Technology firm NODAR has been awarded a $1.67 million contract to develop 3D vision systems for all the US Army’s off-road autonomous ground vehicles.
Using multiple cameras with overlapping views, the 3D vision system can sense off-road obstacles in environments with little to no light, smoke, dust, rain, or other harsh conditions.
The system identifies terrain and objects from 1,000 meters (0.6 miles), allowing the vehicle to identify, engage, or avoid hidden threats long before entering the area.
The technology can also produce dense, highly accurate 3D point clouds that provide essential details for navigating challenging terrain.
In addition to high-resolution cameras, the 3D system utilizes computer vision software to maintain camera alignment and provide 360-degree, high-density, high frame-rate 3D data in real-time.
‘Developing Game-Changing Technologies’
NODAR co-founder and chief executive officer Leaf Jiang emphasized his company’s ability to produce long-range, high-resolution 3D sensing technologies that are resilient under adverse environmental conditions.
For US Army official Matt Willis, the partnership between NODAR and the US Army will provide beneficial solutions to the service’s technology needs.
Aside from 3D sensing technology, the service seeks to integrate a microwave weapon onto Stryker combat vehicles for enhanced anti-drone swarm capabilities.
The US Army also awarded a contract to a General Atomics Electromagnetic Systems (GA-EMS) and Boeing team to develop a 300-kilowatt laser-based air defense system.
