Polaris off-road vehicles showed up driverless at a recent US Army trial, as three autonomy developers turned standard platforms into uncrewed systems.
At the army’s xTech Edge Strike Ground competition in Germany, Dataspeed, Forterra, and Overland AI each took a different Polaris platform and layered in their own autonomy stacks.
Leading the lineup, Minnesota-based Dataspeed used the MRZR D4 as the base for its Kinetic360 platform, creating a crewless configuration of the ultra-light tactical vehicle.
The setup comes with a by-wire kit that blends software and hardware to reduce integration time while performing across unpredictable battlefield terrain.
The reconfigured MRZR is intended to support military forces with logistics, gathering tactical intel, and evacuating casualties from the battlefield without putting anyone at risk.
Maryland-based Forterra built its LANCER autonomous ground vehicle on Polaris’ RANGER XD 1500, a heavy-duty platform powered by a three-cylinder engine with 110 horsepower.
It comes with the STEELDRIVE automatic transmission system, supporting controlled movement across uneven ground.
Finally, Overland AI paired its OverDrive autonomy software with the RZR XP 1000 Sport to create the ULTRA autonomous platform.
The system is designed to execute aggressive tactical maneuvers while maintaining stability in demanding environments.
Autonomy Under Test
The three platforms were evaluated across logistics and reconnaissance scenarios during the multi-day trial in Vilseck, Germany.
The event also brought together a range of emerging defense technologies focused on uncrewed and autonomous ground systems.
“Polaris vehicles have become force multipliers for expeditionary warfighters worldwide, and the integration of autonomy can expand the roles and capabilities of the vehicles even further,” Polaris Vice President Nick Francis said.
“As a commercial company with high volume production capacity, we are uniquely suited to provide affordable commercial unmanned ground vehicles at scale.”
