The Gladiator Tactical Unmanned Ground Vehicle (TUGV) will provide the military with a tele-operated unmanned ground vehicle for remote combat tasks, increasing survivability by identifying and neutralizing threats and reducing risk to Marines. Gladiator will provide Marines with remote, unmanned scout, reconnaissance and surveillance while the operator remains concealed at a distance.
Carnegie Mellon University's National Robotics Engineering Consortium (NREC) leads a team that includes BAE Systems as principal subcontractor and teammate. Carnegie Mellon will lead the program as prime contractor, working closely with BAE Systems to draw on its experience in program management, engineering, integration and integrated logistics support tasks as Gladiator development moves toward production and fielding. Carnegie Mellon and BAE Systems will capitalize on the strengths of both organizations to ensure success and a smooth transition to production.
Carnegie Mellon and BAE Systems have established a combined project office in Pittsburgh, co-locating key university and BAE Systems personnel at Carnegie Mellon's NREC. During the production phase, work is planned for BAE Systems' Fayette County, Pa. facility. Ultimately, approximately 200 Gladiator vehicles could be built for the Marine Corps.
The Gladiator TUGV is a high-mobility, tele-operated platform designed to support dismounted infantry and combat engineers operating forward of the main force. It allows the user, and the supported unit, to operate while concealed from hostile action. This enables commanders to pursue aggressive operations while minimizing casualties.
Its rugged hand controller is designed for intuitive quick-response operation. Its open, network-ready architecture readily accommodates future hardware and software improvements.
The same team recently completed a highly successful prototype development program - including mobility and Scout demonstrations - that validated the Carnegie Mellon team design under the ONR development program. The team's Gladiator design meets all key performance parameters; the prototype developed under the recently concluded ONR program already meets many critical requirements.
