By Ann Roosevelt
The three day final competition began Saturday on Salisbury Plain for the teams of highly autonomous vehicles competing in the Ministry of Defence’s Grand Challenge, a way to find new defense suppliers and investors.
The Grand Challenge, launched in 2006, called for teams from across the United Kingdom to come up with the small highly autonomous vehicles that could provide the winning edge on the battlefield, able to identify threats encountered by U.K. troops on overseas operations, such as marksmen, vehicles mounted with heavy weapons, roadside bombs and armed militia (Defense Daily, Oct. 18, 2006).
The U.S. Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency has held three similar Grand Challenge events awarding cash prizes for technologically advanced and successful autonomous ground vehicles competing in different scenarios (Defense Daily, Aug. 10, 2007).
The three-day MoD science and technology competition finals began Aug. 16. The winner will be announced Aug. 19, weather permitting.
In May 2007, 23 teams applied to enter the competition, 14 were selected to start, and 11 made it to the finals this month and are undergoing rigorous safety checks.
Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor said: “The Grand Challenge is one of a number of MoD initiatives to develop new defence technologies. The U.K. has a world-class track-record in scientific excellence, and we want to draw on all of the expertise that is out there–from box room inventors just starting out, to the largest defence firms.
Competing individually, each team will have one hour to send their flying and ground vehicles into Copehill Down, a village on Salisbury Plain specifically built by the military for urban warfare training.
A team of judges will award points for how the vehicles perform in identifying threats and relaying the information back to team members via sophisticated communications systems–with actors and props stretching teams to the limit by blurring the lines between innocent bystanders and armed militia.
The MoD is funding six teams, which comprise 17 small and medium enterprises, seven universities and two schools, to open up the competition to the broadest range of participants from across the country. The other five teams have entered with their own funding.
The winner of the competition will be awarded the R.J Mitchell Trophy–named after the designer of the Spitfire airplane that earned legendary status for its role in the Battle of Britain. The trophy is made from aluminum alloy from one of the few remaining Spitfires. In addition, prizes will be awarded for the “most innovative idea” and “best use of national talent.”
After the competition, the MoD will consider if the technologies demonstrated could be in corporated as future equipment for the armed forces.
Potentially, the winning team could have come up with a product that could be rapidly developed, or, perhaps no single system would solve today’s problems. Thus, MoD might consider combining elements of a number of systems to potentially offer rapid technical solutions for front line military personnel.
Nine of the initial 11 teams advanced to the competition final:
Barnard Microsystems: A small London-based business owned by Joe Barnard, using model helicopters as unmanned air vehicles (UAVs).
Team I-Spy: Students from Middlesex University will be competing with a light weight “tricopter” capable of hovering and perching whilst surveying the area of interest.
Mindsheet: A small Hampshire-based business, using four unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) fitted with thermal imaging and motion detectors.
Mira: Comprising MIRA, ERA Technologies, BAE Systems, GFS Projects, University of Warwick and pupils from Royal Grammar School, Guildford, this team will compete with two “flying saucer” like UAVs fitted with infrared cameras and laser scanners.
Silicon Valley: Will use a combination of vehicles including a remote controlled UAV, a glider and two “Moonbuggy”‘ UGVs. Team members are drawn from Silicon Valley Group, IDUS Consultancy Ltd, Smith Engineering (GB) Ltd (UGV designers Cumbria), Kingston University, University of Reading and Bruton School for Girls.
Stellar: Comprising Stellar Research Services Ltd, Blue Bear Systems Research Ltd, SELEX Sensors and Airborne Systems, Cranfield University, Marshall SV Systems Design Group and TRW Conekt, this team will use a high-level UAV, up to six medium-level UAVs and a UGV guided autonomously by mission planning software.
Swarm Systems: Will compete using a “swarm”‘ of four-rotor micro aerial vehicles (MAVs) called “Owls,” with team members drawn from Swarm Systems Ltd, University of Essex, University of Surrey, Orrcam Ltd, Ardware Ltd and Scarzon Ltd.
Thales Team: Team members from Thales and the universities of Reading, Cranfield, Exeter and Loughborough and three schools from the Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics Network (STEMNET) will use commercially available helicopters and two custom built ground vehicles equipped with audio, visual and thermal imaging sensors and laser range finder to detect potential threats.
Team Tumbleweed: Members of the University of Manchester, AV-I Ltd, BAE Systems and MBDA has designed a small six-rotor lightweight UAV, with rotors held in a circular frame and fitted with visual and infra-red sensors.
Two of the initial 11 teams suffered technical problems and could not proceed: Cortex: Sponsored by QinetiQ, this team of graduates and recently qualified engineers has designed a two-rotor, highly maneuverable and lightweight winged unmanned air vehicle capable of vertical take-off, landing and hovering.
Team Locust: Members of Advanced New Technologies (ANT) Scientific Ltd., Portsmouth University and Satmap Systems will offer pocket-sized, lightweight and easily transportable foam UAVs.