Cyborg Dynamics to develop unmanned combat vehicle

The federal government has awarded a $3.3 million contract to a Brisbane robotics and AI company to develop an unmanned combat vehicle.

Announcing the grant to Cyborg Dynamics the minister for defence industry Melissa Price said the weapon would be ‘the likes of which has never been made in Australia’.

Cyborg Dynamics’ innovation will integrate an array of supporting Australian technologies into a modular, robotic platform, which if successful, could enhance the load carriage, fire support capabilities and protection of dismounted soldiers.

According to Price the Queensland company will also explore on-board AI target recognition and advanced driving technologies that could allow for single person operation.

This would enable the all-terrain platform to improve in-field soldier capabilities and lethality, ultimately reducing operator risk by providing a robotic-assisted force.

Previously Cyborg Dynamics has developed the Warfighter UGV (pictured) which is claimed to be the world’s lightest UGV to effectively fire a 50 calibre weapon.

The contract to develop a ‘semi-autonomous Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)’ came from the Defence Innovation Hub.

Price said: “Truly cutting-edge innovation could provide leading capabilities and better protection for the Australian Defence Force.”

She said the investment in innovation was critical to ensuring Defence maintains a capability advantage as Australia’s strategic environment continues to rapidly evolve.

Picture: Cyborg Dynamics

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