AI capability & autonomy kit for uncrewed systems unveiled by AeroVironment
NewsApril 23, 2024
ARLINGTON, Va. AeroVironment (AV) engineers unveiled the company’s Autonomy Retrofit Kit (ARK) and AVACORE software to increase autonomous system effectiveness and reduce operator workload.
ARK and AVACORE bring AV’s accelerated autonomy to fielded assets such as Puma 3 AE and Puma LE in addition to future autonomous systems.
ARK is a quick-connect payload with a new suite of intelligent mission capabilities for Group 1+ uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS). Providing edge computing for mission-critical applications, ARK enables operators to task a single or multi-vehicle team with mission objectives for fully autonomous execution while operating in communications-contested environments, according to an AV release. ARK also intelligently integrates with distributed groups of dismounted units in a Mobile Ad Hoc Network (MANET) using the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK).
AVACORE, AV’s autonomy software, provides an open framework for uncrewed systems. It features a modular set of interfaces such as autopilots, radios, and sensors, and supports rapid integration with new platforms and applications. ARK also comes preinstalled with SPOTR-Edge, AV’s computer vision software, for onboard detection, classification, localization, and tracking of operationally relevant objects including people, vehicles, aircraft, and maritime vessels, day or night.
“ARK and AVACORE provide enhanced capabilities and critical advantages to warfighters on complex battlefields,” says AV’s Senior Vice President of MacCready Works, Jeff Rodrian. “AVACORE features an intuitive behavior tree approach allowing flexibility for rapid development and adoption of new autonomous missions. This results in smarter systems with reduced cognitive load for warfighters.”
Via the combination of autonomy and computer vision, ARK and AVACORE enable operators to select a wide variety of single or multi-agent capabilities including multi-region search, track and follow, and more.
