#44: Frontline Robotics: Enabling safer execution of one of the Army’s most dangerous tasks

Combat engineers perform some of the military’s most dangerous duties, from breaching obstacles and clearing minefields to constructing front-line defensive positions while under enemy assault. ERDC’s Robotics for Engineer Operations – or REO – program is helping them do so safely. REO develops robotic capabilities that allow combat engineers to operate from safe standoff distances. These wide-ranging autonomous and teleoperated systems reduce risk while also multiplying force capacity and providing autonomous reconnaissance. We discuss REO with Dr. Ahmet Soylemezoglu, systems engineer at ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory and REO project lead. Topics include how REO began and its evolution (1:05), the challenges of incorporating autonomy in a combat environment (11:43) and how the effort benefits from the diverse skillsets of its team members (14:58). We also talk about industry and academic partnerships (20:48), lessons learned from field demonstrations (24:48), emergency response applications (28:31) and efforts to incorporate multi-machine teaming (31:52). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/44-REO_video. You can also see additional resources at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/44-REO_resources. For inquiries about REO, email [email protected].