Soldiers test drive autonomous equipment decontamination system at MSPIX 24
ABERDEEN PROVING GROUND, Md. — The best way to find out if a new car is right for you is to take it for a spin. When it comes to a new way to decontaminate military vehicles using mobile robotic technology, the same holds true. Take a seat at the computer, operate the system’s remote controls and see what feels right and what doesn’t.
That is exactly what four Soldiers from the U.S. Army’s 1st Armored Division did at this year’s Maneuver Support and Protection Integration eXperiments event, or MSPIX, held at Fort Leonard Wood, Missouri, May 6-23, 2024. The robotic system they were operating was the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Chemical Biological Center’s Autonomous Equipment Decontamination System.
The Soldiers were excited. “This system takes us away from the threat completely, and its buttons and controls are easy to use,” said Spc. Yaleidi Escalera. “We are the ones who will be using it in the fight, so it feels good to be able to tell the technology developers exactly what we need now.”