Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV)

ASEI once again showed off it’s capabilities by creating a working UGV (unmanned ground vehicle) prototype out of a Polaris ACE.

ASEI’s UGV team, headed by up-and-coming superstar program manager Ryan Elbert, managed to design and create a “UGV package” capable of turning any 4-wheeled ATV/UTV into an unmanned vehicle capable of operating in GPS-denied environments. The Cooperative Enabled Remoted-Based Ruggedized Unmanned System, known as CERBERUS, is a fully functional prototype UGV package that ASEI’s engineers and technicians built and programmed in under 90 days using available resources at the time. The fruits of their labors have already generated some buzz in the unmanned air and ground systems community as corporate giants such as Teledyne® have begun to reach out to ASEI showing substantial interest in the program.

CERBERUS is compatible with Command and Control (C2) platforms and provides live video feed, GPS, and communications from its location to a host. As an independent battery-operated system, CERBERUS comes ready for installation requiring only minor modifications to current ATV/UTV’s. The current ecosystem for this package is comprised of five parts:

• Vehicle Control Interface
  • Motors that control throttle, brake, steering, and transmission using a microcontroller
• Mission Control Interface
  • Onboard embedded system receiving commands from C2 and data from Vehicle Control Interface for control, guidance, comms, and video
• C2
  • Ground station that communicates with CERBERUS from a secure location using a data link.
• Virtual Cockpit
  • Laptop loaded with C2 mission software, live video display, comms, and a controller for operator interface
• Navigation
  • ATACNAV for high accuracy A-PNT capable of performing in GPS-degraded and GPS-denied environments

What makes ASEI’s UGV standout from the competition is its onboard Advanced Tactical Navigator (ATACNAV), which is exclusive to the ASEI brand. Over 500 ATACNAV’s have been sold individually and are in operation all over the world. Each one works by producing a pseudo-GPS signal that always knows its location, regardless of where it is. This ensures that CERBERUS can operate in environments other UGV’s can’t.

With the US military declaring the importance of UGV’s in maintaining military superiority and commercial companies switching to unmanned and autonomous systems, ASEI president and chief engineer Michael Esneul decided to showcase the talents of ASEI by challenging them to create their own unique unmanned ground system. Whether its military applications such as search and rescue, reconnaissance, and base patrol or commercial applications such as firefighting, nuclear plant operations, farming, or even cattle herding…UGV’s are the way of the future. Because when nobody can get it done, send in no body. Send in CERBERUS.