Breakthrough development signifies major advancement in use of ATAK application to control off-road vehicles

PITTSBURGH - Dec. 6 - Neya Systems, a leading provider of off-road autonomy, open architecture, and mission planning software, today announced that it has achieved a significant milestone in the autonomous control of off-road vehicles by successfully demonstrating the use of Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK) technology to control an uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) using the UGV Interoperability Profile (IOP) and Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) communication layer. This technical milestone marks the first time that IOP/JAUS standards have been successfully integrated as an ATAK plugin, enabling operators to use ATAK to drive UGVs using common controllers.

ATAK is a collaborative, map-based software application that facilitates user cooperation across geographical locations. This application enables users to gather and exchange geospatial information, encompassing position data, terrain details, and real-time weather updates. Neya Systems developed the JAUS networking layer for ATAK, which enables ATAK users to control IOP/JAUS-compliant robots.

During the demonstration, the Neya team used an ATAK operator control unit (OCU) to teleoperate an off-road vehicle. The OCU enables the operator to control the vehicle by communicating with Neya's Autonomy Kit (A-Kit), which equips the vehicle with front and rear cameras, radar, and LiDAR to enable autonomous control of the vehicle.

"ATAK has long been used by the military for situational awareness in challenging terrain and is widely considered to be one of the most effective tools for mission planning. Building on the success of our recent demonstration, military personnel now will be able to use ATAK to IOP- and JAUS-compliant vehicles in challenging or hazardous environments from a safe, remote
distance," said Kurt Bruck, division manager of Neya Systems. "We look forward to advancing this innovative technology to enhance the safety and effectiveness of our country's warfighters."

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Neya Systems, a division of Applied Research Associates, is committed to advancing the field of unmanned systems through the development and integration of cutting-edge technologies and expertise in autonomy, computer vision, cybersecurity, and general unmanned systems development and deployment. Our team of experts is dedicated to creating innovative solutions that help our customers meet their mission goals. To learn more about Neya Systems, visit neyarobotics.com and follow us on LinkedIn.