A robotic off-road all-terrain vehicle (ATV) prototype has been developed and tested by GE for potential future U.S. Army applications.

Through the U.S. Army’s ongoing Scalable Adaptive Resilient Autonomy Program (SARA), GE developed the so-called “ATVer,” which is a risk-aware autonomous ground vehicle capable of safely navigating off-road conditions.

The ATVer can reportedly operate in unfamiliar environments and over difficult terrain autonomously, recognizing risks via GE’s Humble artificial intelligence tech.

According to GE, this algorithmic approach processed data collected via the ATVer’s onboard vision and lidar technology to move safely around objects such as trees and navigating off-road, unknown terrain.

“In future Army scenarios, autonomous systems will have to reliably plan in the presence of challenging features they encounter while maneuvering in complex terrain,” Eric Spero, SARA Program Manager said. “Incorporating risk and uncertainty into the autonomy decision-making process enables our testbed platforms to show us what it looks like to plan a direct path instead of taking the long way around.”

To see the ATVer in action, watch the accompanying video that appears courtesy of GE.