Joint Ground Robotics Enterprise

1. My company would like to get involved in development of the JAUS Standard. How do we go about doing that?
2. What robotic technologies or enablers does the JGRE need industry to work on and where can I find the list?
3. Does the JGRE work to resolve issues of unmanned ground system for the benefit of Department of Defense at large?
4. What funding activities does JGRE have responsibility for?

1. My company would like to get involved in development of the JAUS Standard. How do we go about doing that?

   JAUS is an open standard and all meetings are open as well. The best way to get started is to attend one of their quarterly meetings. So, you should follow the link to the JAUS website and look/ask for info on the next JAUS meeting.

2. What robotic technologies or enablers does the JGRE need industry to work on and where can I find the list?

   The JGRE continually assesses robotic technologies and enablers being developed within the government in light of user requirements. This internal assessment is the basis for funding decisions, the synchronization of developmental efforts, and determining which technology gaps need to be addressed. It is expected that a ground robotics consortium will soon be formed. If the government enters into a contractual agreement with this consortium as expected, inputs from non-government organizations will be included in the assessment process. As a result, industry will have a clearer understanding of the areas to be worked.

3. Does the JGRE work to resolve issues of unmanned ground system for the benefit of Department of Defense at large?

   Yes. But first, recall the Enterprise (JGRE) is more than AT&L and the Services. Where practical and appropriate, the JGRE reaches out to include subject experts to gain better insight to unmanned system developments and be prepared to respond to issues that cross the unmanned systems domains, Services and Combatant Commands (COCOMs). Among other activities, in FY 2007, JGRE sponsored or conducted assessments of the unmanned systems standardization activities of Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS)/STANAG 4586 (Standard Interface of the Unmanned Control System (UCS) for NATO UAV interoperability); an assessment of the unmanned ground vehicle robotic industrial base; spectrum requirements and factors impacting communications of existing and emerging unmanned ground systems; and an international technology assessment for unmanned systems. For further detail, see ongoing studies and assessment.

4. What funding activities does JGRE have responsibility for?

   Land Warfare and Munitions (LW&M) manages three unmanned system program elements (PEs), one in each of the budget activities (BA) of 3, 4 and 5. BA 3, Advanced Technology Development (ATD), includes development of subsystems and components and efforts to integrate subsystems and components into system prototypes for field experiments and/or tests in a simulated environment. BA 4, Advanced Component Development and Prototypes (ACD&P), includes efforts necessary to evaluate integrated technologies, representative modes or prototype systems in a high fidelity and realistic operating environment are funded in this budget activity. BA 5, System Development and Demonstration (SDD), is characterized by major line item projects, involve mature system development, integration and demonstration and provides for user (Warfighter) feedback.