MULE soldiers on

The Lockheed Martin Multifunction Utility/Logistics and Equipment (MULE) robotic vehicle’s Engineering Evaluation Unit (EEU) recently reached a major milestone in demonstrating autonomous navigation over complex obstacles.

The EEU autonomously climbed a 76.2cm step and bridged a 1.77m gap without operator intervention, using only parametric descriptions of the obstacles and the vehicle’s self-awareness.

According to Lockheed Martin, this capability exceeds the performance of other high mobility vehicles, such as the HMMWV. Although a smaller vehicle, the MULE is said to be able to address complex obstacles, such the ones used for the demonstration at a testing facility, by employing it’s specialised articulating suspension.

‘We’ve now demonstrated mobility that exceeds the HMMWV or any other small combat vehicle,’ said Joe Zinecker, program manager for the FCS MULE at Lockheed Martin Missiles and Fire Control. ‘The MULE can keep up with dismounted soldiers, and will not be restricted to roads or trails like most other vehicles. We are eager to provide this capability to our soldiers as early as 2013.’