Raytheon developing interface for DARPA's ground vehicle program

CAMBRIDGE, Mass., Oct. 10 (UPI) -- Raytheon is developing situational awareness technology to support the U.S. Defense Advanced Research Project's Agency's Ground X-Vehicle Technologies program.

DARPA's Ground X-Vehicle Technologies, or GXV-T, program aims to create a highly mobile windowless ground vehicle that can protect troops without relying on excessive armor. The advantages of such a vehicle, DARPA says, is to allow troops to travel with armored protection through various terrains.

To support the project, Raytheon is developing a platform designed to provide real-time surveillance for warfighters traveling in the vehicle.

"Our team is developing a virtual experience that gives the crews of armored military vehicles greater awareness of what's going on outside the vehicle, while also reducing their vulnerability to attack," Raytheon program manager David Diller said in a press release. "We're creating a three-dimensional model of the environment in real time that gives users views of their outside environment that would not normally be possible from inside the vehicle."

The platform will be made using lidar data to create the 3D model of the vehicle's surrounding environment, which will be presented in high-definition. Additional safety precautions will include sensors to alert of any incoming attacks, and blue-force position updates to locate friendly forces.

Raytheon officials say their contributions will improve situational awareness while reducing the workload for the crew, allowing them to focus on the most relevant threats and challenges.