{"73825":{"#nid":"73825","#data":{"type":"news","title":"Concept Vehicle Illustrates New Military Options","body":[{"value":"\u003Cp\u003EA concept vehicle designed to illustrate potential technology options for improving survivability and mobility in future military combat vehicles was shown publicly for the first time Sept. 13 at a military technology meeting in Virginia.\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe concept vehicle, known as the ULTRA AP (Armored Patrol), was built to help the U.S. military evaluate multiple science and technology options - including ballistic and mine protection - that could benefit future vehicle design.  The concept vehicle combines proven vehicle technologies with advanced materials and engineering concepts.  \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EResearch and development for the ULTRA has been conducted by the Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI), which led a unique team of research engineers from both GTRI and the automotive industry.  The research initiative has been sponsored by the Office of Naval Research (ONR).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u0022By bringing together experienced commercial vehicle designers with experts in advanced materials and cutting-edge engineering, we are providing a test bed for evaluating technologies that can help the military develop true \u0027leap-ahead\u0027 concepts,\u0022 said David Parekh, GTRI\u0027s deputy director.  \u0022By including persons with high-performance automotive engineering and NASCAR expertise as part of our team, we were able to root this advanced concepts project in real-world vehicle design.\u0022 \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ULTRA AP emphasizes high-output diesel power combined with advanced armor and a fully modern chassis.  The design matches the best of modern commercial automotive technology with racing experience, explained Gary Caille, a GTRI principal research engineer.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn the ULTRA AP, the GTRI\/industry team has made improvements in two key areas by taking a systems approach to survivability and safety:\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* \u003Cstrong\u003ESurvivability\u003C\/strong\u003E: This factor involves a vehicle\u0027s ability to shield occupants from hostile action.  The ULTRA AP will feature novel design concepts and research advances in lightweight and cost-effective armor to maximize capability and protection.  The new armor was designed at GTRI in partnership with the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering.  The vehicle also incorporates a \u0022blast bucket\u0022 designed to provide ballistic, blast and enhanced roll-over protection.  New vehicle designs must incorporate dramatically increased resistance to explosions caused by mines and improvised explosive devices, Caille noted.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E* \u003Cstrong\u003ESafety with Performance\u003C\/strong\u003E: The ULTRA design explored the use of on-board computers to integrate steering, suspension and brakes to provide an unparalleled level of mobility and safety, Caille added.  The new vehicle\u0027s integrated chassis represents an advancement over the most advanced current production vehicles.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ULTRA AP project has been supported by the Office of Naval Research (ONR) as part of its mission of investigating and assessing new technologies for military use.  By providing the ULTRA AP concept vehicle for the U.S. Marine Corps and U.S. Army to study, ONR expects to spur innovative thinking and gather feedback on the ideas being demonstrated.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EIn developing the ULTRA AP, GTRI brought together a group of industry professionals that included Scott Badenoch, an auto industry advanced development and racing professional; Tom Moore, former Chrysler vice president of Liberty Operations, the company\u0027s advanced engineering center; Walt Wynbelt, former program executive officer with the U.S. Army Tank Automotive and Armaments Command, and Dave McLellan, the former Corvette chief engineer for General Motors.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe ULTRA project is linked directly to \u0022e-safety,\u0022 an emerging automotive concept that combines computers and advanced technologies to make driving safer, McLellan noted.  In e-safety, night driving systems and stability control add security, while radar systems - already available in Europe - actually slow vehicles automatically under certain conditions.\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Georgia Tech Research Institute (GTRI) is the nonprofit applied research arm of the Georgia Institute of Technology.  GTRI conducts more than $140 million in research each year for a variety of industry and government clients in a broad range of technologies.  