Enye yezinto ezisungulwe kudala kunazo zonke, kunesidingo esincane kakhulu sokwenza ngcono kusuka esondweni elijwayelekile. Ngokwazi ukwenza ezokuthutha nokunyakaza jikelele kube lula kakhulu kunokuhudula izinto endaweni eyisicaba, akumangalisi ukuthi akekho umuntu ozama ukungcolisa ngento enhle.
Ngephrojekthi ebizwa ngokuthi I-GXV-T (iGround X-Vehicle Technologies), lo I-ejensi Yokucwaninga Okuthuthukile Yezokuvikela (niyabazi njengeDARPA) yethule inqubekela phambili eningi ehlose ukusiza izimoto zamasosha zisebenze kahle enkundleni yempi.
Okunye kwalokhu kuthuthukiswa kubandakanya ukufaka amanye amawindi ngamakhamera evidiyo aveza ngaphandle izithombe zempi yangaphakathi. Okunye ukusetshenziswa kwe-ORCA (Off-Road Crew Augmentation), uhlelo olungathandwa kwabathelisi esikubona olubikezela indlela ephephe kunazo zonke futhi esheshayo edlula ezindaweni ezimbi. Kepha okungenzeka ukuthi intuthuko ebanda kunazo zonke futhi ebonakalayo ngokomzimba ubuchwepheshe babo besondo.
Yebo, ubuchwepheshe - okusho okungaphezu kokukodwa. Ukuthuthuka kokuqala kwesondo elijwayelekile kuphrojekthi ehlangene phakathi kweDARPA nenkampani yezobuchwepheshe yaseBrithani yokuvikela QinetiQ ukuthuthukisa izinjini ezinamasondo.
Esikhundleni sokuba nenjini eyodwa efaka amandla amasondo, irimu namasondo ngamasentimitha angama-20 ngalinye lizoba no-gearbox webanga lama-3-speed nohlelo lokuphathwa kokushisa ngaphakathi kwalo. Ngenxa yalokhu, lokhu kwandisa ukushesha nokuhamba kwemoto, kuyivumela ukuthi ishayele cishe kunoma iyiphi indawo ongayiphonsa kuyo.
Okunye ukwenziwa ngcono kwesondo kuza ngesimo seMulti-mode Extreme Travel Suspension, noma i-METS (ngokungathi sína, kuyini ngamasosha kanye namagama abo amade ngokungadingekile), ngezilokotho zenkampani yezimoto UPratt noMiller.
Kusetshenziswa amasondo amasosha ajwayelekile angama-intshi angama-20, kufaka phakathi ukumiswa okuhamba phambili okuhamba phambili kwama-intshi angu-4-6 nokumiswa kokuhamba okuphezulu okungafika kumamitha ayisithupha. Lokhu kuyivumela ukuthi ilungise ukuphakama kwesondo ngalinye njengoba imoto ihamba ezindaweni ezingalingani, okwenza ukuwela kube lula kakhulu. Kungahle kungabonakali njengokuningi, kepha uma kubhekwa ukuthi abagibeli bezimoto zamasosha abangakhululeki badlula kangakanani, lokhu kungezwa okwamukelekile kakhulu.
Okokugcina kodwa nakanjani okungenani yiReconfigurable Wheel-Track (noma i-RWT), eyenziwe ngokubambisana ne ICarnegie Mellon University National Robotic Engineering Center (CMU NREC). Ngenkathi isisesigabeni sokuhlola, leli sondo eliguquguqukayo lizivumelanisa nezinhlobo ezahlukene zezwe. Esikhundleni sokungeza ama-motor-wheel noma ukwandisa ukumiswa, ama-RWTs ayashintsha njengoba imoto ihamba, ivumela imoto ukuthi igcine ukuzinza nejubane layo yize isebenza endaweni eshelelayo noma ethambile.
Uma kuvele okujwayelekile njengemigwaqo noma inhlabathi eqinile, amasondo abukeka futhi agijime njenganoma yiliphi isondo elijwayelekile eliyindilinga. Kepha uma sebethole indawo ethambile efana nethrekhi yodaka, bayashintsha phakathi nemizuzwana emibili bathathe ukubukeka okungunxantathu okufana nethangi futhi babukeke njengezinyathela kunamasondo angempela.
Ngenkathi bonke lobu buchwepheshe buseyizilingo, ukuzibona zisebenza kukwenza ufise ukuthi zingafakwa ezimotweni zansuku zonke (noma okungenani ezingekho emgwaqeni). Ungathola okuningi kuphrojekthi ngayinye ngayinye kuqhubeke Ikhasi lewebhu elisemthethweni le-DARPA.
