Motivation: Disrupting supplies is a key element in war operations, as is currently the case in Ukraine. In general, supply convoys face an increased threat from IEDs (Improvised Explosive Devices). Automated military convoys with passive navigation offer the possibility of transporting supplies through dangerous (enemy) areas undetected and at the same time ensuring the protection of soldiers. In addition, supply depots are high-value targets. Small, distributed warehouses therefore offer better security of supply in war scenarios, but at the same time an increasing logistical complexity that can hardly be managed without automation. Logistical operations are already playing a central role, for example in Lebanon with the "Multi Role Logistic Unit" transport unit.
Objective: UMPAS is therefore aiming to research an autonomously driving container truck that can manage purely with passive sensor technology and can react to critical situations caused by the ground. This truck should be able to automatically repeat a pre-learned moderate off-road route at a moderate speed (<= 20 km/h) with passive sensors and without infrastructure such as GNSS on a laboratory scale in daylight and without rainfall.
Methodology: To achieve the objective, an available drive-by-wire (DBW) capable RMMV HX2 logistics truck is to be converted into an automated driving experimental vehicle. For this purpose, the vehicle is extended by a so-called A-Kit, which is to be implemented in the project. This provides purely passive obstacle detection, localization, path planning, and navigation and consists of cameras, IMU, and a control computer, and it forwards vehicle type-independent driving commands to the vehicle. The algorithms of the A-Kit have already been researched in the simulation in the preliminary Simpas project. Now they have to be transferred from the simulation to the vehicle and adapted to reality. In the truck, the so-called B-Kit receives the driving commands and uses them to control the engine and steering angle. RMMV can also draw on an initial version here. For the planned off-road scenarios, additional controllers based on vehicle measurement data (slip, acceleration, etc.) must be researched in the B-Kit to estimate the current coefficient of friction between the tires and the ground to keep the truck in the best possible safe condition.
Innovation: At the end of the project, there will be an experimental set-up of a military logistics truck that can carry out automated supply runs under lab conditions based purely on passive sensor technology. An automated vehicle based purely on passive sensor technology is unprecedented and therefore represents an extremely high degree of innovation. A purely passive automated truck enables undetected supply to the highest degree without endangering human life.
Added value: The UMPAS project strengthens Austria as a business location through technology leadership and RMMV’s market competitiveness as an overall system provider, as this will revolutionize the industry as soon as military automated off-road trucks are ready for use. As soon as off-road trucks are on the market, Austrian soldiers’ lives can be protected and logistics in war zones can be strengthened. The BMLV can use the experience gained from the project to better understand the technology required and to be better able to organize tenders and approvals.
