Science

Check Out the First Fully Modular Unmanned Ground Vehicle

It can fight fires, dig holes, shoot bullets, defuse mines, and more!

by Jack Crosbie

What happens when you scale down two tank treads, bolt a platform between them, and wire the whole thing up to a remote-control system? You get this thing.

Do a twirl for us.

YouTube

This is the Milrem THeMIS, which stands for Tracked Hybrid Modular Infantry System. Unmanned Ground Vehicles, or UGV’s are not new to Modern battlefields, but the THeMIS is one of the first to be designed as a completely modular system. The base vehicle is simple — treads and a platform.

Civilian applications: Keg drone, tank-armchair, etc. 

YouTube

Milrem has designed a number of attachments for the system aimed at supporting infantry troops on the ground, including a heavy machine gun turret.

You lookin at me?

YouTube

The THeMIS ADDER, as the weaponized version is known, debuted at the 2016 Singapore Airshow.

“Unmanned systems will play a significant role in the development of military capabilities in future. Within the next 10 years, we will see smart ground systems complimenting the human troops during joint missions,” Kuldar Väärsi, CEO of Milrem, said in a press release. “We’re sure that this universal UGV concept will effectively supplement defense capabilities on a battalion level.”

In the future, automated systems like the THeMIS and other micro drones could play an integral part in infantry battalions. The government is experimenting with exoskeleton technology, but they’re no substitute for the safety and range of applications that a modular system like the THeMIS can offer, as seen below.

A bit like Legos, but with more guns. 

YouTube

Watch the entire product debut video below.