Textron Systems and Kodiak Robotics are collaborating to develop an autonomous military ground vehicle specifically designed for driverless operations.
Through this collaboration, Kodiak will integrate its autonomous system, the Kodiak Driver, into a Textron Systems prototype, purpose-built uncrewed military vehicle. This collaboration also marks Kodiak’s first integration of its autonomous technology into a vehicle designed without space for a human driver.
Textron Systems has extensive experience in developing air, land and sea vehicles. The collaboration between the company, a leader in military ground vehicles, and Kodiak, a dual-use autonomous driving company for military and commercial applications, represents a unique model for bringing cutting-edge artificial intelligence (AI) powered, autonomous technologies to military customers. It also demonstrates the readiness of the Kodiak Driver for driverless operations as well as its adaptability to a diverse range of vehicle types, both on- and off-road.
The system being developed by the companies will operate using the same core technology that’s embedded within Kodiak’s autonomous long-haul trucks, which have been validated across nearly 3 million miles of real-world operations. The vehicle will also feature Kodiak DefensePods, an adapted version of Kodiak’s modular, swappable SensorPods, designed for military use. DefensePods are pre-calibrated, pre-built hardware enclosures that include the sensors necessary for autonomous driving. A technician without specialized training can swap out a DefensePod in the field in 10 minutes or less.
Textron Systems’ David Phillips, Senior Vice President, Land and Sea Systems, said; “Textron Systems has designed, developed and manufactured military ground vehicle systems for decades. Joining forces with Kodiak allows us to bring cutting-edge autonomous technology to our industry-leading uncrewed military ground vehicle systems, progressing the functionality, adaptability, reliability and ruggedness of our technologies.
“Integrating our vehicle with Kodiak’s AI-powered autonomy software and pioneering modular DefensePods represents a major step forward in delivering a mission-ready autonomous system.”
The companies intend to integrate Kodiak’s technology into the Textron Systems uncrewed military vehicle and demonstrate driverless operations later in 2024. Afterwards, Textron Systems and Kodiak intend to jointly explore future opportunities with both the U.S. DoD and the militaries of other allied nations, as they look to accelerate automation into military ground vehicles. Deploying uncrewed vehicles to perform high-risk and complex tasks in the field will assist the U.S. military in removing servicemen and women from harm’s way, while enhancing national security.
Don Burnette, Kodiak Founder and CEO, added; “The future of autonomous military ground vehicles is dual-use technology developers like Kodiak working with industry leaders like Textron Systems.
“Collaborating with Textron Systems will allow us to showcase the capabilities of Kodiak’s AI-powered, driverless technology in military, off-road environments. Together, we can bring new capabilities to ground systems, supporting the warfighter at the speed of relevance.”
