Skip to main content

NAMC advances autonomous vehicle testing for US soldiers

Over the next year, American soldiers will be testing autonomous vehicles as part of a competition by National Advanced Mobility Consortium (NAMC). The systems to be tested come from four shortlisted companies: a group compiled of Applied Research Associates, Neya Systems and Polaris; General Dynamics Land Systems; HDT Expeditionary Systems; Howe & Howe Technologies. NAMC chose the companies after testing ten concepts under the Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport vehicles project. Each company will
June 5, 2018 Read time: 2 mins
© F11photo | Dreamstime.com

Over the next year, American soldiers will be testing autonomous vehicles as part of a competition by National Advanced Mobility Consortium (8799 NAMC).

The systems to be tested come from four shortlisted companies: a group compiled of Applied Research Associates, Neya Systems and Polaris; General Dynamics Land Systems; HDT Expeditionary Systems; Howe & Howe Technologies.

NAMC chose the companies after testing ten concepts under the Squad Multipurpose Equipment Transport vehicles project. Each company will receive up to $5 million towards the testing and trial of their system, according to NAM, the industry arm of the Defense Mobility Enterprise (DME).

The DME, which is focused on attracting organisations not already working with the government, speeds the acquisition process to ensure innovations assist soldiers as soon as possible. The DME also allows more commercial-type intellectual property protections.

NAMC says that since 2008 its R&D projects have yielded defence projects valued at more than $450 million. The group says that it is recognised as the effective, established consortium for research, development, prototyping and production for manned and unmanned autonomy-enabled military ground vehicle systems and related technologies in the US. 

Booth 116

Related Content

  • August 26, 2016
    Vaisala: Weather data is vital for connected vehicles
    Vaisala’s Dr Kevin Petty explains why the weather will continue to play a big part in road safety and traffic management in the smart cities of the future. The world is becoming increasingly connected. Thanks to advances in information and communications technology, the cities we live in are becoming ‘smart’, with everything from education to law enforcement managed by integrated tech solutions in a bid to improve quality of life.
  • June 4, 2012
    Successful Bio-DME field tests point to a cleaner transport system
    Volvo Trucks has announced it is running successful field tests with vehicles powered by bio-DME, a fuel that can be produced cost- and energy-efficiently from biomass. Since last autumn, ten specially adapted Volvo trucks have been operating on Swedish roads using the fuel which reduces carbon emissions by 95 per cent compared with conventional diesel. The field tests have now reached the halfway point and the results so far have both met, and exceeded, expectations.
  • February 2, 2012
    Electronic vehicle registration ensures payment
    Like most countries, Bermuda recognised that it was losing revenue through non-compliance with vehicle registration regulations and was equally concerned about vehicles that were not properly insured or put through annual inspections. Indeed, the tiny island state, with a population of around 65,000 people and some 30,000 vehicles, estimated it was losing more than US$1.4 million per year in tax-based revenue since approximately 8 per cent of vehicle owners were cheating the system.
  • February 6, 2012
    Valuing ITS
    Politicians, policy- and decision-makers need no-nonsense, non-technical answers on which to base investments in ITS. The International Benefits, Evaluation and Costs (IBEC) Working Group can provide them, says its Chair, Richard Harris