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- Strategic Elements’ (SOR) subsidiary, Stealth Technologies, will manufacture an autonomous defence vehicle through a new collaboration
- The partnership will see the design and delivery of an autonomous drone-carrying vehicle that senses chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents, allowing drones quickly navigate a target area while keeping humans at a safe distance
- The WA Defence Science Centre, UWA and Defence Science Technology Group have committed to provide $350,000 of cash and services to the collaboration, while Stealth Technologies will also invest around $350,000 and retain 100 per cent of the IP and rights to the design
- An initial concept design of the vehicle, drone launch and land system is expected to be completed in Q3, 2021
- Strategic Elements last traded at 21.5 cents on June 5
Strategic Elements’ (SOR) subsidiary is geared up to manufacture an autonomous defence vehicle through a new collaboration.
Stealth Technologies has agreed to collaborate with Defence Science Technology Group (DSTG), part of the Australian Department of Defence, and the University of Western Australia (UWA) to build and demonstrate the new technology.
The collaboration will result in the design and delivery of an autonomous drone-carrying vehicle that automates detection, while sensing chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) agents. The vehicle will be able to carry drones into a target environment, while keeping humans at a safe distance, allowing the user to quickly navigate a target area using sensors.
The new design will be based off Stealth Technologies’ existing IP, the AxV autonomous vehicle, which has already been used alongside organisations such as the WA Department of Justice and CSIRO.
DSTG will provide the staff, search algorithms, and ongoing search algorithm development support for the collaboration, along with offering access to facilities, equipment and assistance with arranging Defence test sites.
The work will be partly funded by the Western Australian Defence Science Centre, which has agreed to provide $150,000 in funding towards the development, plus investigation into manufacturing opportunities in Western Australia.
Along with the WA Defence Science Centre, UWA and DSTG have committed to provide $350,000 of cash and services to the collaboration, while Stealth Technologies will also invest around $350,000.
Under the funding agreement, Stealth Technologies will retain 100 per cent of the IP and associated commercialisation rights for CBRN and other defence force related applications.
“The Autonomous CBRN vehicle has the ability to mitigate certain risks that our Australian Defence personnel face in CBRN environments whilst increasing the efficiency and accuracy of CBRN detection and sensing,” Managing Director of Strategic Elements, Charles Murphy said.
“We see significant commercial opportunities to build its value across multiple sectors such as security, defence, mining and logistics.”
This news follows the announcement of a scoping study that would integrate DTSG developed search algorithms with a Stealth autonomous drone carrying vehicle, which will be included in the new design.
An initial concept design of vehicle, drone launch and land system is expected to be completed in Q3, 2021.
Strategic Elements last traded at 21.5 cents on June 5.
