The US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) unveiled its futuristic “Deep Orange 15” ground rescue vehicle at the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering & Technology Symposium (GVSETS) in Novi, Michigan, on Tuesday, August 13.
Students at Clemson University in South Carolina built this ground rescue vehicle, which includes semi-autonomous capabilities.
Student-build Autonomous Rescue Vehicle
Imagine a ground rescue vehicle that can navigate treacherous terrain, autonomously transport injured personnel, and allow medical personnel to focus on providing critical care. This is the vision behind this student-built latest innovation, the Deep Orange 15.
US Army DEVCOM is among the sponsors of this project in collaboration with Clemson’s Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems program (VIPR-GS) under its Department of Automotive Engineering.
The Deep Orange 15 boasts a high-voltage battery, a hybrid powertrain, and a semi-active suspension system, ensuring efficient operation on various terrains.
Rotating passenger seats “to assist victims” and an innovative litter-loading mechanism further streamline the rescue process, allowing medical personnel to attend to casualties with ease.
One of the Deep Orange 15’s most impressive features is its self-driving capability, allowing the human driver to focus on providing medical aid to injured personnel inside the vehicle during transport.
Alternatively, the driver can remain at the scene to assist other casualties while the platform autonomously transports critically injured patients to medical facilities.
The US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) unveiled its futuristic “Deep Orange 15” ground rescue vehicle at the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering & Technology Symposium (GVSETS) in Novi, Michigan, on Tuesday, August 13.
Students at Clemson University in South Carolina built this ground rescue vehicle, which includes semi-autonomous capabilities.
Student-build Autonomous Rescue Vehicle
Imagine a ground rescue vehicle that can navigate treacherous terrain, autonomously transport injured personnel, and allow medical personnel to focus on providing critical care. This is the vision behind this student-built latest innovation, the Deep Orange 15.
US Army DEVCOM is among the sponsors of this project in collaboration with Clemson’s Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems program (VIPR-GS) under its Department of Automotive Engineering.
The Deep Orange 15 boasts a high-voltage battery, a hybrid powertrain, and a semi-active suspension system, ensuring efficient operation on various terrains.
Rotating passenger seats “to assist victims” and an innovative litter-loading mechanism further streamline the rescue process, allowing medical personnel to attend to casualties with ease.
One of the Deep Orange 15’s most impressive features is its self-driving capability, allowing the human driver to focus on providing medical aid to injured personnel inside the vehicle during transport.
Alternatively, the driver can remain at the scene to assist other casualties while the platform autonomously transports critically injured patients to medical facilities.
Beyond traditional combat rescue, the vehicle is optimized for natural disaster relief and reconnaissance missions, such as hurricane or earthquake search and rescue operations.
Its capabilities also extend to off-road terrain rescue, demonstrating its adaptability to a wide spectrum of emergency situations.
A Testament to Collaboration
The Deep Orange 15 is the latest creation under Clemson University’s Deep Orange program, a testament to the power of collaboration between academia and the military.
This program fosters innovation by giving students the opportunity to develop real-world solutions for critical challenges.
The project manager, Anirudda Joshi, highlights the program’s significance, saying, “Deep Orange’s product is not only the vehicle but also the student.”
“It has been an honor to take part in Deep Orange 15. The hands-on engineering experience is beyond anything we would have received from the classroom alone,” he added. “We look forward to sharing what we have created.”
Joshi is one of the automotive engineering master’s students working in this intensive program.
It reportedly took 18 months to conceptualize and build its prototype, which was tailored to the Army’s needs.
Last year, the service also collaborated with Clemson to develop the “Deep Orange 14,” which was an all-terrain urban reconnaissance vehicle.
The Future of Rescue Operations
The Deep Orange 15 represents a significant leap forward in ground rescue technology. By combining human expertise with artificial intelligence, it has the potential to revolutionize emergency response operations. This innovative vehicle promises to save lives and improve the efficiency of rescue missions in the years to come.
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