Robotics MoD centre of expertise to develop tech to support Armed Forces
THE MoD has launched a new venture to accelerate the development of innovative robotic equipment that will support the Armed Forces on the front line.
The Expeditionary Robotics Centre of Expertise (ERCoE) will bring together experts from across defence, industry, government and academia, and will operate from Bristol and Dorset.
The organisation has been launched by Defence Equipment and Support (DE&S) – a trading entity and joint-defence organisation within the MoD – in collaboration with the British Army.
According to the MoD, ERCoE, which will operate from Abbey Wood in Bristol and the Army BattleLab in Dorset, will adopt a collaborative and “agile-by-design” approach.
The organisation will act as a focal point for current projects and will also assess unexplored, highrisk but rapidly maturing technologies.
The hub will initially focus on projects for the British Army but, as the group expands and matures, the MoD said it expected it to become a centre of advice for expeditionary robotics across defence.
Projects to be investigated at the outset include remote platoon vehicles, nano unmanned air systems, autonomous resupply of forward troops and how defence forms human machine teams.
According to the MoD, open access to information and fresh ideas will ensure defence can exploit the benefits of the technology.
The centre will sit under the Future Capability Group (FCG) at DE&S, the procurement arm of the
❝ This new agile approach will enable the delivery of several exciting new developments and ensure game-changing technology enters into service as early as possible Lt Col Iain Lamont
MoD. FCG head James Gavin said: “The centre of expertise concept was borne out of the need and opportunity to bring together separate projects and people into single groupings to be more efficient and effective.
“Being more effective means a razor-sharp focus on exploitation and operational advantage as the goal.”
DE&S personnel will work alongside industry experts at the Army BattleLab within the Defence Innovation Centre, allowing new ideas and concepts to be quickly developed and put into practice, the MoD said.
The ERCoE has been jointly launched with Future Force Development in Army HQ and is aligned to its Robotics and Autonomous Systems (RAS) strategy, according to the MoD.
Lt Col Iain Lamont, SO1 robotics and autonomous systems at the British Army, said: “The Army’s Future Force Development team are delighted to be entering into a fast-paced and exciting new partnership with the ERCoE.
“This new agile approach will enable the delivery of several exciting new developments and ensure game-changing technology enters into service as early as possible as we look to accelerate Army transformation.”