Kodiak Robotics awarded $50 million contract by the US Army for autonomous trucks
This support will be for vehicles that are designed to perform surveillance and reconnaissance as well as other high-risk missions.
This award was made by DoD’s Defense Innovation Unit, DIU on behalf of the Army’s RCV program office. Kodiak will use its commercial self-driving technology to develop, test, and deploy autonomous driverless vehicles that strengthen national security.
Kodiak will create autonomous vehicle technology to enable the Army to navigate difficult terrain, different operational conditions, and GPS-challenged areas. The Army can also remotely operate its vehicles when required.
The wartime environment is extremely complex and poses high-risk risks. This often leads to troops operating close to or behind enemy lines. The potential for autonomous vehicles to be deployed to perform these critical and dangerous tasks could significantly reduce troop risk, as well as give troops greater access to information in the field.
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Kodiak’s remote driving capabilities for the Army will enhance the flexibility of these autonomous cars while further reducing the risk to soldiers.
#Autonomousvehicles #News US Army awards Kodiak Robotics $50 million contract for autonomous trucks https://t.co/pv9IYEiOx5 pic.twitter.com/d2Nks23W2a
— Marcus Webster (@marcusbwebster) December 8, 2022
This project will also create a technical pipeline to enable rapid development and deployment of new autonomous vehicle technologies once they are commercially available.
Kodiak Robotics founder and CEO Don Burnette says, “I founded Kodiak because autonomous technology can save lives. And helping the US Army create driverless vehicles for the most difficult operating environments fits perfectly with this goal.
“We are proud to be able to leverage our cutting edge self-driving technology to defense applications and believe that our collaboration with DIU/the US Army will help strengthen national security as well as accelerate our path to commercial deployment.
“We owe a debt to the servicemen, women and children who risk their lives to keep us safe. It is an honor that we take very seriously.
Kodiak Robotics was selected from 33 applicants to receive this award. This is due to its leadership in autonomous system development and commercialization as well as its focus on safety.
Kodiak will continue to build on its core competencies by using its robust autonomous software stack to address Army-specific use cases. This includes future Army vehicles.
The company will use its autonomous driving system to drive off-road vehicles that can traverse difficult terrain, and operate remotely in unpredictable and severe conditions.
DIU is solely focused on the adoption and scaling of technologies developed by commercial partners. This helps to strengthen US national security and solve critical field problems faced by the U.S. army. DIU identifies innovations in six technology areas where the commercial sector operates at the forefront: artificial intelligence (AI), autonomy, cyber, energy, systems for humans, and space.
Kodiak Robotics will remain focused on its core business, building autonomous trucks for commercial applications. However, this project is an important extension that propels its innovations forward.
