Seeing a bunch of people running through the woods as they give chase to an uncrewed tracked vehicle might seem either something of a joke, or a sign something went terribly wrong with the autonomous machine. But the reality is far different and, in some respects, far more fascinating.
For a while now a piece of technology called THeMIS has been making the headlines. Developed by an Estonian defense contractor called Milrem Robotics, the THeMIS is a family of unmanned ground vehicles destined to support military operations.
The machines can be controlled remotely, acting as a support platform for machine guns, a means of transport for cargo and troops, or even an ordinance disposal unit. But Milrem is now working to give the tracked vehicle true autonomous capabilities, and it's because of this research the video below shows people chasing the robot through the woods, on foot and on bicycle.
The images have been captured on film over the past week, during an autonomous functions exercise that took place under the guidance of the Estonian Military Academy.
Unlike the standard THeMIS machines, the one taking a stroll through the woods with humans in tow was packing an autonomous functions kit called MIFIK. It was the first time the machine was put through its paces in this configuration.
The system had to do its thing in a variety of scenarios, whose exact nature was not disclosed, of course. We do know the robot had to make its way on the road, off-road, and in a dense forest, in a bid to assess the "technological readiness of the UGV and human-machine cooperation."
Route planning, point-to-point movement, and obstacle detection and avoidance were also tested during the trials.
It's unclear how far along the MIFIK kit is, but it'll be a while still before we get to see the THeMIS using it at full capacity. Milrem's CEO, Kuldar Vaarsi, said that "autonomy development is a marathon, not a sprint."
Back to the THeMIS system, it is already serving the military needs of some 16 countries, half of them NATO members. Each of them is using the vehicle for they own purposes, thanks to its versatility, with the units sent to Ukraine acting as tools for route clearance and casualty evacuation.
There are four versions of the thing currently available, Logistics, Combat, ISR, and EOD. All THeMIS machines are powered by hybrid diesel-electric drivetrains that don't make them incredibly fast (12 mph/20 kph is all they can do), but are highly reliable. Any such robot can carry up to 750 kg (1,650 pounds) of cargo, which can be almost anything, from cargo to weapons and surveillance gear.
Milrem never said how much one of these machines costs.
Daniel loves writing (or so he claims), and he uses this skill to offer readers a "behind the scenes" look at the automotive industry. He also enjoys talking about space exploration and robots, because in his view the only way forward for humanity is away from this planet, in metal bodies. Full profile
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