Picture , if you will , theself - drive Prius that Google contrive — quiet , safe , sedate , elbow room for five . Now imagine the exact , polar inverse — a six - wheeled , self - navigating robo - motortruck built for off - roading and ramming , a .50 - cal machine gun on its ceiling , and room for zero . That ’s the Crusher .
https://gizmodo.com/nevada-is-the-first-state-to-approve-self-driving-cars-5885940
DARPA began ontogeny on the Crusher — technically , the Unmanned Ground Combat Vehicle and Perceptor Integration System — in 2006 . The $ 30 million , nine - foot - broad auto is constructed from aluminum and titanium , and power by a cross , Li Ion - Jetta engine . Each of its six wheel if conform to with a 49 - inch tyre and a suspension capable of raising and miserable each steering wheel on an individual basis by as much as 30 inches . This allows the Crusher to climb erect bulwark over four pes tall , crosspiece side of more than 40 degrees , and travel along 30 point embankment . A shock - mounted steel slip plate protect the Crusher ’s home working in case the motortruck happens to land on a boulder or tree diagram stump . Its nozzle is also reinforced for ramming through heavy brush and blockades likewise .
All this protection is necessary because the Crusher ’s navigation software is designed to get the truck , and its 8000 pound of loading and armour , from point A to channelize type B in the fastest way potential — a straight line of reasoning . “ This vehicle can go into places where , if you were survey in a Humvee , you ’d make out out with spinal injury , ” said Stephen Welby , theatre director of DARPA ’s Tactical Technology Office , told Stars and Stripes . “ commonly vehicles are set up to protect humans . Here , we did n’t have to care about that . ” The Crusher has a top speed of 25 MPH .
The Crusher does n’t just Hulk Smash its way through the terrain , mind you , it learns from what it drives over . “ It can read the terrain ” and define flat footing , vegetation , and obstacles , said Tony Stentz a Carnegie Mellon robotics engineer working on Crusher ’s autonomy . During one monstrance , the Crusher did n’t Hulk Smash at all . When it came upon a steep shoulder at the boundary of a cooler track , the machine recognized the trouble in forcing its room up and alternatively , turn around and scan for an easier blot to cross .
In addition , the Crusher is outfitted with an advanced centripetal suite that is adequate to of spotting foeman troops at a distance of over two nautical mile . It beam data from its laser sensors , chromosome mapping cameras , infrared cameras and various other TV prey to a outside command post . gratefully , the command post also controls the .50 cal SAW mounted to the Crusher ’s roof as well . agree to the Army Times , “ a research worker study the vehicle see its cameras and machine gun using an iPod Touch euphony role player . ”
The Department of Defense has no plans to put the Crusher on the front short letter in its current shape . Instead , it will name the base of future designs as part of the Army ’s Future Combat Systems go-ahead . “ This could be used as a scout , or a flying - reply support vehicle , ” Welby aver . “ With existing tv camera we ’ve put on there this vehicle is able to see rabbits at long - range , and enemy troops from 4 kilometers away . guess transmit this to an intersection and letting it sit there to monitor what ’s kick the bucket on for day or weeks . ” There ’s no watchword if it will keep on the iPod SAW - ascendency . [ Crusher Wiki – Stars and Stripes – NREC – Army Times ]
fromPopularMechanics.com
from the AP
Darpa
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