Robotic Follower Experimentation Results

Abstract

Robotics is a fundamental enabling technology required to meet the U.S. Army's vision to be a strategically responsive force capable of domination across the entire spectrum of conflict. The U.S. Army Research, Development and Engineering Command (RDECOM) Tank Automotive Research, Development and Engineering Center (TARDEC), in partnership with the U.S. Army Research Laboratory, is developing a leader-follower capability for Future Combat Systems. The Robotic Follower Advanced Technology Demonstration (ATD) utilizes a manned leader to provide a high-level proofing of the follower's path, which operates with minimal user intervention. This paper will give a programmatic overview and discuss both the technical approach and operational experimentation results obtained during testing conducted at Ft. Bliss, New Mexico in February-March 2003.