Remote control self driving kits will be added to the Abrams tank and other General Dynamics armored vehicles

General Dynamics Land Systems, maker of the Abrams tank and the Stryker armored fighting vehicle, is teaming up with Kairos Autonomi, a company whose kits can turn virtually anything with wheels or tracks into a remote-controlled car.

Kairos seat robot that works a car’s controls just as a human would, and can be installed in about 20 minutes. The other leaves the seat free but takes several hours to install. No, it’s not autonomous driving — but it is here today and the military can put it on vehicles it already owns.

The Pronto4™ Uomo installs in less than 10 minutes and weighs less than 50 lbs

Pronto 4 Uomo

The Pronto4™ Agnostic Autonomy System successfully enables optionally unmanned vehicle navigation on the Earth’s surface by providing a universal retrofit kit for existing ground vehicle or surface vessel platforms. This compact, modular-constructed hardware system is capable of installation anywhere in the field in a four-four-four process — a four-person team can install four backpack-sized modules in four hours. With the Pronto4™, you can have a superior, affordable, optionally unmanned solution right now.

The simplicity of the Pronto4™ allows any existing vehicle or vessel with a steering wheel to be retrofitted in the field instead of taking the vehicle out of the field and adapting it in the factory. Also, retrofitting in the field keeps the existing vehicle supply chain in place, leveraging current assets and preventing a replacement of the vehicle. The modular construction of the Pronto4™ permits field component exchange and local storage of auxiliary parts as well. These benefits reduce the total cost of ownership for the vehicle.

Pronto 4

The military has already installed Kairos kits on disposable vehicles to create moving targets for shooting practice. But GDLS is now working to fit them onto heavier combat vehicles

SOURCES – Defense One, Kairos Autonomi, Youtube