Legal and technical difficulties have not yet allowed self-driving cars to fully enter public roads, but where there are no such restrictions, self-driving cars are attracting more and more attention from consumers. Especially when it comes to an army that is increasingly focused on saving people and replacing them with robots and new technologies wherever possible. The Ford F-150 pickup truck with an autopilot system was developed specifically for such tasks.
The project was implemented by the American company Kodiak Dynamics in the interests of the Pentagon. The pickup is equipped with the proprietary Kodiak Driver system, which has all the necessary hardware and software for the vehicle to operate autonomously, but also allows, if necessary, to control the vehicle remotely or use it as a regular pickup with a driver behind the wheel. The F-150 is equipped with interchangeable DefensePod modules for military use, with each module equipped with software designed for specific defense applications.
Details about the driverless hardware are being kept secret, but Kodiak Dynamics said it is using the same software it uses for driverless long-haul trucks. DefensePods are an adapted version of the modular, replaceable SensorPod sensor modules – the capsules are filled with a variety of powerful cameras, LiDAR sensors and radars that create a digital environment for the autopilot to operate in real time.
DefensePods modules can be easily replaced in the field by a technician who does not require special training within 10 minutes, and in addition they can be installed on a wide variety of equipment, allowing you to turn different vehicles into unmanned vehicles with minimal effort. The US Department of Defense has awarded Kodiak Dynamics a $50 million contract to build two test driverless pickup trucks that will be tested by the military for a year. The main task will be to check the performance of the machine on rough terrain and in conditions of poor GPS performance.
No driver needed: self-driving cars
