The US Army is on the hunt for the next generation of decontamination robots.
The service is reaching out to industry partners for insights into autonomous air and ground systems that could handle chemical and biological cleanup operations more efficiently and safely than ever before.
Called the Autonomous Decontamination System (ADS), the platform should be able to rid vehicles, buildings, and terrain of hazardous contamination and keep soldiers out of harm’s way.
Contractors are asked to outline how their systems can detect chemicals, apply neutralizing agents with precision, rinse affected areas, and verify that surfaces are fully decontaminated — all while operating autonomously.
They must also specify the navigation capabilities of their proposed ADS, whether they rely on GPS, cameras, or other sensors.
Freeing Up Human Staff
The army said the goal is to eventually deploy robots on labor-intensive cleanup tasks, freeing soldiers for other critical missions and lowering the logistical burden of these operations.
Systems should be deployable from standard military trucks, with the potential to integrate directly onto vehicles for rapid field use.
The service clarified that its notice is a market survey and not a contract opportunity yet.
Interested companies must submit their proposals by February 20.
