Students Design Wildly Cool Self-Driving Rescue Vehicle

If you’re in deep trouble, Deep Orange might be able to save you. Deep Orange 15 is a just-launched semi-autonomous rescue vehicle from the U.S. Army and Clemson University. It promises to let the driver help the injured while it drives them both to an emergency medical center, or even let the driver stay somewhere else for a little while for increased safety or more effective operations.

Off-Road Robot Rescue

The Deep Orange 15 is a high-speed, off-road, semi-autonomous search and rescue vehicle. It’s designed to get into tough-to-reach places and get people out — safely, quickly, and, in some cases, all by itself.

One of the challenges in the design brief was natural disaster relief. Disasters can alter the topography of an area, moving rivers and streams, destroying roads, and collapsing buildings. All of this can make it challenging to navigate safely, let alone accurately.

The extensive sensor suite that includes LiDAR and cameras can map the terrain on the way in to help it get itself out as quickly and safely as possible. The mapping data can also be shared to help crewed rescue efforts that are ongoing at the same time.

Another was for off-road rescue missions. The vehicle can reach a stranded hiker with a driver onboard. It can then drive back to the original location by itself while the driver gives the hiker aid on a rescue litter. Or it can send back two passengers while the driver stays to help other victims.

Diesel-Hybrid 4-Motor Power

Deep Orange 15 is a hybrid-powered vehicle. A diesel engine mounted in the chassis runs a generator that supplies power to a large battery pack. Drive comes from electic motors mounted in each of the four wheels.

The semi-autonomous rescue rig includes active suspension. This doesn’t just help it traverse rough terrain; the system can also help prevent further injuries to the people being rescued.

Sponsors include Fox Racing, Brembo and the U.S. Army’s DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC). The GVSC is using the modeling and simulation done by the Clemson students to help design its own new vehicles. The Army will get its hands on this vehicle once the students are done.

University Student-Built Project

Students built the project, as part of the Deep Orange program at Clemson University. The school describes Deep Orange as “a framework within Clemson University’s Department of Automotive Engineering that immerses graduate students into the world of a future OEM and/or supplier.”

The program is part of a master’s program for automotive engineering students. As the number suggests, this is the 15th project to emerge from the program, with past efforts including tracked autonomous vehicles, a high-speed autonomous race car, and vehicles that more closely resemble ones you might see on public roads.

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