Video of the week: DARPA display shows future of combat vehicles

On show are Phase 2 contract winners from DARPA’s Ground X-Vehicle Technologies (GXV-T) program, including Qinetiq’s electric in-hub motor which is said to give combat vehicles heightened acceleration and manoeuvrability 'with optimal torque, traction, power, and speed over rough or smooth terrain'. Shape shifting wheels also made it through to the demonstrations that were given in May, 2018 at the US Army’s Aberdeen Test Centre in Maryland.

Through GXV-T, DARPA is looking for combat vehicles that ‘could traverse up to 95 per cent of off-road terrain, including slopes and various elevations’. Included in the montage are vehicles that address crew augmentation with ‘multiple on-board sensors and technologies to provide high-resolution, 360-degree situational awareness while keeping the vehicle enclosed.’

“We’re looking at how to enhance survivability by buttoning up the cockpit and augmenting the crew through driver-assistance aids,” said Major Amber Walker, program manager for GXV-T. “For mobility, we’ve taken a radically different approach by avoiding armour and developing options to move quickly and be agile over all terrain.”