Oshkosh Corporation [OSK] said Tuesday the company has partnered with the Pittsburgh-based “venture studio” Carnegie Foundry to further innovation efforts in the robotics and autonomy space.
The vehicle manufacturer said the new venture will look to complement its own ongoing work in AI and autonomy by leveraging Carnegie Foundry’s expertise in identifying industry’s latest technological advancements.
“The Carnegie Foundry team is comprised of industry leaders with outstanding expertise in autonomy,” Oshkosh said in a statement. “For years Oshkosh has been developing autonomous technology that delivers greater productivity while reducing total cost of ownership for our customers. Oshkosh’s strategic investment in Carnegie Foundry will put our customers at the forefront of emerging innovation and technology in the robotics and autonomy space.”
Oshkosh also noted Carnegie Foundry has an existing relationship with Carnegie Mellon University’s National Robotics Engineering Center, which it described as “the world leader in autonomous robotics and artificial intelligence.”
“We are very excited to partner with Oshkosh Corporation as we bring autonomy, robotics and AI innovations to market,” Robert Szczerba, co-founder of Carnegie Foundry, said in a statement. “Industrial-scale innovations require specialized experience, a deep understanding of these unique markets and a long-term approach. It’s our good fortune that we found investment, aligned mindsets and large-scale industrial specialization with our partners at Oshkosh Corporation.”
As part of the new partnership, Oshkosh will join Carnegie Foundry’s board of directors, according to the company.
Oshkosh Defense, which builds the Joint Light Tactical Vehicle, was recently selected as one of five competitors working on the Army’s Optionally Manned Fighting Vehicle concept refinement phase, where it has partnered with South Korea’s Hanwha to leverage the design of its Redback infantry fighting vehicle chassis (Defense Daily, July 26).
Oshkosh has also been involved in the Army’s leader-follower program, providing the by-wire design included in test vehicles as part of a larger autonomy kit that’s being used in testing at Fort Polk in Louisiana with the M1075A1 Palletized Loading System (Defense Daily, Sept. 16).