise in the field of artificial intelligence. It achieved a significant success in connection with the Interoperable Robotic Convoy (InterRoC) project. In the European Land Robot Trial 2024 (ELROB) competition, the Rheinmetall InterRoc team consisting of the Research & Technology division of Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH and Rheinmetall Canada Inc. won first place in the “Automated Convoy” category. The combination of HX truck and integrated PATH autonomy kit proved its worth.

The Rheinmetall PATH autonomy kit (‘PATH A-Kit’) is an AI-supported navigation system that can be installed in almost any vehicle. It has already proven itself several times in trials in various platforms, including in the Mission Master robotic vehicle family. Just last year, it was successfully used in the 2023 Estonia Unmanned Ground Systems Autonomy Trials. At ELROB 2024, the PATH A-Kit controlled two of the highly mobile HX logistics vehicles as part of the convoy scenario. Both HX vehicles were also equipped with a drive-by-wire system.

ELROB is one of the most demanding open international competitions in the field of robotics, sensor technology and autonomy. Every two years, participants from universities as well as civilian and military manufacturers compete against each other. The aim is to test the capabilities of modern robots. This year was the 12th edition. It took place from 24 to 28 June at the German Armed Forces Technical Center for Land-Based Vehicle Systems, Engineer and General Field Equipment (Wehrtechnische Dienststelle WTD 41) in Trier. 19 teams took part. Rheinmetall subsidiaries Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH and Rheinmetall Canada competed in a tactical leader-follower scenario and an actual real-life scenario.

The level of difficulty of this year’s tasks was significantly increased compared to the 2022 competition. The autonomously driving trucks and the convoy commander had to react to dynamic obstacles, alternative routes and various electromagnetic interferers, among other things. However, the system was able to solve all tasks in an exemplary manner.

The HX vehicles had to overcome eleven different obstacles on a 6 km circuit. The most difficult challenges included narrow paths, transitions between on-road and off-road driving, navigating through open and dense forests, communication interference, reversing and driving around obstacles. “The course was very challenging. The organisers did a fantastic job of making the competition a realistic military scenario and our performance shows that the Rheinmetall PATH-A kit is ready for real-world use cases,” said Paul Rocco, Managing Director of Rheinmetall Provectus. The company was acquired by Rheinmetall Canada in 2019.

The competition organisers also surprised the Rheinmetall team by bringing a car into their convoy. This forced the following truck to slow down and navigate around the moving obstacle. The convoy was also broken up, so the team had to remotely control the following truck on a parallel path and reconfigure the convoy to make the remote-controlled truck the new convoy leader. “The 2024 ELROB scenario was considerably more challenging than the scenario for the 2022 ELROB participation, for example,” commented Sebastian Elze, Rheinmetall Landsysteme Research & Technology division’s project manager responsible for the overall autonomous InterRoC system, among other things.

Despite these challenges, the team completed most of the route in convoy mode without GPS, as the terrain was overgrown with dense foliage. “This is the first time we have demonstrated this new specific capability, which is a significant upgrade for the PATH A kit,” said Luc Brunet, Director of Robotics and Autonomous Systems at Rheinmetall Provectus. “We were able to seamlessly switch between GPS-enabled and GPS-free environments without any degradation in functionality or noticeable change in operation.”

Although ELROB is a non-competitive event focussed solely on research and development, an award ceremony was held at the end of the trial. This is intended to give participants the opportunity to receive feedback and insights from the judges. This year, Rheinmetall received the prize for the best convoy performance, a first for the company and an important milestone for the PATH A-Kit.

In addition to the evaluated scenarios, the area of autonomous driving was also demonstrated to the many visitors – including generals and other military personnel from various countries, officials from the Federal Ministry of Defence, the Federal Office of Bundeswehr Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw) and WTD41 – in the open presentation area. The vehicles in the competition, which were also on display and available for demonstration drives, were very popular with the visitors and aroused great interest

The Research & Technology division of Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH from Unterlüß took part in this event for the first time as Team InterRoC in 2022 as part of the InterRoC project in the field of automated convoys. At that time, the team took the 2nd place with an American autonomy kit provided by BAAINBw and integrated by Rheinmetall Landsysteme GmbH.

The InterRoC project was launched four years ago in order to derive customer requirements for future autonomous logistics vehicles. It is continuously being expanded by the BAAINBw through supplementary orders with regard to system capabilities. Among other things, it includes two military HX2 trucks equipped with autonomy kits and drive-by-wire, which follow each other in a leader-follower principle. In view of this competition, the PATH autonomy kit developed by Rheinmetall Canada Inc. was also installed in the vehicles so that participation in the competition could take place with a complete “Rheinmetall solution”.