For more information, visit (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\u0022 title=\u0022www.gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ewww.gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E). \n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003EThe Office of Naval Research (ONR) manages science and technology research for the Navy and Marine Corps.  ONR sponsors basic and applied research in oceanography, advanced materials, sensors, robotics, biomedical science and technology, electronics, surveillance, mathematics, manufacturing technology, information science, advanced combat systems and technologies for ships, submarines, aircraft and ground vehicles.  For more information, visit (\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.onr.navy.mil\u0022 title=\u0022www.onr.navy.mil\u0022\u003Ewww.onr.navy.mil\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nGeorgia Institute of Technology\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n75 Fifth Street, N.W., Suite 100\u003Cbr \/\u003E\nAtlanta, Georgia  30308  USA\u003C\/strong\u003E\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003EMedia Relations Contacts\u003C\/strong\u003E:\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n(1)Kirk Englehardt, Georgia Tech Research Institute (678-557-2533 or 404-385-0280); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:kirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ekirk.englehardt@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E);\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n(2) John Toon, Georgia Institute of Technology (404-894-6986); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:john.toon@edi.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejohn.toon@edi.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E);\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n(3) Jane Sanders, Georgia Institute of Technology (404-894-2214); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:jane.sanders@edi.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Ejane.sanders@edi.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E);\u003Cbr \/\u003E\n(4) Office of Naval Research (703-696-5031); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:onrpao@onr.navy.mil\u0022\u003Eonrpao@onr.navy.mil\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E\n\u003Cp\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003ETechnical Contact\u003C\/strong\u003E: Gary Caille, Georgia Tech Research Institute (404-463-4603); E-mail: (\u003Ca href=\u0022mailto:gary.caille@gtri.gatech.edu\u0022\u003Egary.caille@gtri.gatech.edu\u003C\/a\u003E).\n\u003C\/p\u003E","summary":null,"format":"limited_html"}],"field_subtitle":[{"value":"ULTRA AP shows options for improving survivability and mobility in combat vehicles"}],"field_summary":[{"value":"A concept vehicle designed to illustrate potential technology options for improving survivability and mobility in future military combat vehicles was shown publicly for the first time Sept. 13 at a military technology meeting in Virginia.","format":"limited_html"}],"field_summary_sentence":[{"value":"ULTRA AP shows options for new military vehicles"}],"uid":"27303","created_gmt":"2005-09-11 00:00:00","changed_gmt":"2016-10-08 03:03:38","author":"John Toon","boilerplate_text":"","field_publication":"","field_article_url":"","dateline":{"date":"2005-09-13T00:00:00-04:00","iso_date":"2005-09-13T00:00:00-04:00","tz":"America\/New_York"},"extras":[],"hg_media":{"73826":{"id":"73826","type":"image","title":"ULTRA AP concept vehicle","body":null,"created":"1449178020","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:00","changed":"1475894681","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:41"},"73827":{"id":"73827","type":"image","title":"ULTRA AP side view","body":null,"created":"1449178020","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:00","changed":"1475894681","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:41"},"73828":{"id":"73828","type":"image","title":"ULTRA AP concept vehicle","body":null,"created":"1449178020","gmt_created":"2015-12-03 21:27:00","changed":"1475894681","gmt_changed":"2016-10-08 02:44:41"}},"media_ids":["73826","73827","73828"],"related_links":[{"url":"http:\/\/www.mse.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.onr.navy.mil\/","title":"Office of Naval Research"},{"url":"http:\/\/www.gtri.gatech.edu\/","title":"Georgia Tech Research Institute"}],"groups":[{"id":"1188","name":"Research Horizons"}],"categories":[],"keywords":[],"core_research_areas":[],"news_room_topics":[],"event_categories":[],"invited_audience":[],"affiliations":[],"classification":[],"areas_of_expertise":[],"news_and_recent_appearances":[],"phone":[],"contact":[{"value":"\u003Cstrong\u003EJohn Toon\u003C\/strong\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003EResearch News \u0026amp; Publications Office\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Ca href=\u0022http:\/\/www.gatech.edu\/contact\/index.html?id=jt7\u0022\u003EContact John Toon\u003C\/a\u003E\u003Cbr \/\u003E\u003Cstrong\u003E404-894-6986\u003C\/strong\u003E","format":"limited_html"}],"email":["jtoon@gatech.edu"],"slides":[],"orientation":[],"userdata":""}}}