Precise Navigation of Autonomous Ground Vehicles

Challenging terrain, urban operational areas, and electronic countermeasures significantly complicate orientation and information gathering in these situations. Highly automated unmanned ground vehicles, so-called UGVs (Unmanned Ground Vehicle), and unmanned aerial vehicles, so-called UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicle), and their reconnaissance teams ensure continuous information superiority under these conditions and enable fast, risk-minimized troop movements.

Here, a newly developed system comes into play that combines an autonomous, fully electric UGV with a tethered drone to guarantee precise reconnaissance and safe navigation even under the most difficult conditions. By combining advanced sensors and automated vehicle control, the system remains reliably operational even with disrupted GPS and electronic interference.

Stable Communication and Precise Navigation – The Interaction of UGV and Drone

The UGV, with its fully electric drive technology, moves largely autonomously through difficult terrain with a low acoustic signature, while the tethered drone continuously monitors the surroundings close to the UGV with various passive sensors, enabling real-time environmental perception. This creates a robust and resilient solution for precise reconnaissance and safe navigation in complex areas of operation.

The vehicle is equipped with high-resolution cameras and various sensors that enable autonomous orientation in the operational area. The drone remains connected to the UGV via a cable. In addition to transmitting data, the cable ensures the power supply of the drone. The cabled communication between UGV and drone avoids a radio signature and reduces susceptibility to electronic countermeasures.

“The UGV with drone support is a prime example of progress in unmanned teams. The tethered drone guarantees information acquisition with reliable data transmission, while the UGV autonomously moves through complex terrain – this creates new opportunities for safe operations in the field,” says Dr. Thimo Oehlschlägel, Head of Autonomous Systems Development at IAV.

Low-Noise Operation and Rapid Availability

The UGV is based on a proven, procured platform and is fully electrically driven, enabling an almost silent operation – a decisive advantage in covert or tactically sensitive missions. The proven vehicle base also ensures fast production and delivery capability, which is highly relevant for military clients.

Innovative Drone Technology

For missions outside military conflict zones, for example in the protection of critical infrastructures, the tethered drone flies below 50 meters altitude and weighs less than one kilogram. This means significantly fewer restrictions and regulations to observe.

The cable connection permanently powers the drone and guarantees lossless and interference-resistant data transmission. Thus, the system also meets the requirements of modern conflict zones where electronic interference, spoofing, or eavesdropping attempts particularly endanger high-tech systems.

Data Fusion and Networking

The combined reconnaissance by drone and UGV creates a continuous real-time situational picture. Optical sensors capture high-resolution images as well as thermal signals in the visible and infrared spectrum. The fused sensor data provides an accurate, tactically usable situational picture that delivers reliable target and environmental information day and night and in poor visibility conditions.

Automated Functions Facilitate Deployment

Numerous automated features improve operational quality and usability: follow-me modes allow dynamic accompaniment, the UGV autonomously returns (“coming-home” function), waypoint navigation is intuitively displayed, and thermal cameras enable missions under restricted visibility. Automated takeoff and landing of the drone based solely on optical sensors during movement are also planned. Off-road capability allows flexible use in a wide variety of terrain types.

Integration into Command and Information Systems

The system is seamlessly integrated into modern Battle Management Systems (BMS) and existing C4ISR structures. Through secured communication channels, the collected data is shared cross-domain and immediately available for command decisions. This multi-domain integration ensures that UAV and UGV teams do not operate in isolation but actively contribute as a connected sensor network to information superiority.