A new demonstration from US firm AZAK offers a glimpse into how tiny unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) could reshape battlefield logistics.
In newly released footage, the company showed its 500-pound (227-kilogram) robot towing a 53,000-pound (24,040-kilogram) Palletized Load System (PLS) truck.
The robot also hauled an additional 1,000 pounds (454 kilograms) of ammunition, bringing its total towing load to more than 100 times its own weight.
In-Wheel Propulsion
The robot’s pulling capability comes from its propulsion system, with each wheel housing its own motor, battery, gearbox, and control electronics.
Weighing about 86 pounds (39 kilograms), the S26 wheel module measures 26 inches (66 centimeters) in diameter and generates approximately 147 pound-feet of torque per wheel.
Because each wheel is self-powered, AZAK can configure platforms with four, six, or more wheels on a variety of frames, even a wooden log, to increase traction and towing capacity.
In its four-wheel configuration, the platform can carry payloads of up to 1,500 pounds (680 kilograms), allowing it to generate enough traction to pull a stalled multi-ton truck.
“The math seems impossible… notice the large bump in the video? This isn’t a controlled lab test on a flat floor,” the company stated. “We aren’t just building UGVs, we are transforming how the world moves.”
No Ordinary Truck
Built by Oshkosh Defense, the PLS truck serves as the US Army’s primary heavy logistics vehicle for transporting supplies and equipment across the battlefield.
The truck stretches 11 meters (36 feet) long and has a maximum weight of 39,009 kilograms (86,000 pounds).
Operated by a two-person crew, it can carry payloads of up to 14,965 kilograms (32,992 pounds), depending on the configuration.
