**2. Capability of autonomous vehicles**

Most modern armies, assessing, in particular, combat vehicles and its combat capability, evaluate four basic parameters:

1. combat power/special purpose ability,

2.protection (if applicable) of the crew (subsystems),

3.mobility,

4. signal and command.

The utilization of autonomous vehicles for military purposes can be considered in two basic missions, as lethal or non-lethal assets. Within both types of mission the opposite side tries to eliminate autonomous vehicle or to capture it. For development of autonomous vehicle to be used by military purpose should be considered the same approach as for development of the combat vehicles operated by soldiers. The parameters of autonomous vehicles have to meet maximum of factors which are influencing its movement.

According to author's long-life military experiences and deep and comprehensive analysis of the facts in the Army of the Czech Republic Lessons Learned Databases [6] the capabilities of autonomous vehicles can be considered in following ways.

**The combat power** of the autonomous vehicle will consist of the ability to meet the desired goal. This goal can be "only" to carry out monitoring and to find out the required information about the enemy, the task environment and their transfer to appropriate locations, detect the presence of undesirable substances in the area of operation, and warn troops about the presence of such substances until possible destruction of the enemy and its objects. Autonomous vehicle will be equipped with appropriate sensors and devices for special sub-tasks.

It is necessary to consider the degree of autonomy of the resource for the **issue of protecting** the crew of an autonomous vehicle. Fully autonomous vehicle will be equipped with an artificial intelligence that will enable him to perform the task without any human intervention (collaboration), from his deployment to the fulfilment of the task, including eventual return to assigned assembly area. Partial autonomy may consist in the necessity or only the possibility of intervening in the selected phases of the autonomous vehicle implementation by the operator. The operator may, depending on the specific conditions on the battlefield and their change over the autonomous vehicle deployment planning phase, correct and control selected functions and their interdependence.

Partly autonomous means can be considered as a means of transporting directly to this device, although some of the required functions will be automated and autonomous vehicle operators will either not influence at all or will be able to correct them. Under the declared crew protection (operator), we can understand the "only" protection of the entire device and its component components and sensors in the case of autonomous vehicle.

Like a standard combat vehicle, the autonomous vehicle should be able to withstand the effects of the environment (weather conditions, fulfillment of the task within the required temperature range, in dusty and other environments, etc.) as well as enemy effects in the form of explosive firefighting systems, enemy fire interventions to a certain caliber, contamination or ignition of autonomous vehicle area of operation, etc. An important role in the area of autonomous vehicle resilience and its ability to move and perform tasks in a particular environment will play the location of its components and sensors on the "base" of autonomous vehicle. It can be said that the autonomous vehicle as a whole will be so resistant to environmental influences (both natural and caused by human factor), how least its component, component, sensor will be resistant. Both in the profile (overlapping the sensor above the "base" of the autonomous vehicle) and attaching this sensor to the "base" of the autonomous vehicle and its cabling.

The autonomous vehicles should have the required **mobility parameters**, the ability to perform tasks in the widest possible sense of the word mobility. For most moving assets, and not only for the vehicles used by the army, the following parameters are listed:


Mobility is also related to **terrain throughput**. A tactical view of terrain patency typically features three stages-through terrain (where no action is needed to move the device), partially through terrain (in which action must be taken towards the device or field so that it can be (although some radical measures could be taken to penetrate the terrain, but these measures would be inefficient for time or other reasons). The landing area of autonomous vehicle also relates to its undercarriage. There are terrains that are more suitable for wheeled chassis and on the contrary are terrains that can be easily overcome with tracked chassis. The ideal autonomous vehicle, which would be deployed in different terrain, could have a combined bogie

**13**

*Military Factors Influencing Path Planning DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86421*

(wheel and belt) where it would autonomously (based on artificial intelligence) evaluate the most suitable variant of the chassis and "deploy" itself (it would move from one platform to second, or the process could be managed by the operator. Similarly, the problem of adhesion conditions could be solved in the sense of increasing or decreasing the contact surface of the undercarriage with the terrain, or an automatic or operator controlled change of autonomous vehicle aperture. For example, in the Russian army some combat vehicles have been introduced, which

If the vehicle's clearance (vehicle) changes during movement, logically this will change the position of the center of gravity of the device. Due to the generally small dimensions of autonomous vehicle compared to other combat vehicles, the change in autonomous vehicle center of gravity may radically change (as a rule reduce) some other mobility-related features such as side tilt, climb/descending, etc. But this problem is technically feasible for autonomous vehicle. It can be envisaged that by changing the autonomous vehicle's aperture and thus increasing the center of gravity of the device, the autonomous vehicle could either autonomously or by an operator's intervention modify the axle or half-axle of the undercarriage so that at one side of the bottom of the "hull" the second is lower, and the original offshore characteristics can be achieved. With mobility, the dimensions, profile and weight of the autono-

can change the clearance by up to 30 cm during the movement.

mous vehicle and its parts, components and sensors are logically related. The parameters in the **area of signal and command** can be included:

not completely autonomous (will be operated by the operator),

• resistance to interference with the autonomous vehicle control and

time tasks, various data paths, or even confidentially,

information transmission system and more.

