The U.S. Marine Corps awarded GS Engineering a Phase I SBIR to develop an autonomous expeditionary system that integrates multiple capabilities, currently provided by several separate systems. This ground-up vehicle development will integrate material handling, construction, path/trail clearance, explosive hazard defeat, and refueling capabilities into a single system that utilizes different attachments that match the mission’s unique operational need.

“This is a great opportunity for us to flex our engineering muscles; this project leverages our vehicle development expertise while allowing us to show off what we can do with unmanned and autonomous systems.” said Andy Diepen, Chief Engineer, and Principal Investigator

In Phase I, GS Engineering will use a Systems Engineering approach to establish the effectiveness of concepts while prioritizing key Marine Corps requirements. These requirements include reducing operational personnel demands as well as having the ability to quickly change attachments and be transportable by Marine Corps air and ground assets. GS Engineering will demonstrate the feasibility of the concepts through simulation and modeling including a virtual prototype.

According to Diepen “The challenge with SBIRs is you have only 6-months to prove your concept to the government. By leveraging simulation and digital engineering we can develop a virtual prototype to demonstrate the capabilities before investing in detailed engineering.

“This novel approach to the design process will allow us to iterate quicker while meeting end-user needs and creating a product that not only exceeds the Marine Corps expectations but also provides a clear path to commercialization.” said Rob Minger, Product Manager

Utilizing Unreal Engine for rapid concept development and simulation will allow GS Engineering to place an interactive virtual prototype into the hands of their stakeholders early, allowing for actionable user feedback which will drive the final design.