Brainiacs on Wheels: How Safran Electronics & Defense is Revolutionizing Ground Vehicle Intelligence
Since 2020, a cadre of personnel from Safran Electronics & Defense have utilized their expertise in optronics, navigation, and electronics within the framework of the integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System (iMUGS) European defense initiative. This endeavor aims to conceive and establish autonomous solutions for the THeMIS multi-functional unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) crafted by Milrem Robotics. On October 26, 2022, delegates from governmental bodies, military, and industrial stakeholders convened at the Satory camp in Versailles to observe a showcase of the THeMIS UGV performing support and assistance operations for a combat unit. This served as a unique opportunity to delve into the intricacies of this substantial project.
Prior to robotics, innovative mobilities captivated our specialists
In 2014, Safran Electronics & Defense recognized the challenge of emerging, more autonomous ground and aerial mobility as a pivotal focus. Our longstanding expertise in detection and recognition, navigation, guidance, electronics, and critical system software is indispensable for platform autonomy.
As a result, Safran Electronics & Defense devised a strategy, amplified collaborative initiatives, and launched projects to secure the requisite skills, knowledge, credibility, and visibility to preempt future demands, particularly regarding defense. Two significant contracts that bolstered this strategy were awarded: the FURIOUS preliminary design project funded by the DGA and its European counterpart, iMUGS.
A more autonomous unmanned ground vehicle designed to fulfill military operational requirements
Over a span of two and a half years, the iMUGS initiative has prioritized enhancing the autonomy of the THeMIS tracked UGV. The objective is straightforward: enhance its capacity for independent mobility to alleviate the cognitive load on operators, thus achieving greater efficacy, resilience, and expanded applications.
This program is backed by funding from the European Commission, embodying significant ambitions that concern all European armed forces: to devise technologies that lessen troop exposure to peril, alleviate them from various duties, and create opportunities to carry and utilize additional equipment and firepower through the deployment of numerous autonomous platforms.
For the 13 European industrial participants of the consortium, the unmanned vehicle platform served as an integration and testing ground for components of autonomy technology and functional chains. These components and chains have been officially introduced as their design stages have completed. A fifth demonstration was conducted by Safran Electronics & Defense and Nexter on October 26, 2022, under the observant gaze of representatives from various European nations, military organizations, and potential future clients.
The now independent unmanned ground vehicle assisted combat units in varied missions throughout scenarios crafted by industrial partners and the French Army. Tasks included intelligence gathering, video retransmission, and casualty evacuation. The demonstration proved to be an exceptional opportunity to validate the maturity of the autonomy capabilities and assess the operational value of this class of autonomous vehicle engaged with a combat unit.
This demonstration represented the pinnacle of efforts towards the project, notably for Safran Electronics & Defense, which spearheaded the primary sub-project “Autonomy” for iMUGS, focusing on the system architecture development of this UGV and the autonomy algorithm components.
The unique value proposition of Safran Electronics & Defense: detection and recognition, navigation, guidance, electronics, and software seamlessly integrated onboard. A multi-mission impact team!
“At Safran Electronics & Defense, our goal is to be a preferred collaborator for entities looking to integrate autonomy into their platforms,” states Géraud Allard, Innovation program manager at Safran Electronics & Defense, who selected and supervised the iMUGS team within the organization.
Together with colleagues from Nexter, Diehl Defence, and Milrem Robotics, the Safran Electronics & Defense team concentrated on the foundational system architecture as well as the development and integration of hardware and software components, creating an autonomy kit for the THeMIS platform.
The modular open architecture, fully conceived by Safran Electronics & Defense, also required the capability to accommodate the technology, hardware, and software systems brought forth by the industrial partners. A challenge that the Safran Electronics & Defense team successfully navigated.
In areas such as optronics, inertial navigation, and system architecture, seasoned professionals and newcomers combined their expertise and innovative spirit to develop:
- The system architecture for autonomy. This is the cornerstone of the project, the backbone of the independent unmanned vehicle. The architecture is modular and open, facilitating the integration of hardware or software components devised by our partners Nexter and Diehl Defence; this electronic backbone allows for the integration and orchestration of a diverse array of algorithms. “The electronic backbone is the functional chain where all elements are integrated, our own developments and those of partners. Managing, developing, and integrating it was particularly delicate, given that our partners are based throughout Europe. We needed a unified architecture and tools to simplify this integration,” explains Géraud Allard.
- The algorithms utilized for obtaining and analyzing positional data supplied by various sensors, critical for managing vehicle movement in environments where GNSS is unviable.
- The algorithms employed to gather and analyze detection and recognition data to comprehend the surroundings and construct a terrain map.
- Lastly, a planning and execution system that integrates cutting-edge AI solutions to determine the vehicle’s route or trajectory.
This venture also presented an opportunity for Safran Electronics & Defense to engage and empower some recent graduates.
Paul Romedenne, a new Systems Engineer recruited through the Graduate Engineering Program, shares his journey on this European initiative.
Future products in European Defense under development.
The concluding phase of iMUGS: the sixth and final demonstration will occur in Germany on December 15. This will be followed by a potential launch of an iMUGS 2 program, once again led by Milrem, to further enhance the project’s maturity.
However, for Safran Electronics & Defense, autonomous vehicle systems extend beyond the boundaries of the iMUGS initiative. The technologies crafted should be adaptable for various types of unmanned ground vehicles.
At every phase of the project, Safran Electronics & Defense personnel were committed to developing technologies independent of the Milrem Robotics platform, ensuring capability for deployment in diverse environments while sustainably leveraging acquired expertise.
Géraud Allard explains how his team approached the task: “While we certainly coordinated with the platform, certain technologies are uniquely suited to the THeMIS and are specific to it. Nevertheless, the software components and algorithmic solutions, along with the autonomy backbone system, were developed to function independently. This is a fundamental requirement for all our advancements. Since Safran Electronics & Defense does not manufacture platforms, the future commercial potential lies in rendering the platforms of other manufacturers autonomous. We aimed to maintain the highest level of non-proprietary flexibility!”
Today, more than ever, European defense is advancing multiple industrial initiatives to cultivate a uniform military equipment foundation across EU nations. A technological convergence that Safran Electronics & Defense is resolute not to overlook.
What is iMUGS?
iMUGS, or integrated Modular Unmanned Ground System, is a program spearheaded by the Estonian company Milrem Robotics. Its objective is to define and develop autonomy solutions (modular technology components linked to a central architecture) on the THeMIS ground vehicle platform.
The goal is clear: to ensure that the unmanned ground vehicle operates autonomously and can assist military missions by executing tactical tasks.
In 2020, iMUGS emerged as one of the initiatives endorsed by the European Union within the European Defence Industrial Development Program (EDIDP), a European R&D initiative intended to co-finance the collaborative development of equipment, systems, and technologies.
iMUGS was initiated in December 2020, benefiting from an EU grant of €30.6 million. The program is slated for completion in 2023.
Project collaborators
iMUGS unites 7 nations (France, Estonia, Finland, Spain, Germany, Latvia, Belgium) and 13 partners, each responsible for a specific aspect of the project:
Autonomy: Safran Electronics & Defense | Diehl | Nexter | MILREM
Communication: Bittium Wireless | LMT
Swarming capability: DotOcean | Insta Defsec | Royal Military Academy of Belgium
Instrumentation and control: GMV – Sol.One
Cybersecurity: Talgen
Platform: MILREM
Use case: KMW | Nexter
