Marines Train on Robotic Truck for Future Convoys

By Cheryl Pellerin  American Forces Press Service WASHINGTON, Aug. 18, 2011 - Next week, in a test area just east of Pittsburgh, six Marines will learn to control a robotic truck that may represent the future for logistics convoys, route-clearing missions and other high-risk battlefield operations. Oshkosh Defense presented its TerraMax Unmanned Ground Vehicle technology at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems conference in Washington, D.C., Aug. 18, 2011. Oshkosh courtesy photo  Oshkosh Defense of Wisconsin developed the TerraMax unmanned ground vehicle technology that's integrated into the company's 6x6 medium tactical vehicle replacement. Oshkosh displayed the robotics-enabled vehicle here this week at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems Unmanned Systems North America 2011 conference. On the AUVSI exhibition floor, amid the displays of more than 500 unmanned systems companies, user agencies and organizations, John Beck, Oshkosh Corp.'s chief unmanned systems engineer, spoke with American Forces Press Service. "Most of the ground vehicles that I know of in theater today are remote controlled -- they take a human in the loop 100 percent of the time [to] monitor every motion," Beck said, and to control steering, throttling, braking and other operations. In June, the company received a contract to produce an unmanned cargo vehicle for a Marine Corps initiative called the Cargo UGV, for the unmanned ground vehicle. The company's sponsor is the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory in Quantico, Va. "The idea is to get this autonomous system into theater eventually for all sorts of different reasons," Beck said, "for convoy logistics missions, for route-clearance missions and for some of the combat reconnaissance and patrol missions." The goal of the Marine Corps program, he added, is to integrate unmanned systems into manned convoys, then to understand and develop concepts of operations and tactics, techniques and procedures for using autonomous vehicles on the battlefield. Oshkosh has experience in theater; the company builds all the heavy and medium tactical vehicles and most of the mine-resistant, ambush protected vehicles – known as MRAPs -- the Defense Department uses, Beck said. The company has worked on autonomous systems for medium and heavy tactical vehicles since 2003, the chief engineer said, "because we saw this as an emerging technology that we wanted to participate in." A year later, Oshkosh entered the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency's Grand Challenge, a driverless car competition held in the Mojave Desert in 2004. "We made it about two miles or so," Beck said. "Nobody finished that one." The company entered another vehicle in the 2005 Grand Challenge, a 6x6 MTVR like the TerraMax truck on display at AUVSI, Beck said, and was one of the finishers. "At the time it was the smallest truck we built, but it was the largest one [entered in the DARPA challenge] and the only tactically relevant vehicle in the competition." In 2007, DARPA held an urban challenge and another Oshkosh MTVR, this time a 4x4, entered the competition. "Those were interesting challenges in that they were completely unmanned and totally autonomous," Beck said. "So we started from there, and now are back-stepping into how you would use [autonomous vehicles] in a tactical environment and in real logistics missions." The team works on challenging problems like helping the truck deal with big slopes and grades, but they also focus on the robot's ability to perceive and understand the environment. The truck has to understand trees, rocks and roads and where it should be driving. It has to be able to operate in environments with limited Global Positioning System access. "It's not very difficult to do those types of things in structured environments like today's highways with lane markings and curbs and K-rail [barriers]," Beck said. "But when you get into more austere and primitive environments, it gets much more challenging." Seeing through dust, rain and snow is another challenge, the chief engineer said. For such things the truck has a range of sensors, including lidar, for light detection and ranging, electro-optical sensors, automotive radars, near-infrared cameras and many others. "Without perception," Beck said, "your autonomy can fall apart pretty quickly." Oshkosh recently completed its first limited technical assessment for TerraMax, he added, "which got us through all kinds of little wickets -- obstacle avoidance, operating in dust and dealing with graded slopes and vegetation." Next week in Pennsylvania, Beck said, the team will teach Marines how to use the truck's operator control unit and rotate them through the command-and-control and other vehicles. The Marines, he said, will define missions for the unmanned system, monitor its progress, help it out if it needs guidance and supervise the autonomous operation of a mission. "Part of the second phase of the program will be to have two unmanned trucks operated from one operator control unit," Beck said. "One operator in a manned vehicle somewhere within the column can monitor the progress of two autonomous vehicles. If they get into trouble the operator can help reroute them." Eventually, Beck said, he thinks it will be possible for trucks to operate autonomously in places like Afghanistan where infrastructure is limited. "There are plenty of hard problems to deal with, where you get into unstructured and dynamic environments," the chief engineer said. "All sorts of questions need to be answered as to how you want the vehicle to operate." A driver might not stop at every stop sign or obey all the traffic rules in a hostile environment, Beck added. "Making the robot intelligent enough to make those types of decisions is a little ways out," he said. Asymmetric warfare drives the need for vehicles that are increasingly autonomous, Beck said, adding that the first vehicles might be autonomous but have a driver behind the wheel who can focus on other things besides driving the truck, like looking out for roadside bombs. "They'll probably start out with limited, proven amounts of technology and active safety, ... like adaptive cruise control, and those capabilities will start rolling into and enabling autonomous operation," the chief scientist said. "As the capabilities get better and the environment is understood enough so you can run these [trucks] without people in the cab, that's what will happen, especially in very high-risk areas," he added. "I think that's when they'll start running vehicles autonomously," Beck said, "because it's less of a risk to human life."

