The U.S. Army has partnered with the Clemson University for a research initiative focused on virtual prototyping of ground vehicles that will be equipped with autonomy technology and next generation propulsion and energy systems.
Clemson said Tuesday the new $18M Virtual Prototyping of Ground Systems Center established within the CU-International Center for Automotive Research will be used to support testing of new concepts and algorithms for the autonomous vehicles.
Manned and unmanned teaming in off-road environments, digital engineering and autonomy for multi-scale vehicle fleets are some of the initiative's focus areas.
Following the effort, a physical mock-up of a non-combat ground vehicle with autonomous system will be developed to assess tools resulting from the research.
"Autonomous systems and connected vehicles are some of the most significant factors shaping the mobility industry today, and the work being done in off-road autonomy is truly the next frontier," said Clemson President Jim Clements. "CU-ICAR was designed to foster research and partnerships to benefit our future."
The research initiative is in support of next generation combat vehicle development, one of the Army's Big Six Modernization Priorities.