Still Seeking Participant Info Papers and Demonstration Videos until 23 March 2012

The U.S. Army Tank Automotive Research, Development, and Engineering Center has partnered with the Joint IED Defeat Organization (JIEDDO), and the Army Capabilities Integration Center (ARCIC) to host the Robotics Rodeo III at the Maneuver Battle Lab at Ft. Benning, GA June 20-29, 2012.

"The Robotics Rodeo III is an opportunity for scientists and engineers from industry and academia to demonstrate new and innovative unmanned ground systems to the U.S. Army user- and research-and-development-communities," said Dr. Jim Overholt, U.S. Army Senior Research Scientist-Robotics. "By partnering with JIEDDO this year, our competitors have a unique opportunity to demonstrate the latest technology for Soldiers and the top DOD stakeholders for robotics development."

The Robotics Rodeo is seeking additional participants to demonstrate the following capabilities: Deployment, Setup, Protection, Sustainment and Relocation. TARDEC's 2012 Vignettes theme is "Support for the Combat Outpost", and these areas of interest will be demonstrated within three scenario vignettes:

Vignette #1 Corral - \"Setup, Deploy, and Relocate\": The robot must autonomously establish a hasty prone fighting position on a section of a combat outpost perimeter based on locations provided by an operator.

Vignette #2 Gunslinger - \"Protect\": The robot must identify and alert the operator of hostile activity within a defined area, and then acquire and track those moving targets.

Vignette #3 Wagon Train - \"Sustain\": The robot must autonomously navigate to multiple designated locations and autonomously unload materiel in a specified order upon arrival.

For more details on the Robotics Rodeo, or for information on how to submit Info Papers or Demonstration Videos, please go to: http://www.tardec.info/roboticsrodeo.