Voice command could soon let Australian armored vehicle crews orchestrate teams of autonomous systems operating alongside them on the battlefield.
That capability is at the center of a new teaming agreement between Rheinmetall Defence Australia and Breaker to bring human-machine teaming to armored vehicles.
Under the effort, Breaker’s tactical orchestration agent will be integrated into the Australian Boxer Combat Reconnaissance Vehicle (CRV) through its open architecture.
The setup will allow Boxer crews to task and coordinate autonomous systems while keeping their hands on the vehicle’s primary controls.
This combination of crewed and uncrewed platforms could extend the vehicle’s reach, give crews greater situational awareness, and boost battlefield effectiveness while keeping them safer.
“This partnership shows how important it is… to deliver capability at the speed of relevance,” said Michael Irwin, co-founder and co-chief executive officer of Breaker.
“Warfighters at the frontline need autonomy the most, and they have it the least. Our mission is to change that.”
Voice-Controlled Drone Swarm
The companies integrated the software into a simulator within weeks before demonstrating the capability to the customer.
With less than 30 minutes of training, a single operator inside the Boxer used a standard microphone and headset to command a drone swarm while carrying out regular missions.
The demonstration showed how a vehicle crew could control autonomous systems without taking their attention away from their primary tasks.
“Integrating platforms with autonomy solutions is about enhancing crew survivability and mission effectiveness,” said Nathan Poyner, managing director of Rheinmetall Defence Australia.
“What we’ve been able to demonstrate with Breaker, after only six months of working together, is a Boxer operator controlling autonomous systems with their voice, as they would talk to any member of their crew.”
