Finnish firm ESOX Group is bringing a quieter approach to autonomous battlefield resupply with the ESOX X2, a new unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) built to carry supplies to forward positions.
Despite weighing 300 kilograms (661 pounds), the UGV can carry an equal payload, with further development potentially doubling its capacity to 600 kilograms (1,323 pounds).
The vehicle uses four independent 7-kilowatt Theron motors integrated into its 12-inch (30.5-centimeter) wheels, enabling a top speed of 30 kilometers (19 miles) per hour.
The electric drive generates minimal heat and noise, reducing the vehicle’s thermal and acoustic signatures and making it harder for enemy sensors to detect.
Power comes from an 8-kilowatt-hour solid-state battery, while the four-motor setup produces 1,000 newton-meters (738 pound-feet) of peak torque.
The ESOX X2 also features independently controlled regenerative braking at each wheel and interchangeable body panels tailored to different missions.
Shaped by Digital Simulation
The X2 connects with ESOX OS, a software layer that allows engineers to build and test the vehicle in a digital simulation before assembling the physical platform.
Engineers can adjust sensor packages, autonomy modes, communications layers, and mission-specific configurations without modifying the vehicle’s core hardware.
Once fielded, the UGV can transmit live telemetry and sensor data while receiving over-the-air software updates to improve performance throughout its service life.
“The X2 … and ESOX OS software are configured into whatever vehicle a mission demands,” said Devan Roberts, vice president of defense programs at ESOX Group.
“Our customers can license the platform and build their own variants on top, using our core technologies in every configuration they need.”
