THeMIS 5th generation UGV. Credit: Milrem Robotics / WikiCommons.

Brisbane robotics and artificial intelligence (AI) company Cyborg Dynamics Engineering has secured a contract to develop a new semi-autonomous uncrewed ground vehicle (UGV) for the Australian Defence Force (ADF).

Awarded by the Australian Government, the contract is valued at $2.44m (A$3.3m) and is the company’s first award with Australia’s Defence Innovation Hub.

Go deeper with GlobalData

Go deeper with GlobalData

The gold standard of business intelligence.

Find out more

Discover B2B Marketing That Performs

Combine business intelligence and editorial excellence to reach engaged professionals across 36 leading media platforms.

Find out more

Australia Defence Industry Minister Melissa Price said: “The Morrison Government invests in Australian businesses like Cyborg Dynamics because we understand that truly cutting-edge innovation could provide leading capabilities and better protection for the Australian Defence Force.”

The AI company will combine a suite of supporting Australian technologies into a modular and robotic platform.

If successful, the robotic platform could improve the load carriage, fire support and other protection capabilities for dismounted soldiers.

According to a statement released by the Australian Department of Defence, the platform will also explore on-board AI target recognition and advanced driving technologies.

GlobalData Strategic Intelligence

US Tariffs are shifting - will you react or anticipate?

Don’t let policy changes catch you off guard. Stay proactive with real-time data and expert analysis.

By GlobalData

The technologies will enable single person operation and enhance in-field soldier capabilities and lethality.

The goal of the platform is to reduce operator risk by providing a robotic-assisted force.

Price added: “The government’s investment in innovation through the Defence Innovation Hub is critical to ensuring defence maintains a capability advantage as Australia’s strategic environment continues to rapidly evolve.”

In April last year, the Australian Government granted funds of approximately $5m to 11 local small to medium-sized companies, which included Cyborg Dynamics, to support the growth of the country’s defence industry capability.

This April, Milrem Robotics delivered the first THeMIS UGV to its Australian homeland security specialist XTEK.

Army Technology Excellence Awards - Nominations Closed

Nominations are now closed for the Army Technology Excellence Awards. A big thanks to all the organisations that entered – your response has been outstanding, showcasing exceptional innovation, leadership, and impact across the defence sector.

Excellence in Action
SignalGeneriX has won the Autonomous Technology Innovation Award for its LOTUS AI Mission Computer -a compact, rugged edge AI platform delivering up to 100 TOPS for ISR, EW, robotics and autonomous systems. Discover how LOTUS is redefining real-time decision-making and autonomy across demanding defence missions.

Discover the Impact