between "combat power" and "mobility", views such as:

**3. Mission of autonomous vehicles**

autonomous vehicle will move and perform tasks;

(until the possible use of lethal weapons) and some others.

the data and update it.

components (to fulfill their functions),

• source sufficiency of the autonomous vehicle as a whole and its individual

• the reach of command and control means in case the autonomous vehicle is

• transferring data and information obtained by the autonomous vehicle in real-

To fulfill task in any mode of autonomy, the device must be equipped with the most accurate information, parameters and programs. Ideally, autonomous vehicle would be able to "retrieve" real-world information (such as changing the terrain and the terrain, etc.) into its software and, if necessary, by the operator to correct

Among autonomous vehicle requirements that can be perceived as borderline

• in what environment, in terms of an unfriendly/friendly atmosphere, the

• whether their mission will be demonstrative or will be interested in secrecy

Autonomous vehicles (ground or air) are especially valuable in environments where immediate information feedback is needed, manned ground or air vehicles

## *Military Factors Influencing Path Planning DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.86421*

*Path Planning for Autonomous Vehicles - Ensuring Reliable Driverless Navigation...*

sensor to the "base" of the autonomous vehicle and its cabling.

• the average speed of the resource depending on the specific

• acceleration (usually from zero to desired or maximum),

• ability to overcome climb/descent (usually expressed as a percentage),

• ability to overcome water barriers and a number of other parameters.

Mobility is also related to **terrain throughput**. A tactical view of terrain patency typically features three stages-through terrain (where no action is needed to move the device), partially through terrain (in which action must be taken towards the device or field so that it can be (although some radical measures could be taken to penetrate the terrain, but these measures would be inefficient for time or other reasons). The landing area of autonomous vehicle also relates to its undercarriage. There are terrains that are more suitable for wheeled chassis and on the contrary are terrains that can be easily overcome with tracked chassis. The ideal autonomous vehicle, which would be deployed in different terrain, could have a combined bogie

communication-on the road, on the ground, etc.,

the case of autonomous vehicle.

eters are listed:

• range,

• maximum travel speed,

• side tilt (usually in degrees),

• crossing the obstacle and pitch,

• the height, width and weight,

• consumption and necessity of refueling,

Partly autonomous means can be considered as a means of transporting directly

to this device, although some of the required functions will be automated and autonomous vehicle operators will either not influence at all or will be able to correct them. Under the declared crew protection (operator), we can understand the "only" protection of the entire device and its component components and sensors in

Like a standard combat vehicle, the autonomous vehicle should be able to withstand the effects of the environment (weather conditions, fulfillment of the task within the required temperature range, in dusty and other environments, etc.) as well as enemy effects in the form of explosive firefighting systems, enemy fire interventions to a certain caliber, contamination or ignition of autonomous vehicle area of operation, etc. An important role in the area of autonomous vehicle resilience and its ability to move and perform tasks in a particular environment will play the location of its components and sensors on the "base" of autonomous vehicle. It can be said that the autonomous vehicle as a whole will be so resistant to environmental influences (both natural and caused by human factor), how least its component, component, sensor will be resistant. Both in the profile (overlapping the sensor above the "base" of the autonomous vehicle) and attaching this

The autonomous vehicles should have the required **mobility parameters**, the ability to perform tasks in the widest possible sense of the word mobility. For most moving assets, and not only for the vehicles used by the army, the following param-

**12**

(wheel and belt) where it would autonomously (based on artificial intelligence) evaluate the most suitable variant of the chassis and "deploy" itself (it would move from one platform to second, or the process could be managed by the operator. Similarly, the problem of adhesion conditions could be solved in the sense of increasing or decreasing the contact surface of the undercarriage with the terrain, or an automatic or operator controlled change of autonomous vehicle aperture. For example, in the Russian army some combat vehicles have been introduced, which can change the clearance by up to 30 cm during the movement.

If the vehicle's clearance (vehicle) changes during movement, logically this will change the position of the center of gravity of the device. Due to the generally small dimensions of autonomous vehicle compared to other combat vehicles, the change in autonomous vehicle center of gravity may radically change (as a rule reduce) some other mobility-related features such as side tilt, climb/descending, etc. But this problem is technically feasible for autonomous vehicle. It can be envisaged that by changing the autonomous vehicle's aperture and thus increasing the center of gravity of the device, the autonomous vehicle could either autonomously or by an operator's intervention modify the axle or half-axle of the undercarriage so that at one side of the bottom of the "hull" the second is lower, and the original offshore characteristics can be achieved. With mobility, the dimensions, profile and weight of the autonomous vehicle and its parts, components and sensors are logically related.

The parameters in the **area of signal and command** can be included:


To fulfill task in any mode of autonomy, the device must be equipped with the most accurate information, parameters and programs. Ideally, autonomous vehicle would be able to "retrieve" real-world information (such as changing the terrain and the terrain, etc.) into its software and, if necessary, by the operator to correct the data and update it.

Among autonomous vehicle requirements that can be perceived as borderline between "combat power" and "mobility", views such as:

