DSTL is investing £1.5 million to explore the use of cutting-edge robotics and AI to detect life threatening chemical, biological and radiological (CBR) hazards.

The current capability is based on specially adapted armoured Fuchs vehicles. For a number of years, Dstl has been researching the potential of using autonomy and unmanned systems to survey areas for CBR materials.

This new investment, it says, will help develop a concept demonstrator to be used in wide area experimental trials.

Dstl project lead Ian Napier, said: “There is an understandable desire to remove the need for people to enter into hazardous areas, even if they are inside a protected vehicle. Recent developments in autonomous ground and air vehicles offer up some exciting opportunities to develop autonomy for CBR work. However, before making such a step change in our approach, we need to fully understand the variety of potential CBR scenarios and the tasks that may need to be undertaken by autonomous systems.”

Dstl has contracted HORIBA MIRA Ltd to adapt a VIKING 6x6 Unmanned Ground Vehicle and integrate a suite of chemical and radiological sensors supplied by Dstl.

Last year Dstl purchased three all-terrain VIKING 6x6 Unmanned Ground Vehicles, supplied by HORIBA MIRA, which are capable of carrying payloads of up to 750kg and using advanced AI-based autonomy with GPS-denied navigation.

This new contract will also fund the development of autonomy algorithms to allow the CBR sensor outputs to help drive the behaviour of the UGV, to detect and map areas of chemical or radiological hazards.

Andy Martin, who is the Dstl technical lead for the CBR Trials and Experimentation work package, said: “This is a great opportunity for us to get a better understanding of the possible strengths and weaknesses of autonomous systems for CBR Recce and Survey.”

He added: “The purpose of these trials is not to develop a prototype new system, it is to gather the evidence we need to determine what operational concepts are likely to be successful.”

Andy Maloney, Chief Engineer for Defence and Unmanned Solutions at HORIBA MIRA, added: “We are delighted to be working again with Dstl, MoD stakeholders and front line users in this important area. The project enables us to build upon our previous autonomous hazardous area survey work with small robots and leverage the capability of our much larger VIKING UGVs and their leading AI based autonomy.”