TerraMax-equipped MTVR successfully completes U.S. Marine Corps` first limited technical assessment

OSHKOSH, Wis. -- Oshkosh Defense, a division of Oshkosh Corporation (NYSE:OSK), will present its TerraMax™ Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) technology at the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International (AUVSI) Unmanned Systems 2011, hosted August 16-19 in Washington, D.C. The TerraMax technology recently completed its first limited technical assessment for the U.S. Marine Corps Cargo UGV initiative, and Oshkosh will soon begin training Marines to independently conduct autonomous convoy missions for evaluation.

The Cargo UGV program utilizes an Oshkosh Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) equipped with Oshkosh’s TerraMax UGV technology, resulting in an unmanned vehicle that has the potential to increase operator’s situational awareness, or reduce Warfighters’ exposure to lethal attacks. The Cargo UGV program is sponsored by the Marine Corps Warfighting Laboratory (MCWL) and the Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise (JGRE) Robotics Technology Consortium (RTC).

“The first limited technical assessment of Oshkosh’s TerraMax technology on the MTVR involved numerous tests and successful results, including obstacle avoidance, leader-follower behavior, GPS-denied operation and water crossings,” said John Beck, chief unmanned systems engineer for Oshkosh Corporation. “We are excited to be getting this technology into the hands of the Marines next week, when we train them to operate the system and gain their valuable feedback on its performance in a tactical environment.”

Accomplishments achieved during the Cargo UGV program’s first limited technical assessment included:

• Completion of more than six miles of driving without GPS input

• Successful avoidance of all obstacles

• Successful tracking of a variety of cooperative and non-cooperative vehicles

Oshkosh has advanced its TerraMax technology to deliver high performing road-following behavior, even in the absence of GPS. Oshkosh is incorporating short-range radars to provide 360-degree close-proximity obstacle detection and avoidance, which will allow a TerraMax-equipped vehicle to operate safely around pedestrians and in traffic, even in dusty conditions. Oshkosh received a contract for the Cargo UGV initiative in June 2010.

The Oshkosh TerraMax UGV technology is designed to retain a vehicle’s original payload and performance capabilities. Designed as a scalable kit, it can be integrated on vehicles, including those built by other manufacturers, as they are produced or retrofitted on existing vehicle fleets. The TerraMax technology can function in the same weather conditions and operating environments as manned vehicles, requiring minimal human interaction and operator training.