Israeli defense firms released an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that is expected to significantly support ground troops along the frontlines during conflicts.
Roboteam — a manufacturer of multi-purpose, unmanned platforms — along with the aerospace and defense company Elbit Systems announced on Tuesday the debut of what they call “the mothership of unmanned vehicles."
The ROOK, a multi-payload military UGV, will offer more capacity, improved maneuverability, and better agility than previous models, according to Elbit’s head of business development Yoav Poizner.
Poizner added that the ROOK is the next step to enable “everything that happens in the sky” using drones and aerial robots to occur on the ground as well.
“If you want to send robots where you don’t want to send soldiers, you need a solution for that,” said Elad Levy, CEO and founder of Roboteam.
While mentioning the robot’s uniqueness, Levy explained that the ROOK started as a connected system, allowing his team to “know how the robot works with the software.”
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Israel Aerospace Industries' semi-autonomous REX MKII is seen near the central Israeli city of Lod, September 9, 2021
(Photo: AP)
“It has built-in autonomy and built-in artificial intelligence that provides a full solution,” the CEO said.
“Without that level of sophistication, you would not want to rely on it in the field.”
The machine can navigate the desert, snowy conditions, and other rough terrains in daylight or the dark.
It has sophisticated sensors that can distinguish soldiers and follow them in the field despite obstacles or terrain changes.
Roboteam anticipates the robot to be used to deliver supplies, provide medical assistance or pull casualties from the battlefield, gather intelligence, and serve as a remote weapons system.