UGV

An unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) is a vehicle that operates on land without a human occupant. UGVs may be controlled remotely by a human operator or perform tasks autonomously using onboard sensors, computing, and software.

Purpose and use: UGVs are used in military and public safety for reconnaissance, bomb disposal, and logistics; in industry and agriculture for inspection, mapping, and material handling; and in disaster response for search and rescue and hazardous environment assessment.

Types and configurations: UGVs come in wheeled, tracked, and legged configurations, as well as hybrid designs. Wheeled platforms are fast on firm surfaces; tracked platforms provide stability and traction on uneven terrain; legged designs offer adaptability to irregular terrain but are more complex.

Key components: propulsion and steering drive the vehicle; power sources include batteries, internal combustion engines, or hybrids. Sensor suites commonly include cameras, LIDAR or radar, thermal imaging, GPS/GLONASS, inertial measurement units, and sometimes chemical or gas sensors. Onboard computers run autonomy software, and communications hardware enables teleoperation or vehicle-to-operator data links.

Autonomy and navigation: UGVs may operate under teleoperation, supervised autonomy, or full autonomy. They use SLAM for mapping unknown environments, obstacle detection and avoidance, and path planning. Communication links—radio, cellular, or satellite—support control over varying distances and conditions.

History and context: Unmanned ground platforms have evolved since the mid-20th century in military and research programs, expanding into civil security, industrial inspection, and agriculture. Safety, reliability, and ethical considerations, as well as regulatory standards for operator training and system certification, shape their adoption.

UGVs continue to advance with improvements in sensor fusion, AI-based autonomy, and energy density, enabling longer endurance and more capable operations in complex environments.