Army Tests Robotic, Self-Driving 'Tanks'

The U.S. Army tested robotic, self-driving 20-TON STRYKERS (tanks with tires) recently in preparation for deploying them to Iraq. A vehicle successfully stayed in a 22 mile-per-hour convoy that traveled 100 miles (including 68 right turns). The Strykers use an array of sensors, ladar-laser radar, forward-looking infrared sensors, and advanced computers to handle autonomous navigation. GPS was not used. Trials were conducted by the Robotics Technology Integration Team from the U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research and Development Engineer Center, General Dynamics Corporation and its sub-contractors.