The companies are collaborating on the
development of an uncrewed military vehicle intended for advanced
terrain environments and designed without space for a
driver
HUNT
VALLEY, Md. and MOUNTAIN VIEW,
Calif., May 20, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- Textron
Systems Corporation, a Textron Inc. (NYSE: TXT)
company, a leading developer of crewed and uncrewed
military ground vehicles, and Kodiak Robotics,
Inc., a leading self-driving technology
developer for the trucking and defense markets, announced today
that they are collaborating to develop an autonomous military
ground vehicle specifically designed for driverless operations.
Through this collaboration, Kodiak will integrate its
industry-leading autonomous system, the Kodiak Driver,
into a Textron Systems prototype, purpose-built uncrewed
military vehicle. This collaboration also marks
Kodiak's first integration of its autonomous technology into
a vehicle designed without space for a human driver.
Textron Systems has extensive experience in developing air, land
and sea vehicles. The collaboration between the company, a leader
in military ground vehicles, and Kodiak, a dual-use autonomous
driving company for military and commercial applications,
represents a unique model for bringing cutting-edge artificial
intelligence (AI) powered, autonomous technologies to military
customers. It also demonstrates the readiness of the Kodiak Driver
for driverless operations as well as its adaptability to a diverse
range of vehicle types, both on- and off-road.
The system being developed by the companies will operate using
the same core technology that's embedded within Kodiak's autonomous
long-haul trucks, which have been validated across nearly 3 million
miles of real-world operations. The vehicle will also feature
Kodiak DefensePods, an adapted version of Kodiak's modular,
swappable SensorPods, designed for military use. DefensePods are
pre-calibrated, pre-built hardware enclosures that include the
sensors necessary for autonomous driving. A technician without
specialized training can swap out a DefensePod in the field in 10
minutes or less.
"Textron Systems has designed, developed and manufactured
military ground vehicle systems for decades. Joining forces with
Kodiak allows us to bring cutting-edge autonomous technology to our
industry-leading uncrewed military ground vehicle systems,
progressing the functionality, adaptability, reliability and
ruggedness of our technologies," said Textron Systems' David Phillips, Senior Vice President, Land and
Sea Systems. "Integrating our vehicle with Kodiak's AI-powered
autonomy software and pioneering modular DefensePods represents a
major step forward in delivering a mission-ready autonomous
system."
The companies intend to integrate Kodiak's technology into the
Textron Systems uncrewed military vehicle and demonstrate
driverless operations later in 2024. Afterwards, Textron Systems
and Kodiak intend to jointly explore future opportunities with both
the U.S. DoD and the militaries of other allied nations, as they
look to accelerate automation into military ground vehicles.
Deploying uncrewed vehicles to perform high-risk and complex tasks
in the field will assist the U.S. military in removing servicemen
and women from harm's way, while enhancing national security.
"The future of autonomous military ground vehicles is dual-use
technology developers like Kodiak working with industry leaders
like Textron Systems," said Don
Burnette, founder and CEO, Kodiak. "Collaborating with
Textron Systems will allow us to showcase the capabilities of
Kodiak's AI-powered, driverless technology in military, off-road
environments. Together, we can bring new capabilities to ground
systems, supporting the warfighter at the speed of relevance."
Kodiak's collaboration with Textron Systems builds on the
company's expansion to diversify applications of the Kodiak Driver
for military vehicles. In December
2023, Kodiak unveiled its first autonomous test vehicle
designed specifically for the DoD, a Ford F-150 upfit with Kodiak's
autonomous technology.
Textron Systems has over three decades of experience in uncrewed
land, air and sea systems, from design to integration to
production. Having supported multiple military programs of record,
Textron Systems builds on a mature, proven history in supporting
the DoD and our allies. By collaborating with Kodiak, Textron
Systems gains access to industry-leading autonomy capabilities,
alongside its deep expertise in crewed and uncrewed vehicles.
About Kodiak Robotics, Inc.
Kodiak Robotics, Inc. was founded in 2018 and has become the
trusted world leader in autonomous ground transportation committed
to a safer and more efficient future for all. The company is
developing an industry-leading artificial intelligence (AI) powered
technology stack purpose-built for driverless military and
long-haul trucking applications. Kodiak's unique modular hardware
approach integrates sensors into a streamlined sensor-pod structure
that optimizes for perception, scalability, and maintainability.
The company delivers freight daily for its customers across the
South, using its autonomous technology. Kodiak also leverages its
commercial self-driving software to develop, test and deploy
autonomous capabilities for the U.S. Department of Defense. Learn
more about Kodiak on the web at kodiak.ai, and
on LinkedIn and Twitter. You can find the company press
kit HERE.
About Textron Systems
Textron Systems is a world leader in uncrewed air, surface and
land products, services and support founded on the combined
expertise in our family of brands that includes Textron Systems,
Howe & Howe, Lycoming, and ATAC. We harness the unlimited power
of teamwork to solve incredible problems across seven specialized
domains: air, land, sea, propulsion, weapon systems, electronic
systems and test, training & simulation. From product
development and manufacturing to training, operations and support,
we integrate and offer ingenious and advanced solutions to support
defense, aerospace, and other customer missions. For more
information, visit www.textronsystems.com.
About Textron Inc.
Textron Inc. is a multi-industry company that leverages its
global network of aircraft, defense, industrial and finance
businesses to provide customers with innovative solutions and
services. Textron is known around the world for its powerful brands
such as Bell, Cessna, Beechcraft, Pipistrel, Jacobsen, Kautex,
Lycoming, E-Z-GO, Arctic Cat, and Textron Systems. For more
information, visit: www.textron.com.
Forward-Looking Information
Certain statements in this press release are forward-looking
statements which may project revenues or describe strategies,
goals, outlook or other non-historical matters; these statements
speak only as of the date on which they are made, and we undertake
no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements.
These statements are subject to known and unknown risks,
uncertainties, and other factors that may cause our actual results
to differ materially from those expressed or implied by such
forward-looking statements, including, but not limited to, the
efficacy of research and development investments to develop new
products or unanticipated expenses or delays in connection with the
launching of significant new products or programs; our ability to
keep pace with our competitors in the introduction of new products
and upgrades with features and technologies desired by our
customers; and risks related to U.S. Government contracts as
described in our filings with the Securities and Exchange
Commission.
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SOURCE Kodiak Robotics