Marines field autonomous support vehicles based on winning robot design (video)

Since their third-place finish in the 2007 DARPA Urban Challenge, TORC Technology's had quite a climb -- the company founded by Virginia Tech graduates has since provided IED-scouting Humvee kits to the US Military, and a vehicle for the blind uses the drive-by-wire platform that they designed. Now, the Marines are testing a TORC kit called the Ground Unmanned Support Surrogate (GUSS), which autonomously navigate off-road terrain. Designed to accompany ground troops, the four prototypes only move at 5 MPH, but carry up to 1800 pounds, and can automatically follow troops (or other GUSS) at a distance while shouldering their loads. A one pound transmitter -- the WaySight -- can show the GUSS where to go, or optionally enable direct control for soldiers who prefer things the old-fashioned way. Personally, we love the smell of autonomy in the morning, don't you? See it in action after the break.

[bahathir Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:12AM]

Why good technologies have to be used in war?

[shibbybypass Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:17AM]

@bahathir They should have made golf carts first?

[Jacinth Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:17AM]

@bahathir What?

[tai376 Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:51AM]

@bahathir Isn't that how wars are fought?

[raiden8383 Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:52AM]

@bahathir

Because war is the most profitable business.

[Son Of a Gun Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:56AM]

@bahathir
Like Slurpees

[Born2Jew Posted Jul 11th 2010 4:11AM]

@bahathir Well the Hummer that we Americans know and love was just an Army Humvee till GM had the good sense to make money off the civilian market.

[ilh Posted Jul 11th 2010 6:23AM]

@bahathir
It's not all bad, a lot of good medical technologies came as a result of war...

[Mister Warmth Posted Jul 11th 2010 6:27AM]

good going DARPA. Hajii is really gonna be shaking in his sandals when he sees this freaking golf cart drive up. At least paint some teeth on the sides of the damn thing. You fail until I see some improvement.

[SeeKo Posted Jul 11th 2010 7:04AM]

@bahathir

Third place? What happened to the guys who finished first?

[McKirf Posted Jul 11th 2010 10:30AM]

@bahathir

You'd think they'd make it more aerodynamic or something... like a Miata!

[McKirf Posted Jul 11th 2010 12:19PM]

@bahathir

This kind of reminds me of Jurassic Park.

[magallanes Posted Jul 11th 2010 12:41PM]

@ilh

Yes, Himmler is a good example of it.

[NikAmi Posted Jul 11th 2010 12:44PM]

@Born2Jew Americans liked the Hummer five years ago when they, and I say they because I never really liked them mostly because they were designed by idiots, were too hopped up on testosterone and gangsta-ness to know that they were shitty trucks and only douches drove them.

[McKirf Posted Jul 11th 2010 12:48PM]

@raiden8383

I agree! The biggest threat to the Pentagon is indeed... World Peace!

[hrdroq Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:22PM]

@bahathir War requires massive investment that the private sector doesn't have, thus technological advances always result from war. GPS and the progression of prosthetic technologies have evolved from war.

[MrPacMan36 Posted Jul 11th 2010 5:04PM]

@McKirf

It only goes 5mph... lol

[Brokinarrow Posted Jul 12th 2010 5:27PM]

@Born2Jew - Actually the military version is spelled HMMWV ;-)

[Slick Posted Jul 12th 2010 6:28PM]

--Virginia Tech Shoutout!!--

[NIMBUS Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:18AM]

the supplies these trucks will carry will be like ice cream from terrorists... they will have to be guarded so closely it won't be any different from driving it...

[shibbybypass Posted Jul 11th 2010 4:34AM]

@NIMBUS Except if these are blown up their will be less casualties. I like that a little more.

[d0mth0ma5 Posted Jul 11th 2010 8:11AM]

@NIMBUS In a convoy the guy not driving it will be able to do other things.

[magallanes Posted Jul 11th 2010 12:39PM]

@NIMBUS

I agree but apparently you are not understanding that the marines are the usurpers, not the so called "terrorist". :-(

[bjsguess Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:03PM]

@magallanes

Spot on. Those guys being smuggled in from Syria, Iran, Jordan, Palestine, etc who are planting IED's are the good guys. They aren't terrorists ... even if their entire purpose in life is create instability.

