From Business Insider · Jake Epstein · · 1m 20s
Ukraine builds homemade robot buggies for winter supply runs
Kyiv tests locally made remote-controlled vehicles to resupply troops safely as winter approaches and foreign options prove costly and limited.
In brief
Kyiv tests locally made remote-controlled vehicles to resupply troops safely as winter approaches and foreign options prove costly and limited. Ukraine is testing homemade remote-controlled buggies to supply troops this winter, replacing foreign vehicles that are expensive and lack remote capabilities. Originally…
Ukraine tests homemade robot buggies
Kyiv disclosed Friday that it held closed trials of remotely controlled off-road buggies made by local manufacturers with the GUR military intelligence agency.
Winter supply challenge drives development
Ukraine's military needs affordable, fast, mobile vehicles for winter logistics. Existing ground robots are slow and struggle in snow and mud.
“As winter approaches, Ukraine's military needs affordable, fast, and highly mobile vehicles that can operate both with a driver and remotely.”
Foreign buggies have costly limitations
Ukrainian forces have used foreign-made lightweight buggies for assaults and logistics, but they suffer from high costs, weak remote controls, and battlefield shortcomings.
Brave1 backs local buggy manufacturers
Brave1, Ukraine's state-backed innovation platform, has provided grants to more than half the country's buggy developments and works with makers on remote operation.
“Our goal is to build a fully-fledged Ukrainian buggy market.”
Manufacturers refine designs after trials
Following the closed trials, buggy makers are tweaking their vehicles based on feedback received during testing under battlefield conditions.
Next step is mass deployment
Brave1 will collaborate with Ukraine's defense ministry to scale deployment of these vehicles on the battlefield, moving toward a more robotic front line.
“We are steadily moving toward a more robotic front line, and keeping our service members out of harm's way.”
The one thing
Ukraine is testing homemade remote-controlled buggies to supply troops this winter, replacing foreign vehicles that are expensive and lack remote capabilities.
