Army to fund robotic, AI technology advancement for September 2020 demo

The Army's Maneuver Capabilities Development Integration Directorate is looking to fund the development of robotic technologies to make dismounted infantry platoons more effective and artificial intelligence tools that will allow soldiers to act faster.

Selected vendors will get the chance to demonstrate integrated technologies to Army senior leaders in September 2020 at Ft. Benning, GA, according to a notice posted this week.

The Army is seeking robotic ground, air, water and virtual systems that infantry platoons can use for manned-unmanned teaming, as well as AI tools that can amass data from various sensors in the field to create an "intuitive" picture to aid and accelerate soldier decision-making.

Initial submissions will first be evaluated in an internal tabletop exercise this July so the Army can "assess the benefit versus cost of the candidate technologies."

The Maneuver Battle Lab will then hold a "simulation exercise" this October of technologies selected to move forward from the July event. Additional demos may be held between October 2019 and September 2020.

The notice states the Army will fund contractors chosen through the Defense Mobility Enterprise "to mature technologies for integration" in the 2020 demo.