Posted in AI / ML, International, Mobility, Press Release, Robotics | Comments Off on Artificial Intelligence in Convoy: Rheinmetall Takes First Place at ELROB 2024

SOFWERX to Host ISEEYOU360 Tactical FPV Goggle System Demonstration

Monday, August 12th, 2024

USSOCOM will host a demo of ISEEYOU360 on 20 August 2024 from 10:30-2:30 ET. The purpose of this event is for stakeholders across the SOF Enterprise to (1) achieve transparency with regard to ISEEYOU360 in support of Office of the Assistant Secretary of Defense for Critical Technologies, Technical area: Human-Machine Interfaces; (2) synchronize similar efforts across government and agency organizations with the intent to leverage resources and accelerate acquisition activities; and (3) develop a holistic, unified ‘site picture’ in support of future acquisition efforts around related capability.

This demonstration is only open to government personnel and is intended for participants at the action officer level. All military service members, civilian employees, and SOF AT&L Systems Engineering and Technical Assistance (SETA) contractors are invited to attend.

RSVP NLT 19 August 2024 11:59 PM ET to attend.

For everyone’s situational awareness, the ISEEYOU360 Tactical First-Person View (FPV) Goggle System has been under development via a couple of USAF Small Business Innovative Research grants. Initially envisioned for EOD UGV operations, it offers advantages to any unmanned system (UXS) operator whether ground, air, or maritime.

It can be used in inclement weather, sunlight, or darkness with interoperability in an Open System Architecture (OSA). As you can see from the photos, the goggle integrates with current head protection systems. It uses remotely deployable Wi-Fi through ground control, the system to provide agnostic UAV and UGV operations with hardware and cabling applications, software interface, hard surface mounting, connectivity, and signal amplification solutions.

It’s an immersive FPV goggle that offers several advantages over use of a tablet. For one thing, there are no distractions outside of operating the unmanned system. Second, there’s no light signature. Additionally, the mixed reality offered by ISEEYOU360 increases situational awareness.

Below is a short video demonstrating the system.

In addition to operation of unmanned systems the ISEEYOU360 can be used for loitering munitions. Additionally, the manufacturer is working to integrating AI but they have not been forthcoming on what features they plan to incorporate.

Learn more about the ISEEYOU360 here.

Posted in Robotics, SOF, UAS, Unmanned Systems | Comments Off on SOFWERX to Host ISEEYOU360 Tactical FPV Goggle System Demonstration

Arc’teryx and Skip Partner to Introduce MO/GO: Revolutionizing Mobility with the World’s First Pair of Powered Pants

Thursday, August 1st, 2024

Vancouver, BC, July 29, 2024 – In a groundbreaking collaboration, Arc’teryx and Skip proudly announce the launch of MO/GO™, the world’s first pair of powered pants designed to make human movement more joyful. Designed to support users to be more active through increasing stamina and reducing pain, MO/GO utilizes wearable robotics to tackle mobility challenges caused by aging, fatigue and injury that limit millions of people’s ability to move through life. This innovative product will be available for reservation starting July 24, 2024, with shipments planned for late 2025.

Founded as a project at Google X and spun out into an independent company in 2023, Skip is dedicated to creating movewear that supports those facing mobility challenges. Skip’s co-founders, Kathryn Zealand and Anna Roumiantseva, both have personal connections to mobility challenges, seeing their loved ones’ universes shrink due to health issues. Skip sought to partner with Arc’teryx’s Advanced Concepts team to create MO/GO, due to the brand’s expertise in apparel innovation and engineering solutions for movement in challenging environments. Led by scientists, engineers, and designers, Arc’teryx’s Advanced Concepts team is dedicated to pushing the boundaries of design and collaboration.

MO/GO is designed to support users in their outdoor recreational activities. Inspired by the mountain goat, one of nature’s best climbers, these powered pants enable users to tackle elevation like never before. The technology provides a 40% boost to the leg muscles on the way up and supports the knees on the way down, using a battery-operated motor connected to a suite of sensors and a computer module that predicts and assists the user’s movements.

Arc’teryx integrated the system within the beloved Gamma Pant for this application, due to its breathability, abrasion-resistance and softshell stretch for active pursuits, and co-created bespoke carbon support structures to spread force from the motor across the leg ensuring comfort during extended periods of hiking. Extensively tested on hiking trails in the US and the Coast Mountains of British Columbia, MO/GO feels like a natural extension of the body, enhancing mobility without drawing attention to itself. This sleek, slimline design sets it far apart from the medicalized devices available to date.

