The US Army has been evolving advanced cockpit designs for future ground combat vehicles through a series of technology development programs that began in the early 1990s. The current effort, the Crew-integration & Automation Testbed (CAT) program, is focused on providing direct transition to the next generation of Army vehicles. This paper describes the cockpit concept, its evolution, and the experimentation plan.
Robotics is one of the fundamental enabling technologies 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 Future Combat Systems (FCS) program is poised to be the first component of this force to utilize robotic or unmanned systems. The U. S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development & Engineering Center (TARDEC), in partnership with the U. S. Army Research Laboratory (ARL) has initiated an effort to develop a near-term robotics capability for FCS entitled the Robotic Follower Advanced Technology Demonstration program.
In the past year, the U.S. Army has committed to a paradigm shift in the way future ground military operations will be conducted. Increased emphasis upon the deployability of future forces has focused efforts towards reducing the weight, volume, and logistics requirements for proposed tactical systems. Extensive use of unmanned systems offer a potential means to achieve these goals, without reducing the lethality or survivability of this future ground combat force. To support this vision, the U.S. Army has embarked upon a concerted effort to develop required technology and demonstrate its maturity with the goal of incorporating this technology into the Future Combat Systems and the Objective Force.
KEYWORDS: Video, LCDs, Electronics, Head, Simulation of CCA and DLA aggregates, Interfaces, Sensors, Defense technologies, Flat panel displays, Control systems
The ground combat vehicle crew of tomorrow must be able to perform their mission more effectively and efficiently if they are to maintain dominance over ever more lethal enemy forces. Increasing performance, however, becomes even more challenging when the soldier is subject to reduced crew sizes, a never- ending requirement to adapt to ever-evolving technologies and the demand to assimilate an overwhelming array of battlefield data. This, combined with the requirement to fight with equal effectiveness at any time of the day or night in all types of weather conditions, makes it clear that this crew of tomorrow will need timely, innovative solutions to overcome this multitude of barriers if they are to achieve their objectives. To this end, the U.S. Army is pursuing advanced crew stations with human-computer interfaces that will allow the soldier to take full advantage of emerging technologies and make efficient use of the battlefield information available to him in a program entitled 'Vetronics Technology Testbed.' Two critical components of the testbed are a compliment of panoramic indirect vision displays to permit drive-by-wire and multi-function displays for managing lethality, mobility, survivability, situational awareness and command and control of the vehicle. These displays are being developed and built by Computing Devices Canada, Ltd. This paper addresses the objectives of the testbed program and the technical requirements and design of the displays.
Forward Deployed Robotic Unit (FDRU) is a core science and technology objective of the US Army, which will demonstrate the impact of autonomous systems on all phases of future land warfare. It will develop, integrate and demonstrate technology required to achieve robotic and fire control capabilities for future land combat vehicles, e.g., Future Combat Systems, using a system of systems approach that culminates in a field demonstration in 2005. It will also provide the required unmanned assets and conduct the demonstration. Battle Lab Warfighting Experiments and data analysis required to understand the effects of unmanned assets on combat operations. The US Army Tank- Automotive & Armaments Command and the US Army Research Laboratory are teaming in an effort to leverage prior technology achievements in the areas of autonomous mobility, architecture, sensor and robotics system integration; advance the state-of-the-art in these areas; and to provide field demonstration/application of the technologies.
The United States' Army Tank-automotive & Armaments Command (TACOM) recently started a project entitled Crew integration and Automation Testbed (CAT). This paper will describe the project, which will utilize an unprecedented number of displays for an Army vehicle.
Robotics has been identified by numerous recent Department of Defense (DOD) studies as a key enabling technology for future military operational concepts. The Demo III Program is a multiyear effort encompassing technology development and demonstration on testbed platforms, together with modeling simulation and experimentation directed toward optimization of operational concepts to employ this technology. Primary program focus is the advancement of capabilities for autonomous mobility through unstructured environments, concentrating on both perception and intelligent control technology. The scout mission will provide the military operational context for demonstration of this technology, although a significant emphasis is being placed upon both hardware and software modularity to permit rapid extension to other military missions. The Experimental Unmanned Vehicle (XUV) is a small (approximately 1150 kg, V-22 transportable) technology testbed vehicle designed for experimentation with multiple military operational concepts. Currently under development, the XUV is scheduled for roll-out in Summer 1999, with an initial troop experimentation to be conducted in September 1999. Though small, and relatively lightweight, modeling has shown the chassis capable of automotive mobility comparable to the current Army lightweight high-mobility, multipurpose, wheeled vehicle (HMMWV). The XUV design couples multisensor perception with intelligent control to permit autonomous cross-country navigation at speeds of up to 32 kph during daylight and 16 kph during hours of darkness. A small, lightweight, highly capable user interface will permit intuitive control of the XUV by troops from current-generation tactical vehicles. When it concludes in 2002, Demo III will provide the military with both the technology and the initial experience required to develop and field the first generation of semi-autonomous tactical ground vehicles for combat, combat support, and logistics applications.
Joint Vision 2010 is the conceptual template for how the US DoD will leverage technological opportunities to achieve new levels of effectiveness in joint warfighting. Battlefield digitization is a key component of this vision. In the Crewman's Associate Advanced Technology Demonstration, crewstations for ground combat vehicles were developed that allow the soldier to use digitization to maximize weapon system performance. Requirements for ground combat vehicle displays that will be used on digitized battlefield can be derived from these crewstations.
Joint Vision 2010 is the conceptual template for how the United States Department of Defense will leverage technological opportunities to achieve new levels of effectiveness in joint warfightmg. Battlefield digitization is a key component of this vision. In the Crewman's Associate Advanced Technology Demonstration (AiD), crewstations for ground combat vehicles were developed that allow the soldier to use digitization to maximize weapon system performance.
Keywords: crewstation, digitization, human-computer interface, simulation
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