Robot tested on border-patrol surveillance

Tasked to monitor about one-sixth of Australia’s landmass, Regional Force Surveillance Group’s (RFSG) Pilbara Regiment is now using a small ground robot to support their efforts.

CAPTION: Australian Army soldiers trial an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance robot to observe and protect Australian borders in the Pilbara region. Story by Emma Kennedy.

The Ground Uncrewed System, known as GUS, is an intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance robot that can detect and track movement.

While only new to the team, GUS is already helping soldiers to do more for longer, according to Commanding Officer of the Pilbara Regiment Lieutenant Colonel Marshall Lawrence.

“Capability like GUS is really important in expanding our capabilities to be able to get to more places and stay on locations longer in pursuit of that reconnaissance and surveillance effect,” Lieutenant Colonel Lawrence said.

The Army first saw GUS in 2022 at the Land Forces International Land Expo, where the system was awarded Best Land Innovation. At the time, its developer and the managing director of Outlook Industries, Luke Townsend, was assisting anti-poaching missions in Africa, protecting endangered wildlife and rangers from militants.

“I was working in African parks as part of an anti-poaching effort and we were losing rangers in west Africa to militants,” Mr Townsend said.

“What we were trying to do was develop an automatic system that could be left in front of the ranger position, and as a militant approached, it would just alarm, flash and go nuts.”

After a career in the British and Australian armies, Mr Townsend developed GUS with the idea that it could be used to protect soldiers.

“I’ve had a collection of experiences that allows me to look at a piece of technology and think ‘what are the soldier’s problems? What are the risks to the soldier?’ and then build from there,” he said.

Trials with RFSG are part of a broader approach to safely test, trial and develop technology in the hands of soldiers. While still in prototype phase, 13th Engineer Regiment deployed GUS on Talisman Sabre 2023 to detect enemy forces.

Private Alex Tinning, of RFSG, welcomed the opportunity to be involved in early technology development to generate better capabilities.

“It’s really good that we are being involved in the trialling of this – it’s better than getting an end product that doesn’t work and then we’re stuck with a bunch of stuff that we don’t want and don’t need,” Private Tinning said.

Major Clinton Carter, of the Robotic and Autonomous Systems Implementation and Coordination Office, said collaboration with industry during the capability development phase was important.

He said collaboration would inform future designs of GUS, providing opportunity for soldiers to suggest new additions and propose new uses.

“Placing this equipment in the hands of the end users, such as RFSG, allows us to learn by doing, fail fast, and then implement those changes into future iterations as we continue to evolve the capability,” Major Carter said.

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