UGV Ziesel wins the “Mule” scenario: Diehl Defence takes first place at ELROB

Diehl Defence took part in this year’s “European Land Robot Trial” (ELROB) with great success, winning with its unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) Ziesel. The event was held a few weeks ago on the grounds of the Bundeswehr Technical Centre for Land-Based Vehicle Systems, Engineer and General Field Equipment (Wehrtechnische Dienststelle 41) in Trier. In this competition for robotic systems, 17 international teams from around the world competed in five disciplines.

The company took first place in the “Mule” scenario. The vehicle first learns a defined route in follow mode and must then drive it again automatically in a second phase. The conditions are highly complex: the Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) is unavailable (GNSS-denied), the terrain is difficult, the vegetation tall and paths are blocked. The Diehl Defence vehicle impressed above all in autonomy and mobility, the decisive criteria.

How the UGV navigates without active sensors

Autonomy is provided by Platon, an autonomy kit developed by Diehl Defence. In follow mode, the ground vehicle already manages entirely without active sensors such as LiDAR (Light Detection and Ranging) and GPS, which an adversary could easily detect or jam. It can, for example, move the armed forces’ equipment around trees, evacuate wounded soldiers and overcome obstacles by driving around them or, where possible, over them.

It is based on the Ziesel platform from Mattro. The vehicle measures a compact 1.48 x 1.23 metres, weighs only 350 kilograms empty and can carry a payload of more than 500 kilograms. This makes it a good support for infantry when heavy equipment has to be moved across terrain. Thanks to its agility, it follows soldiers even through dense forest without slowing them down. The Mattro Ziesel is fully electric, powered by interchangeable ten-kWh lithium-ion batteries; there is no loud running gear or engine noise that could give it away, and it reaches up to 20 km/h.

Diehl Defence also competed in the convoy scenario together with Patria of Finland, on 6×6 and AMV 8×8.