The US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) recently unveiled a semi-autonomous ground rescue vehicle,named Deep Orange 15. The rescue vehicle was designed by students at Clemson University.
Deep Orange 15 is equipped with advanced technologies designed to address the most challenging scenarios faced during rescue operations, including: a semi-active suspension system that ensures a smooth and stable ride even on rough terrain; an innovative litter-loading mechanism to facilitate the safe and efficient transport of injured individuals; a high-voltage battery that powers a series hybrid powertrain to provide exceptional performance and efficiency; and a rotating passenger seat to assist victims. Importantly, its semi-autonomous operation allows it to perform self-driving functions, freeing the human driver to focus on providing medical care to injured personnel, and enabling it to navigate through debris-strewn areas, autonomously map the terrain, and transport injured individuals to safety.
“The vehicle and two passengers must get to the scene within the golden hour (hour of time in which medical assistance is crucial for survival), create a digital map of the area, and make it back autonomously with the injured person and one passenger while the original driver stays behind at the scene to help others who are in need of assistance,” according to the project’s press release.
The development of Deep Orange 15 was made possible through a collaborative effort, which involved Clemson’s Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems program (VIPR-GS), the US Army’s DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC), and several industry partners, including Brembo, Fox Racing, and North American Rescue.
“Through our digital transformation, virtual prototyping and digital engineering practices will enable us to design ground vehicles from a formations perspective and understand how specific technologies provide warfighting capabilities up-front, long before we go into production decisions,” said David Gorsich, the chief scientist at GVSC.