Episode 209 | Developing and Deploying Autonomous Ground Vehicles with the Military

Corey Clothier, Co-Founder, ARIBO joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss developing and deploying autonomous ground vehicles with the military. 

In this insightful episode, Grayson and Corey explore the rapidly evolving world of autonomous vehicles, with a special focus on military applications and their spillover into commercial sectors. 

The discussion begins with a look at the current state of autonomous vehicles outside the well-known robotaxi market. Corey highlights the diverse applications in mines, ports, terminals, and campus-based environments. He emphasizes that autonomy is far more extensive than just passenger vehicles, touching on crucial areas such as logistics, security, industrial operations and military applications. 

With a background in working with the military on ground autonomy, Corey shares his experiences, detailing projects ranging from autonomous security vehicles to logistics trucks. He discusses the challenges and opportunities in deploying these technologies on military bases and in combat zones, touching on issues like reliability, safety protocols, and regulatory hurdles.

The conversation also delves into the future of autonomy in both military and civilian contexts. Corey predicts a steady growth in adoption and innovation over the next decade, with potential catalysts like competition from China and Tesla’s anticipated entry into the robotaxi market further accelerating development.

Throughout the conversation Grayson and Corey both highlight the interconnectedness of military and commercial autonomous vehicle technologies. 

Wrapping up the conversation, Corey shares his thoughts and insights on emerging trends, particularly in logistics and campus-based autonomous vehicle systems. He emphasizes the need for collaboration, competition, and strong leadership to drive innovation in this rapidly advancing field.

Recorded on Friday, June 21, 2024

Episode Chapters

0:00 Current State of Autonomous Vehicle Market

1:43 Deploying Autonomous Vehicles at Airports

6:12 Autonomous Vehicles on Military Bases 

11:05 Military Collaboration on Autonomy 

16:11 Autonomous Tanks

22:04 Reliability 

26:51 Leader Follower Program

30:25 Opportunities for the Army in Autonomous Vehicles 

34:52 DARPA Grand Challenge 

36:07 Autonomy Evolving Over the Next Decade

42:34 Key Takeaways

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