The US Army’s Combat Capabilities Development Command (DEVCOM) unveiled its futuristic “Deep Orange 15” ground rescue vehicle at the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering & Technology Symposium (GVSETS) in Novi, Michigan, on Tuesday, August 13.

Students at Clemson University in South Carolina built this ground rescue vehicle, which includes semi-autonomous capabilities.

Student-build Autonomous Rescue Vehicle

Imagine a ground rescue vehicle that can navigate treacherous terrain, autonomously transport injured personnel, and allow medical personnel to focus on providing critical care. This is the vision behind this student-built latest innovation, the Deep Orange 15.

US Army DEVCOM is among the sponsors of this project in collaboration with Clemson’s Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems program (VIPR-GS) under its Department of Automotive Engineering.

The Deep Orange 15 boasts a high-voltage battery, a hybrid powertrain, and a semi-active suspension system, ensuring efficient operation on various terrains.

Rotating passenger seats “to assist victims” and an innovative litter-loading mechanism further streamline the rescue process, allowing medical personnel to attend to casualties with ease.

One of the Deep Orange 15’s most impressive features is its self-driving capability, allowing the human driver to focus on providing medical aid to injured personnel inside the vehicle during transport.

Alternatively, the driver can remain at the scene to assist other casualties while the platform autonomously transports critically injured patients to medical facilities.