Related Sites: Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International 2011 Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory

Killing of Brazilian Judge Exposes Police Corruption

City’s profound problems with police corruption and organized crime

Washington, D.C.: The killing of a judge by gunmen near Rio de Janeiro highlights the city’s profound problems with police corruption and organized crime, Amnesty International said today. 
Judge Patrícia Acioli was in her car outside her home in Niterói, across the bay from Rio de Janeiro on the night of Thursday, August 11, when hooded gunmen approached in several vehicles and shot her 21 times at close range, according to initial forensic reports. 
An investigation is under way to determine who was behind the attack, but Acioli had received threats from police officers and criminal gangs, and her name had been on a list of 12 people, including other judges and prosecutors, marked for death by a local militia group run by former police officers. Because of previous threats, she had been placed under police protection for a time, but this was withdrawn in 2007. 
"Patrícia Acioli’s brutal killing exposes a deeply troubling situation where corruption and organized crime are controlling large areas of life in parts of Rio de Janeiro today," said Patrick Wilcken, Brazil researcher at Amnesty International. "The killing of a judge who was simply carrying out her duty has dealt a blow to the rule of law and the judicial system in Brazil. The authorities must undertake a thorough and independent investigation to bring those responsible to justice." 
"But they must do much more," added Wilcken. "The federal, state and municipal authorities must put in place coordinated measures to root out organized crime in the city, while providing adequate protection for those involved in the investigation and prosecution of corrupt police officers and criminal gangs." 
Acioli was known as an uncompromising judge who had long investigated cases of police involvement in death squads, militias and drug gangs operating in Rio de Janeiro’s metropolitan region. Over the past decade she had sentenced around 60 police officers involved in death squads and militia groups – mafias that use violence and extortion to intimidate and exert control over communities.   
In late 2008, Rio de Janeiro’s state parliament led an inquiry aimed at combating the militia groups. 
Despite more than 500 arrests of militia members and high profile trials of corrupt police officers since then, little has been done to tackle the illegal economic activities that fuel these groups. 
"The police, municipal and state authorities are turning a blind eye to the vast networks of militia-run transport, gas and telecommunication services which continue to operate with impunity across Rio," said Wilcken. 
"An important step in combating the power of organized crime in Rio de Janeiro should be the full implementation of the recommendations of the 2008 Parliamentary Inquiry into the militias, which Patrícia Acioli herself supported," said Wilcken. "This includes clamping down on the black economy that sustains and entrenches police corruption and organized crime."
Amnesty International is a Nobel Peace Prize-winning grassroots activist organization with more than 3 million supporters, activists and volunteers in more than 150 countries campaigning for human rights worldwide. The organization investigates and exposes abuses, educates and mobilizes the public, and works to protect people wherever justice, freedom, truth and dignity are denied. 

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Joy of freedom enjoyed at CMC

CMC LUDHIANA CELEBRATED 15 AUGUST IN TRUE SPIRIT

Ludhiana, :: The 65^th Independence Day celebrations were celebrated in a grand way at Christian Medical College Ludhiana, yesterday at 9:00 am at the College campus of CMC.  Earlier there was a special service conducted at the College Chapel led byRev. Stanley Thomas, to thank God for the freedom we received as a Nation and all those who made it possible.   Dr. George Koshy, Registrar and Vice Principal of the Christian Dental College exhorted from the Holy Bible that God blesses the Nation which builds on righteousness.
The Chief Guest of the occasion was Brig. M. George Jacob, Station Commander for the Army Unit at Ludhiana.  During the occasion the Chief Guest took the salute from the march past led by the students of all the five colleges of the institution and security personnel.  Dr. Abraham G. Thomas, Director of CMC Ludhiana welcomed the gathering and reminded  everyone present that CMC Ludhiana had played a critical role in the freedom struggle and  it is important to carry on the legacy of our fore-fathers with dedication and perseverance.Chief Guest of the occasion Brig. M. George Jacob said during his Independence Day address that CMC Ludhiana is an institution of national importance and he encouraged all the students to be good citizens and to carry on with passion.  He also highlighted how different sections of the society played a key role in our freedom struggle. 

After this students of the various colleges of CMC presented a cultural programme depicting the various facets of our freedom struggle through songs, dance and choreography.  This years Independence Day celebrations were co-ordinated by Christian Dental College.