Centerville, Utah — The U.S. Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) plans to award a sole-source contract to Rocky Mountain Unmanned Systems (RMUS) of Centerville, Utah, to develop a four-legged robot prototype capable of autonomously navigating hazardous environments and creating real-time 3D maps of dangerous gases.
Prototype to Combine Four Systems
According to a contract notice posted on October 7, DTRA intends to issue a firm-fixed-price contract to RMUS for a single prototype. The notice does not specify the contract value or delivery date.
Under the planned project, DTRA will provide a multi-gas chemical detector. RMUS will provide a commercial quadruped robot, survey-grade 3D lidar sensor and tactical mesh networking radio.
The main task will be software integration. RMUS will combine data from the four systems to produce a live “hazardous atmosphere map” showing operators the locations of dangerous gases within the area scanned by the robot. DTRA has not identified the specific quadruped platform or chemical detector.
DTRA Cites Existing Software Capability
DTRA's market research identified RMUS as the only company that already has the proprietary software framework and demonstrated experience required to combine these specific data streams into a functional 3D map.
The agency said the hardware components are commercially available, but no other company had demonstrated the required pre-existing software capability. DTRA also stated that the government does not own a technical data package that would allow the work to be opened to competitive bidding.
Although the planned award is sole-source, other companies can submit capability statements, proposals or quotes by noon MDT on October 22. Any submission must provide clear evidence that the company already possesses the required data-fusion software.
The requirement is being managed by DTRA's Western Contracting Office at Kirtland Air Force Base, New Mexico, and is classified as applied research and development.
RMUS Background
Founded in 2014, RMUS specializes in drones, public-safety quadruped robots and gas-imaging technology for government and commercial customers.
The company has also served as an implementation partner for Boston Dynamics Spot robots at Los Alamos National Laboratory and offers integrated systems based on the Spot platform.
Earlier U.S. Military Robot-Dog Testing
The planned DTRA prototype follows earlier U.S. military work involving quadruped robots for chemical, biological, radiological and nuclear (CBRN) detection.
In 2024, the U.S. Space Force identified its CBRN detection robot, nicknamed “CHAPPIE,” as one of only two quadruped ground robots in the Department of Defense dedicated to that mission.
The U.S. Air Force has also tested CBRN detector-equipped robot dogs at Barksdale Air Force Base, Louisiana.
The DTRA project specifically focuses on integrating chemical detection, 3D lidar and networking data to create a real-time 3D hazardous-atmosphere map for operators.
Main Source : Defence-blog
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