An Army official expressed confidence April 8 that the service can develop a lightweight set of tiny air and ground reconnaissance robots that a soldier easily carries and deploys on a battlefield.
A recent formal assessment that included industry and Department of Defense representatives confirmed that the concept, known as the Common Light Autonomous Robotic Kit (CLARK), is technologically feasible and should be pursued further, said Lt. Col. Matt Dooley, lethality branch chief for the Army Capabilities Integration Center at Ft. Eustis, Va. The Army’s Ft. Benning in Georgia is now drafting requirements for the kit that could lead to an acquisition effort.
The kit would consist of an unmanned aircraft, unmanned ground vehicle and unattended ground sensor. Each robot would fit in something small, such as a cargo pocket. A tablet-like controller would operate all three devices, creating an integrated system.
While the Army ultimately wants a beyond-line-of-sight system, “for right now the squad’s primary concern is just what’s in that building in front of me, just what’s over the next hill,” Dooley told reporters after speaking at a National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) conference on ground robotics.
Dooley listed several companies whose products are “similar to what we’re talking about,” including CyPhy Works and iRobot [IRBT], both of Massachusetts, Minnesota-based ReconRobotics and the United Kingdom’s Torquing Group.
Dooley declined to estimate how long the requirements process will take. “I wish I could say in six months, but I’m not the one who drives the train, I’m just the one who integrates,” he said.
Also at the conference, Marine Lt. Col. Hank Lutz, ground systems lead for the Joint Staff Robotic and Autonomous Systems (RAS) Team, said all of the military services are developing new operational concepts for RAS. The Joint Staff is drafting its own concept document to spell out how all those forces should work together.