Overland AI has successfully demonstrated its autonomous ground vehicle integrated with uncrewed aerial system (UAS)-capable payloads during a joint breaching experimentation initiative alongside the Sandhills Project and the 20th Engineer Brigade of the XVIII Airborne Corps. The demonstration took place at Project Convergence Capstone 5 (PC-C5), the U.S. Army’s leading technology innovation event.
The Seattle-based company, founded in 2022, focuses on delivering autonomous solutions to power modern ground operations. With over a decade of advanced research in robotics and machine learning, Overland AI aims to put cutting-edge autonomy directly into the hands of tactical operators. Central to this vision is its OverWatch command-and-control (C2) interface, designed to give commanders precise control over autonomous ground systems in complex, mission-critical environments.
Overland AI showcased its in-house developed ULTRA vehicle, a fully autonomous tactical platform equipped with its SPARK autonomy hardware and OverDrive software stack. Built for high performance and resilience, ULTRA can carry up to 1,000 pounds, reach speeds of 35 mph, and travel up to 100 miles on a single charge—all without GPS or direct human control.
During PC-C5, Overland AI’s full autonomy stack was also integrated into General Dynamics Land Systems’ Small Multipurpose Equipment Transport (SMET) vehicle. Originally operated via a tethered remote, the SMET now features autonomous navigation through Overland’s OverDrive software, SPARK infrastructure, and the OverWatch tactical interface. This same system has also been tested on other platforms, including the Textron Ripsaw and Polaris RZR.
Soldiers from the 27th Engineer Battalion, 20th Engineer Brigade received hands-on training with Overland AI’s system, learning how to operate, maintain, and troubleshoot the autonomous platform. Over two weeks of exercises, they conducted independent breaching missions—activating the Autonomous Ground System, executing tasks, and shutting it down without external assistance.
The demonstration included two advanced payload integrations:
- A trailer equipped with a mine-clearing drone for lane breaching.
- A drone launcher—developed by Stratin Engineering—mounted on the SMET to deploy small attritable drones for tactical support.
“Soldiers independently and successfully operated our ground autonomy for two consecutive weeks during Project Convergence Capstone 5,” said Byron Boots, co-founder and CEO of Overland AI. “These breaching exercises show how mature our systems are and the real tactical value of taking humans out of high-risk operations.”
The demonstration aligned with the Sandhills Project’s broader goal of supporting distributed operations across obstacles like minefields, ditches, and wire. The upgraded SMET vehicle remains with the 20th Engineer Brigade for further testing, with Overland AI providing ongoing field support and software access under its contract.
PC-C5 is a critical part of the Army’s ongoing assessment of next-gen warfighting technologies, particularly for operations in the Indo-Pacific region. Overland AI’s team at the event included experts in autonomy software, hardware integration, infrastructure, product development, and field operations.
This demonstration builds on Overland AI’s recent momentum, including an $18.6 million contract with the U.S. Army and Defense Innovation Unit (DIU) to develop autonomous capabilities for the Robotic Combat Vehicle (RCV) program.
By Impact Lab
