‘Leader-follower vehicle technology’ is autonomous game changer for Australian defence force

Deakin University and the Australian Army are testing new autonomous ‘leader-follower vehicle technology’ on public roads.

“Deakin and the Australian Army are testing new Autonomous vehicle technology”

Deakin University and the Australian Army are testing new autonomous “leader-follower vehicle technology” on public roads.

Together, Deakin’s Institute for Intelligent Systems Research and Innovation (IISRI) and the Army Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation and Coordination Office (RICO) have developed a fleet of autonomous trucks using the new technology.

Now, following successful controlled trials at Mount Panorama Bathurst Racetrack in 2022, IISRI and RICO will work with the Australian Road Research Board to trial the technology on public roads in Victoria alongside live traffic to enhance performance and understanding of road rules.

The new phase of the project marks a key milestone in the collaboration and demonstrates the potential of autonomous technology.

Autonomous leader-follower vehicles operate in a convoy, with one vehicle designated as the leader and the other vehicles following behind, all operated in an autonomous driving mode. The technology allows Army to efficiently use their transport fleet, releasing soldiers for higher value tasks, and importantly, remove them from harm in combat.

The technology also allows a group of vehicles to autonomously travel off-road in complex, unstructured, rough terrain – over riverbeds and through creeks – even when there’s no markings on the ground.

Professor Saeid Nahavandi.

Previous trials involved other road users including cyclists and pedestrians, with the IISRI technology successfully operating in the controlled environment. On comparison with similar technology developed overseas, the Australian machinery is proving first-class. This year, the team will test the vehicles on Victorian roads, under less predictable conditions.

The project is part of the Australian Army’s $12.2m investment in “experimentation, prototyping and exploration of autonomous vehicles and emerging technologies.”

The technology is vehicle agnostic, furnished with a range of advanced sensors and IISRI’s homegrown AI-empowered algorithms in the vehicle control architecture to provide very safe and trustworthy manoeuvres.

While there are still some technical and ethical challenges to overcome, the potential benefits for military and civilian operations are significant.

The prospects for our armed forces, and commercial applications, are exciting. We can realistically see a future where our military vehicles – indeed all vehicles – could be fitted with this type of technology.

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Alfred Deakin Professor Saeid Nahavandi is Pro Vice-Chancellor Defence Technologies and Director, Institute for Intelligent Systems Research & Innovation (IISRI).