A convoy of four autonomous Army trucks trailed a crewed 'leader' vehicle on a public road in Victoria on June 6 as part of the Leader-Follower exercise. The Army was assisted by the National Transport Research Organisation and Deakin University in conducting the trial, which was the first time an autonomous convoy operated on an open public route in Australia.
The trials provided insight into how autonomous vehicles can enhance the Army's warfighting capabilities in the future, and included a simulated autonomous resupply trip between Mangalore Airfield and Puckapunyal, as announced by Defence.
Driving in traffic on a highway required that the technology had to stop safely and give enough space between other vehicles while following the leader's path.
The trial is part of the Army's modernisation efforts, which include research into human-machine teaming, artificial intelligence, quantum technology, and electrification.
