Dr. Spontaneous
Oshkosh F(A)CT
In the early 2020s, the United States Department of Defense began studies to determine where the future of American security lies. Part of this undertaking involved studying rising technologies and addressing the threats and opportunities they would purportedly generate. One of the key players therein was automation, both of information systems and actual physical platforms. To extrapolate--and if the experts are to be believed--automation would offer the ability to streamline logistics, keep C4ISR assets synchronized in real time, keep warfighters further removed from danger and tedium, and generally make the audacious undertaking of war less taxing on humans themselves. Running with this idea, the Army published the Army Evolved 2040 initiative which signaled the branch's intention to integrate cutting edge technologies of all sorts: Robotics, AI, railguns, energy weapons, etc. To say defense firms were over the moon at this announcement would be an understatement and a half.
Indeed, many firms began producing private ventures in an attempt to cultivate the sustained attention of the Army until the golden date of 2040. An example of this is the Oshkosh Corporation's Future (Autonomous) Cargo Truck [or F(A)CT], an optionally-manned cargo vehicle capable of taxiing supplies to and fro of its own accord. To achieve this, Oshkosh partnered with the growing self-driving technology company, Waymo, to integrate off-the-shelf sensors and software capable of following designated routes and/or mapping terrain when obstacles arise. Typically, when the F(A)CT is operating in autonomous mode, the cab is folded down and the sensor suite comes to life. As an added bonus, the collapsible cab allows the F(A)CT to be easily transported by aircraft or tucked away aboard ships.
Furthermore, when given a mission, an unmanned F(A)CT is often fed a pre-designed route to follow. This route can be updated at any point via datalink and the truck will naturally set down its new path. Alternatively, the F(A)CT can use a designated database to create and map its own route as the crow flies. The terrain-mapping sensors atop the cab are key to this task. Additionally, they can also supplement allied ISR operations as the F(A)CT continues about its business. When manned, the truck's cab is naturally unpacked. What's more, any unmanned vehicles remaining in the caravan can slave themselves to a designated (often manned vehicle), thereby reducing the manpower necessary to keep landborne supply chains operational. This latter bit is consistent with the aims of the Army Evolved 2040 initiative as the US Army seeks to counterbalance demographic and manpower concerns by pulling able-bodied persons from the rear and closer to the frontlines. Why waste tactical brainpower fiddling with trucks when you can let bots do the work? Additionally, as the USR expands its martial zone of exclusivity in the Pacific, allied outposts are likely to be isolated. Thus, maintaining as many hands on deck is a dire necessity. And this is exactly what Oshkosh aims to achieve with the F(A)CT.
Oshkosh F(A)CT
In the early 2020s, the United States Department of Defense began studies to determine where the future of American security lies. Part of this undertaking involved studying rising technologies and addressing the threats and opportunities they would purportedly generate. One of the key players therein was automation, both of information systems and actual physical platforms. To extrapolate--and if the experts are to be believed--automation would offer the ability to streamline logistics, keep C4ISR assets synchronized in real time, keep warfighters further removed from danger and tedium, and generally make the audacious undertaking of war less taxing on humans themselves. Running with this idea, the Army published the Army Evolved 2040 initiative which signaled the branch's intention to integrate cutting edge technologies of all sorts: Robotics, AI, railguns, energy weapons, etc. To say defense firms were over the moon at this announcement would be an understatement and a half.
Indeed, many firms began producing private ventures in an attempt to cultivate the sustained attention of the Army until the golden date of 2040. An example of this is the Oshkosh Corporation's Future (Autonomous) Cargo Truck [or F(A)CT], an optionally-manned cargo vehicle capable of taxiing supplies to and fro of its own accord. To achieve this, Oshkosh partnered with the growing self-driving technology company, Waymo, to integrate off-the-shelf sensors and software capable of following designated routes and/or mapping terrain when obstacles arise. Typically, when the F(A)CT is operating in autonomous mode, the cab is folded down and the sensor suite comes to life. As an added bonus, the collapsible cab allows the F(A)CT to be easily transported by aircraft or tucked away aboard ships.
Furthermore, when given a mission, an unmanned F(A)CT is often fed a pre-designed route to follow. This route can be updated at any point via datalink and the truck will naturally set down its new path. Alternatively, the F(A)CT can use a designated database to create and map its own route as the crow flies. The terrain-mapping sensors atop the cab are key to this task. Additionally, they can also supplement allied ISR operations as the F(A)CT continues about its business. When manned, the truck's cab is naturally unpacked. What's more, any unmanned vehicles remaining in the caravan can slave themselves to a designated (often manned vehicle), thereby reducing the manpower necessary to keep landborne supply chains operational. This latter bit is consistent with the aims of the Army Evolved 2040 initiative as the US Army seeks to counterbalance demographic and manpower concerns by pulling able-bodied persons from the rear and closer to the frontlines. Why waste tactical brainpower fiddling with trucks when you can let bots do the work? Additionally, as the USR expands its martial zone of exclusivity in the Pacific, allied outposts are likely to be isolated. Thus, maintaining as many hands on deck is a dire necessity. And this is exactly what Oshkosh aims to achieve with the F(A)CT.