“Arc’teryx was founded on a love for the mountains, and creating products which enable people to push themselves and reach new heights,” said Katie Becker, Chief Creative Officer at Arc’teryx. “When the Skip team reached out with their early MO/GO prototype, we were immediately intrigued. Through extensive testing, prototyping and pushing the boundaries of design, we’ve seen testers get back out in the mountains they love – scaling summits and challenges they thought were lost to them. That’s what it’s all about to us – creating space to share our love of the mountains – and we’re so excited to see the MO/GO out in the world.”

Skip’s Co-Founder, Kathryn Zealand added. “By bringing together Skip’s expertise in artificial intelligence and powered wearable technology and Arc’teryx’s renowned product design and engineering excellence, we’ve created a product that truly transforms the outdoor experience.”

The product will be available for reservation starting July 24, 2024, with shipments expected in late 2025. Media and the public will have the opportunity to test MO/GO at the Arc’teryx Climbing Academy in Squamish in August 2024.

For more information on MO/GO™ and to reserve your pair, visit www.skipwithjoy.com and join us in making the mountains accessible to all.

Posted in Advertiser, Press Release, Robotics | 2 Comments »

Ghost Robotics Corporation and LIG Nex1 Announce Close of Acquisition

Monday, July 29th, 2024

LIG Nex1 will have a controlling stake in Ghost RoboticsPhiladelphia, PA and Seoul, South Korea – July 29, 2024 – Ghost Robotics, a leading innovator in legged robotics, and LIG Nex1, a premier South Korean defense technology company, are pleased to announce the close of a strategic partnership through LIG Nex1’s control-stake acquisition of Ghost Robotics. LIG Nex1 has acquired a 60% control-stake in Ghost Robotics for $240 million USD, valuing the company at $400 million USD.

This partnership marks a significant milestone for both companies as they combine their expertise and resources to advance the field of autonomous robotic solutions. The acquisition will enable Ghost Robotics to leverage LIG Nex1’s extensive experience and capabilities in defense technology and manufacturing to further accelerate scaling.

“We are thrilled to partner with LIG Nex1 and embark on this exciting new chapter for Ghost Robotics,” said Gavin Kenneally, PhD, Co-founder & CEO of Ghost Robotics. “Their investment and strategic guidance will accelerate our growth and enhance our ability to deliver groundbreaking robotic solutions to a wider range of industries and applications.”

LIG Nex1’s CEO, Shin IckHyun, echoed the enthusiasm, stating, “Our acquisition of a majority stake in Ghost Robotics aligns perfectly with our vision to lead the future of defense and security technology.” He added, “We expect this acquisition will serve as momentum for both companies to grow together based on our leading-edge technological capabilities and close cooperation.”

This partial acquisition will foster innovation and drive the development of next-generation robotic systems for both industrial and defense markets. By combining their strengths, Ghost Robotics and LIG Nex1 are well-positioned to lead the industry in delivering robust, versatile, and reliable robotic solutions.

Posted in Advertiser, Industry, International, Press Release, Robotics | Comments Off on Ghost Robotics Corporation and LIG Nex1 Announce Close of Acquisition

Milrem Robotics Establishes a Centre of Excellence for Ground Robotics in Poland

Wednesday, July 3rd, 2024

Milrem Robotics, the world’s leading robotics and autonomous systems developer, has established a centre of excellence for ground robotics in Poland. This strategic expansion aims to strengthen the company’s presence in different regions of Europe and accelerate product development.

The new engineering hub in Warsaw will serve as a centre for innovation and collaboration, bringing together top engineering talent from the capital and the surrounding region. The hub will focus on designing and developing advanced robotic systems that address the evolving needs of Milrem Robotics’ customers. The new engineering hub will start with 20+ engineers already in July and is determined to grow rapidly.

Establishing the hub underscores Milrem Robotics’ commitment to the European market, supporting economic growth and technological advancement.

“Poland has a rich tradition of engineering quality and innovation, making it an ideal location for our new centre of excellence. This investment reinforces our commitment to the region and enables us to leverage local talent and expertise to drive forward our mission of developing state-of-the-art robotic solutions,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.

Michal Ossowski, Local Team Lead at the Warsaw Hub, added: “We are thrilled to be part of Milrem Robotics’ expansion into Poland. Our team of more than 20 specialists is eager to contribute to the development of groundbreaking technologies and to collaborate with some of the brightest minds in the industry. This hub will strengthen our capabilities and provide exciting career prospects for engineers passionate about robotics and autonomous systems.”

