The Army desires to increase the rate of fire for self-propelled howitzer systems. What is needed is a leaner, lighter, more flexible solution which can withstand the punishing conditions required for military service and be cost-effectively retrofit into Extended Range Cannon Artillery (ERCA) platform designs. To solve this problem, ARM Automation, Inc. will bring to the table its extensive experience in building high-performance, harsh-duty, modular robot systems along with its expertise in automated material handling, assembly and kitting systems. It is the intent to leverage these designs and expertise to produce three purpose-built systems (two storage-assembly units and one high-performance robotic manipulator) to address this need for an improved auto-loader solution. Together, these three independent sub-systems can work in parallel to enable a much higher rate of fire while also operating independently to facilitate manual or semi-automated operations if needed. The compact and modular nature of this approach greatly simplifies crew movement and field service as well. While much of the raw component technology for these solutions exists, these technologies must be designed into a complete system and tightly integrated into both the physical environment and the operational space of the ERCA platform.
