SEATTLE, April 03, 2024 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Overland AI, a company that develops artificial intelligence (AI) and robotics for autonomous navigation and transportation, announced the startup has received a prototype Other Transaction (OT) agreement from the U.S. Army and the Defense Innovation Unit (DIU). The 24-month award calls for Overland AI to join the Ground Vehicle Autonomous Pathways (GVAP) program to develop a prototype autonomy stack for the U.S. Army’s Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV).
Experts from the U.S. Army and DIU selected Overland AI, along with Anduril Industries and Palantir Technologies, to begin prototyping for the Robotic Combat Vehicle’s Software Pathways line of effort. While the other contractors will focus on developing systems integration software, Overland AI will adapt its proven OverDrive solution to prototype autonomous vehicles capable of traversing complex terrain in contested areas without GPS support. This adds to the impressive portfolio of existing users of OverDrive, including the United States Marine Corps and DARPA.
“This award will allow us to refine our industry-leading off-road autonomous navigation system. Moreover, it will power self-driven vehicles capable of navigating the most complex rigorous terrain,” said Byron Boots, co-founder and CEO of Overland AI. “Our mission is to eliminate risk to humans by using robot-controlled vehicles for high-risk situations. There is no reason to risk a soldier’s life when a robot can do the job just as well.”
Overland AI’s OverDrive, a mature and proven software, can be installed in any vehicle for autonomous navigation off-road. OverDrive can navigate through rugged terrain, including complex off-road terrain and topography without trails. Unlike other self-driving systems that only operate on highways and dirt roads. It can also contend with a wide variety of difficult conditions, including sand, brush, ice, mud, etc., at operationally-relevant speeds.
OverDrive can operate in any rugged and contested environment, including areas with limited or no communications. OverDrive uses passive sensors to avoid detection. It doesn’t need pre-mapped routes since it uses on-board sensors to interpret the surrounding terrain in real time. Service members and users can leverage OverDrive to remotely summon an OverDrive-powered vehicle from miles away without defining the path.
The GVAP project seeks to leverage commercial technology to advance the adoption of autonomous vehicles for the Army. Moreover, it aims to extend the reach of Army formations and reduce the risk to soldiers conducting high-risk operations.
Overland AI boasts a diverse team of deep tech veterans from Google, NVIDIA, and Apple. The team also includes self-driving engineers from Waymo, Aurora Innovation, Embark Trucks, and Argo AI, as well as software developers who have worked on mission critical solutions for the most challenging environments at SpaceX, RTX, and the U.S. Army. Moreover, Overland AI delivers state-of-the-art robotics and autonomous vehicle solutions for any terrain and any conditions.
