A combat-ready robot equipped with AI, known as “Perun”, has been developed by the Mechanics Plant in Tarnów after receiving grant support from the Polish state.
Perun’s AI capacity enables it to navigate obstacles to get from A to B without the assistance of operators, however, thanks to cameras it has installed, operators can watch how it is coping in the field from a distance of up to two miles.
The robot, which has been undergoing field tests near the town of Giżycko, was developed with the help of a $1.5 million grant for young scientists from the National R&D Center.
The project is led by the Tarnów plant but there is also participation from the Warsaw Technical Academy and the “Stekop” company from Białystok.
The prototype is equipped with a remote module that includes a machine gun and systems for deterrence. It also contains sensors such as those for detecting direction of fire, weather conditions, pollution, and radiation levels. It has enough power to operate for 10 hours at time.
The CEO of the Tarnów plant, Henryk Łabędź believes the product will be an asset to Poland’s armed forces.
“Autonomous platforms are the future for combat. A damaged vehicle can be repaired or replaced. Human life, however, is priceless. Our consortium is looking to the future and is implementing a project which will lighten the load for ground troops allowing for more ammunition and specialist equipment to be carried on missions and will assist in patrol and reconnaissance duties,” he said.
“The product is being met with increasing interest and we trust that Poland’s armed forces will identify it as potentially meeting their needs.”
