Rough Rider: This Risk-Aware Robot Could Help The U.S. Army Tackle Off-Road Missions

A curious creature crawls steadily through the underbrush in a remote forest. It’s not a badger or bobcat but an autonomous vehicle (AV), an unmanned four-wheeled contraption that looks a bit like a miniature moon buggy. Then the movement halts suddenly, as if the AV has paused for thought. Hidden in the foliage is an impassable obstacle: a fallen oak tree. After a couple of minutes of recalibration, the AV skirts the massive trunk and pushes on.