Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver (TBAM) CRA

Description

The objective of the Tactical Behaviors for Autonomous Maneuver (TBAM) Collaborative Research Alliance (CRA) is to develop coordinated behaviors for small groups of autonomous agents to perform doctrinal as well as novel tactical maneuver in realistic simulations of complex military-relevant environments.

Bounding overmatch
Bounding overmatch

Performers develop novel techniques to learn, as well as demonstrate, coordinated models of maneuver in realistic simulations of complex terrain such as forest/jungle, undulating desert/grassland, watershed/wet-gap, and rural settings (fields with boundary fences, sparse road networks, intermittent watershed and forested areas). The coordinated behaviors exhibited by the ground-robot team should find military-relevant routes that maximize cover and concealment and maneuver as if adversary contact were imminent. In areas where environmental cover is absent, but traversal is required by the mission, elements of the team should provide cover for their advancing teammates.

Program Structure

The TBAM CRA is a 6.1 basic research program. It consists of a series of two-year sprint efforts executed with annual program reviews. Each two-year sprint topic is focused on addressing a different set of scientific areas, which will support higher technology readiness level (TRL) research with internal DEVCOM ARL subject-matter experts. The first two-year sprint topic is “coordinated and adversarial tactical maneuver in complex terrains,” with an operational scenario entitled “Movement to Contact.” In this scenario, contact with adversarial positions is a constant concern – in some situations this contact should be avoided through use of terrain features and cover; in other missions the adversary positions should be met with a posture of tactical overmatch through coordinated maneuver – the synchronized actions of a distributed system.

Program Timeline
EventEstimated date/timeframe
Opportunity released22 April 2022
Opportunity webinar29 April 2022, 1500 EDT
Deadline for questions on funding opportunity16 May 2022
Proposals due for Cycle 127 May 2022, 1700 EDT
Notification to recipients1-14 July 2022
Cycle 1 awardsSept 2022

Relevant links and documentation

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