Kodiak will get $50 million to develop self-driving reconnaissance autos for the US Army

Kodiak Robotics, the autonomous truck startup, will obtain $49.9 million to assist the US Army develop self-driving autos for reconnaissance, surveillance, and different “high-risk” missions.

The Mountain View, California-based firm, which primarily builds self-driving programs for freight vehicles, will develop the autos for the US Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle program. The collaboration is ready to final 24 months below the settlement with the US Department of Defense, Kodiak says.

The particulars in regards to the sorts of autos that Kodiak says it’ll develop for the military are nonetheless obscure. According to the corporate, “Kodiak will develop autonomous vehicle technology for the Army to navigate complex terrain, diverse operational conditions and GPS-challenged environments, while also providing the Army the ability to remotely operate vehicles when necessary.”

The use of AVs in wartime, for instance, has the potential to “significantly reduce the risk to troops, while giving them greater access to the information they need in the field,” Kodiak provides.

“I started Kodiak because I believe autonomous technology can save lives, and helping the U.S. Army develop driverless vehicles for the most challenging operating environments fits perfectly with that goal,” stated Don Burnette, founder and CEO of Kodiak Robotics, in an announcement.

AVs and the US military-industrial complicated go way back, with driverless expertise getting an enormous increase from the DARPA program a number of a long time in the past. And, in fact, the navy routinely deploys drones and different remotely guided plane and autos in fight zones.

Kodiak has partnerships with Ikea to maneuver freight utilizing autonomous vehicles. The firm just lately accomplished a coast-to-coast commercial run between Florida, Texas, and California. Kodiak’s vehicles function with security drivers behind the wheel, although the vehicles are operated by the corporate’s AV system.