[wemustcontrolpeople Posted Jul 11th 2010 8:34PM]

@NIMBUS The solution to this is remote controlled guns.

[Rickets187 Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:19AM]

If I was Charlie I'd pack some explosives into the back of the truck and let the way-finder thing do the rest of the hard work; now you have your own homemade homing bomb.

[bahathir Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:41AM]

@Rickets187
Kamikaze Humvee :)

I prefer the technology to be used in real world, just like the simulation game, TORCS.

[Born2Jew Posted Jul 11th 2010 4:09AM]

@Rickets187 I think somebody is getting a a visit from Homeland Security...

[combatcarl Posted Jul 11th 2010 7:30AM]

@Rickets187 If you were Charlie, you'd be living in North Vietnam in the late 1960's.

[Rickets187 Posted Jul 11th 2010 10:15AM]

@combatcarl

And you'd be incapable of distinguishing between a joke and a literal statement of fact.

[leafflash Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:19AM]

Pretty cool.

[xdeiri Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:19AM]

spoiled solders. they must be using it to bring coffee and cigarettes.

[Born2Jew Posted Jul 11th 2010 4:13AM]

@xdeiri Any idea how hard it is to get a good pack of smokes and a good cup of Joe' in the desert? And with a pack of cigarette reaching $11.50 in NY!!!

[Born2Jew Posted Jul 11th 2010 4:15AM]

@xdeiri Dude its so hard to get American Cigarette and Coffee in Afghanistan.

[xdeiri Posted Jul 11th 2010 5:10AM]

@Born2Jew
imagine the possibilities if Taliban put their hands on one of these. they wont use it for a pack of cigarettes for sure.

[xdeiri Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:22AM]

it can be a secret weapon to ambush Robin Hood in that jungle, pore Robin. no help this time form Tom & Jerry.

[lorddarthmaul Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:43AM]

its all fun and games until someone gets run over.

[Lord Vader Posted Jul 11th 2010 6:54AM]

@lorddarthmaul or cut in half and pushed into an energy core tunnel

[combatcarl Posted Jul 11th 2010 7:33AM]

@lorddarthmaul Username fail. It's either Lord Maul or Darth Maul. Have you ever heard Darth Vader referred to as Lord Darth Vader? I didn't think so.

[Autobots Posted Jul 11th 2010 1:32PM]

@Lord Vader
Nah. Autobots eat Energy Tunnels for Breakfast

[Brokinarrow Posted Jul 12th 2010 5:32PM]

@Autobots - erm, that was energon?

[iProton Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:48AM]

Knight Industries: The early days.

[Shadowfax07 Posted Jul 11th 2010 3:48AM]

Cool tech, but so many corrections to the steering make it appear like a drunk driver!

[Sofabutt Posted Jul 11th 2010 4:15AM]

And of course by "winning robot design" we mean some senator has a stake in the success of this thing...

[BuzzMega Posted Jul 11th 2010 4:41AM]

My wife and I have a bet. But you know the answer (as a group):

How many years before street-legal automatic driving?

[magallanes Posted Jul 11th 2010 12:49PM]

@BuzzMega

20 years.

[andrewh12 Posted Jul 11th 2010 1:42PM]

@BuzzMega Here in Europe the EU is sponsoring research/a project for use on public highways. Cars would easily and automatically "attach" themselves to groups heading in their direction.
Several European car manufacturers are involved in building the signaling and radar systems (for the road and cars).

[Very Powerfull Codfish Posted Jul 11th 2010 4:57PM]

@andrewh12 Hvor hørte du dette? Interessante greier..

[Infinityharry Posted Jul 11th 2010 5:26AM]

i think it still needs a few driving lessons

[Doobry Posted Jul 11th 2010 5:33AM]

Pah, 5MPH and navigating a little path through the woods?

They need to buy a Ripsaw MS2, at least 60MPH and they can make their own path through the woods;)