Milrem Robotics is the world-leading robotics and autonomous systems developer and systems integrator, with offices in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the US. The company is known for its THeMIS UGV, the Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle, and MIFIK, the autonomous functionalities kit for defence platforms.

The company is also renowned for successfully completing the European Defence Industrial Development Programme (EDIDP) project iMUGS, which focused on developing a modular and scalable architecture for hybrid manned-unmanned systems.

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Fort Walker Hosts Collaborative Anti-Mine, Robotic Breaching Exercise

Monday, June 24th, 2024

FORT WALKER, Virginia – Deep in the heart of Fort Walker, where most people never go, there is a quiet facility dedicated to research. On June 12, it was exploding with engineers from all around the U. S. with one common goal: finding, and eliminating, land mines.

Organized by U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, Control, Communications, Computers, Cyber, Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Center, various contracting organizations deployed Unmanned Aircraft Systems of different sizes and capabilities in an impressive exercise to demonstrate to Col. Anthony Gibbs from Program Executive Office Soldier, Program Manager for Soldier Warrior, how emerging technology can reduce battlefield casualties.

As the exercise began, one UAS live-streamed the area of operation to the command center, another identified enemy combatants (who were notionally eliminated by close air-support), while another discovered mines downrange, leading to a barrage of simulated mortar fire to clear the danger. A team of developers, role-playing Soldiers, raced downrange in an M1126 Stryker armored vehicle, deploying a robot dog and plotting a path through the destroyed mine-field and using sensors to identify any imminent dangers.

In a scenario that seemed like something out of a video game, the reality is this future tech will potentially allow for fewer Soldiers to be required to capture an objective, and with much less of becoming a casualty.

Following the conclusion of the exercise, the director of the facility invited everyone to a demonstration of the protection capabilities being researched. Behind thick, steel barriers and blast-proof glass, participants experienced the detonation of an anti-tank land mine from roughly 50 meters, and two anti-personnel mines from three meters, impacts that most, outside of a combat zone, will never see.

It’s simulations like this which provide an insider’s look to battlefield scenarios and environments. For researchers, it’s a critical component to staying one step ahead of enemy combatants and provide our warfighters the most cutting-edge capabilities for mission success.

“Army research partners were able to successfully integrate air and ground robotic assets to reduce the workload for Soldiers during mine clearance operations,” said Mike Donnelly of Research and Technology Integration Division of C5ISR. “I’m proud of the work everyone put in here today.”

By Chris Hall, Fort Walker Public Affairs Office

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Milrem Robotics’ Presence at Eurosatory 2024 Biggest-Ever

Wednesday, June 19th, 2024

This year’s largest European defence industry event, Eurosatory 2024, features the biggest-ever presence of unmanned combat systems by the world-leading robotics and autonomous systems developer Milrem Robotics.

Altogether 10 of the company’s robotic systems are on display at the exhibition, which will take place from June 17 to 21 in Paris, France. Eight of these systems are different versions of the THeMIS Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) and two Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicles (RCV).

In addition to Milrem Robotics’ stand, systems are showcased together with leading industry partners: Avalor.AI, CNIM, KNDS, KONGSBERG and Thales, additionally featuring integrated technology by FN Herstal, Metravib Defence, Leonardo, Rheinmetall, Pearson Engineering, and Vegvisir.

“The vast number of partners demonstrates that Milrem Robotics’ unmanned combat systems are preferred for payload integrations and battlefield deployment. The THeMIS UGV is already part of robotics programmes in 18 countries worldwide and assisting Ukrainian soldiers with casualty evacuation and route clearance in the war with Russia,” said Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem Robotics.

“Milrem has integrated more payloads than any other UGV provider and has a detailed understanding of how these payloads should be integrated and how to ensure the payload’s performance to its maximum capability,” Väärsi added.

Milrem Robotics’ Chief Sales Officer Patrick Shepherd added: “Our products’ integration into multiple nations’ combat formations reduces our customers’ overall integration and procurement risk. Milrem has the lessons learned and depth of experience to ensure a smooth integration into the military forces.”

Milrem Robotics is the world-leading robotics and autonomous systems developer and systems integrator, with offices in Estonia, Finland, Sweden, the Netherlands, and the US. The company is known for its THeMIS and Multiscope UGVs, the Type-X Robotic Combat Vehicle, and MIFIK intelligent autonomous functionalities for defence platforms.

Posted in International, Press Release, Robotics, Tradeshow | Comments Off on Milrem Robotics’ Presence at Eurosatory 2024 Biggest-Ever