COMMENTARY
AN EARLY MOVE TO AUTONOMY
Remotely operated mine flails—vehicles that use weights to strike the ground and deto- nate buried mines—were some of the first robotic systems on the battlefield. Many more are likely to follow, and the Army can lower the cost of the transition by producing manned systems today with enough space and ability to have robotic components added later. (Photo by Maj. Dan Marchik, 416th Theater Engineering Command)
Taking into account safety, some analysts believe that the drive-by-wire and active safety systems would provide a return on investment by themselves by preventing accidents and the associated costs. Tese analysts believe that safety systems built into the original product by its manu- facturer, as opposed to add-on by-wire systems, can be more reliable (directly controlling braking without needing to add hardware), less obtrusive to humans (no protruding hardware in the human compartment), and more capable (some vehicle actions are difficult to control after the fact).
Finally, by-wire systems may also
substantially reduce overall operation and sustainment costs. Digitization can position programs better for condition- based maintenance and the integration of multifunctional video displays, not to mention a reduction in total system part counts. Condition-based mainte- nance (also known as vehicle telematics) provides prognostics that tell users ahead of time if maintenance or replacement will be needed. Tis is possible only with
As Army acquisition professionals, we play an important role in informing programs and shaping the future force. While robotic and autonomous capability addi- tions may incur some costs, the long-term advantages may warrant consideration of including the technologies in the near term—even if they are not an explicit operational requirement.
For more informat ion, go to
www.peocscss.army.mil.
modern components, i.e., those that are part of by-wire systems.
CONCLUSION Planning and designing Army systems for future by-wire technologies hold a wide range of potential value in enhanced capability and reduced costs. Opportunities abound to use current technology—in addition to thoughtful design for the future—to capitalize on our ability to accelerate more effective capa- bilities to the force. Analysts anticipate that industry will offer digitization on a continually higher percentage of systems on the market.
BRYAN J. MCVEIGH is project manager for Force Projection within the Program Executive Office for Combat Support and Combat Service Support (PEO CS&CSS). A retired Army colonel, he holds a master’s degree in systems acquisition management from the Naval Postgraduate School and is Level III certified in program management. He also is certified as a Project Management Professional by the Program Management Institute.
MARK MAZZARA is interoperability lead for robotics within the Project Manager for Force Projection at PEO CS&CSS. He has held systems engineering positions in the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Develop- ment and Engineering Center, the PEO for Ground Combat Systems and PEO CS&CSS, and served in 2014 as the Department of the Army systems coordinator for robotics in the Pentagon. He holds an M.S. in systems engineering and a B.S. in mechanical engi- neering, both from Oakland University, and is Level III certified in systems engineering and in program management.
https://asc.ar my.mil
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