Objective:  

In complex terrain, such as caves and mountains, or an urban environment, autonomous platforms provide operational capabilities to the warfighter that would otherwise be costly, impossible, or deadly to achieve. Future enhancements to warfighting capabilities require a reduction in platform size and the cohesive operation of multiple platforms that operate with little or no direct human supervision and can support personnel operating in a variety of dangerous environments.

The Army Research Laboratory has therefore established a Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology Collaborative Technology Alliance to perform enabling research and transition technology that will enhance warfighter's tactical situational awareness in urban and complex terrain by enabling the autonomous operation of a collaborative ensemble of multifunctional, mobile microsystems.

Overview Briefing

Research Area Technical Objectives: 

Microsystem Mechanics

To develop a fundamental understanding of mechanics for small unmanned air and ground vehicles as needed to obtain desired mobility objectives

Microelectronics

To enable power efficient multi-functional sensing, ambulatory control, and reconfigurable networked response in mobile micro-scale platforms

Processing for Autonomous Operation

To provide the fundamental underpinnings for autonomous operation of distributed, mobile, multi-modal sensing micro-systems

Integration

To develop a fundamental understanding of microsystem architectures through the development and application of modeling and design tools, and through experimentation and analysis