DRIVING THE FUTURE


Interoperability compliance. Platforms with a high likelihood of someday need- ing to provide unmanned or optionally manned functionality should consider requiring that


ant with the Robotics and Autonomous Systems Ground Interoperability Profile. Te Army developed the profile with its industry partners to provide known inter- faces for interoperating with robotic and autonomous systems. Acquiring a system that already complies with the profile will allow for greater interoperability once the autonomous capability is added.


Physical interfaces. Systems engineers should consider using commercial stan- dards such as those of the Society of Automotive Engineers and the Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers to define physical interfaces for applique kit integration. Tey should also leave enough physical space for the later inclu- sion of applique hardware such as radios, computers and associated electrical wiring and connections.


Onboard diagnostics. PMs should require that onboard diagnostic systems come with the base configuration. Tis has the direct advantage of improving maintenance, sustainment and safety. Te


MAN-TRANSPORTABLE ROBOTIC SYSTEM


Small- and medium-sized robots used for route clearance and explosive disposal proved their worth in Iraq and Afghani- stan and are now widespread in the Army. Larger robotic “mules” are on the horizon. (Photo courtesy of Endeavor Robotics)


indirect advantage is that the sensors and data needed for diagnostics offer a founda- tion for providing unmanned capabilities to the system in the future.


interfaces be compli-


Of course, integrating so many new tech- nologies can affect other operations and functions of a system and does require some additional considerations. PMs should ensure that systems are built to the most rigorous standards available. Have the manufacturer run extra fault-injection tests, and make sure the contractor supplies data from those tests, plus safety artifacts such as failure mode diagrams.


COUNTING THE COST One of the great benefits of leveraging advancements in commercial technol- ogy is that market forces and industrial investment have already driven down the cost of many—but not all—technolo- gies. Requirements developers and PMs should conduct market research to deter- mine the cost implications of including robotics-ready technologies in their base configurations. Te D-HMEE develop- ment effort cost the Army roughly $8 million in research, development, test and evaluation over about five years. In hindsight, that amount could have been reduced based on lessons learned


The Army has not been able to take full advantage of these commercial trends— primarily because of the long life cycles of its systems.


throughout the development. But the level of effort to convert any nondigital systems into unmanned systems is significant and makes funding hard to predict.


Te product cost of converting a base HMEE Type I to a D-HMEE config- uration is


approximately $75,000.


The government estimates that if the D-HMEEs had been produced as new production systems, the per-system cost would be around $25,000 higher than the HMEE Type I. Which is to say that in this case, the total cost of getting an unmanned system by building a basic system first and then modifying it is considerably lower than building an unmanned system from scratch.


88


Army AL&T Magazine


Spring 2019


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