In February nearly 300 interdisciplinary researchers, industry leaders and government officials converged on Clemson, SC for three days of research discussions and demonstrations on the future of mobility.

The gathering was part of the annual review of the VIPR-GS Research Center, a partnership between Clemson University and the US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) aimed at developing innovative digital engineering tools for rapid exploration and design of the next generation of on- and off-road vehicles. VIPR-GS, an acronym for Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems, consists of 80 Clemson faculty from across 13 departments and more than 130 student researchers. Together, they are working on 43 active translational research projects in labs throughout South Carolina.

“Our partnership with the US Army and industry leaders helps ensure that our research is grounded in real-world application. The ability to take our foundational research and transition it into something that moves the industry forward is really meaningful.”

– Dr. Rob Prucka,
Director, VIPR-GS Research Center
Director, Deep Orange Vehicle Prototyping Program
Alan Kulwicki Professor of Motorsports Engineering

After a tour of the VIPR-GS Research Center facilities at the Clemson University International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville, SC, the events moved to the Madren Conference Center in Clemson, SC for two days of demonstrations and presentations. In addition to sessions featuring faculty and industry professionals, student researchers had the opportunity to highlight their work during a poster display exhibition. Each presentation was aligned with ongoing research based on the key components of the VIPR-GS Research Center: autonomy, power systems, and digital engineering. In recent years some research has been tested and displayed through vehicles produced by the Deep Orange program, an accelerated and immersive vehicle concept development framework within the Department of Automotive Engineering. In partnership with GVSC and the VIPR-GS Research Center, Clemson students produced two high-speed autonomous vehicles designed for off-road, non-combat missions. These prototype vehicles will continue to serve as platforms for real-world validation of joint research projects.

Now in its sixth year, the VIPR-GS Research Center produces an impact far beyond any single project by compressing design and development timelines producing tools for smarter, faster and more cost-effective autonomous vehicles. Two critical themes of this process and the future of the VIPR-GS Research Center are digital engineering and Human Machine Integrated Formations (HMIF), the optimization and integration of technology and human capabilities. Dr. Philip Frederick, Deputy Chief Scientist for the US Army Ground Vehicle Systems Center, emphasized each discipline and the value of the VIPR-GS Research Center during his keynote address.

“As demonstrated through the recent Deep Orange projects, VIPR-GS is ideally positioned to utilize the knowledge of faculty and students, along with digital engineering and industry relationships, to not only create valuable research for today, but that continually builds for a lasting impact.”

– Dr. Philip Frederick, Deputy Chief Scientist for the US Army Ground Vehicle Systems

A common theme in the presentations was the importance of people and relationships. In addition to the touted Clemson faculty and students, GVSC and the VIPR-GS Research Center maintain strong partnerships with universities and industry leaders across South Carolina and the nation. Dr. Frederick stressed that while the research has valuable real-world applications, “it’s always the people who ultimately develop and use the technologies.” To illustrate this value, Dr. Prucka told the story of Drew Girshovich, a graduate of the Department of Automotive Engineering and Deep Orange 15 team member, who, after graduation began working for an industry partner in Greenville, SC, where he is continues to collaborate with VIPR-GS and GVSC on ongoing projects.

“The mission of the VIPR-GS Research Center is to help the US Army produce research and resources to develop better vehicles, but perhaps our most meaningful product is our students and future industry leaders. Ultimately the industry is run by people, and I couldn’t be prouder of the role Clemson plays in developing the future workforce and pushing the industry forward.”

– Dr. Rob Prucka,
Director, VIPR-GS Research Center
Director, Deep Orange Vehicle Prototyping Program
Alan Kulwicki Professor of Motorsports Engineering

Acknowledgment: This work was supported by Clemson University’s Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy Enabled Ground Systems (VIPR-GS) under Cooperative Agreement W56HZV-21-2-0001 with the US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. OPSEC9574.

Las Vegas is synonymous entertainment, new relationships and unforgettable experiences —an apt description of a recent trip for Clemson University’s Automotive Engineering students.

Student and faculty representatives from Deep Orange, Clemson University’s accelerated vehicle concept development program, were invited to display their latest prototype vehicle at the 2024 Special Equipment Market Association (SEMA) Show in Las Vegas. The event brings together the latest innovations and custom vehicle trends from across the world, and this year featured a high-speed, off-road, semi-autonomous search and rescue vehicle know as Deep Orange 15.  While the vehicle and program were acclaimed for their potential impact on the industry, the experience itself made quite an impression on the attending students.

Situated in the “Future Tech Innovation” section of the event, the Deep Orange display provided students the opportunity to showcase their work and engage with industry leaders. Deep Orange team member Dev Gupta reflected on his experience saying, “I was pretty nervous about how our work would be received at such a grand show, but the overwhelming interest and feedback from professionals in the mobility industry have inspired us to push even further.”

Fellow team member Rohit Godse echoed these sentiments, noting the value of interacting with industry professionals. “This marked my first ‘business trip,’ and it was an exceptional opportunity for me to interact with a diverse group of industry leaders. Answering technical questions about our vehicle and explaining our design choices was challenging, but incredibly rewarding. It was a great exercise in communication—something I’ll carry with me as I move forward in my career,” said Godse.

When they weren’t engaging with visitors at the Deep Orange display, the students explored the rest of the event’s expansive show floor to see the latest in design and innovation. “As a passionate engineer I have an appreciation for the value of sophisticated software and advanced technology, but I observed some vehicles where the only significant changes were to the exterior design – fancy lighting and sleek aesthetics – and those booths were just as packed,” said Deep Orange member Ajay Krishnan. “It was a real eye-opener, offering a fresh perspective on everything the end user may value.”

While in Las Vegas, the team tested the functionality of Deep Orange 15 at Nellis Dunes, an off-road vehicle recreation area offering vastly different terrains than their testing grounds in South Carolina. “Watching months of work pay off during the testing process was incredibly fulfilling,” said Godse. “Completing successful tests and then driving the vehicle to our booth with sand-covered, dirt-streaked tires was a moment I’ll never forget.”

As the trip came to a close, the team members reflected not only on their once-in-a-lifetime experience at the SEMA Show, but also on the educational journey that led them there. “Being part of a university that prioritizes hands-on, project-based learning has been invaluable. Opportunities like SEMA Show empower students to bridge the gap between academia and industry,” said Gupta. “It was such a privilege to represent Clemson and showcase our work on such a prominent platform.”

DISTRIBUTION STATEMENT A. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. OPSEC9311.

Acknowledgment: This work was supported by Clemson University’s Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy Enabled Ground Systems (VIPR-GS), under Cooperative Agreement W56HZV-21-2-0001 with the US Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC).

Clemson University unveiled its latest groundbreaking autonomous rescue vehicle, Deep Orange 15, on Aug. 13 at the Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering & Technology Symposium (GVSETS) in Novi, Michigan.

Deep Orange 15, an advanced, high-speed, off-road, semi-autonomous search-and-rescue vehicle, is equipped with semi-active suspension, an innovative litter-loading mechanism, a high-voltage battery, a rotating passenger seat to assist victims and a series hybrid powertrain.

The vehicle is the 15th created as part of Deep Orange, Clemson’s flagship student vehicle prototype education program, where master’s students in the University’s Department of Automotive Engineering work with industry professionals to strategize on the customers’ needs, develop unique concepts and engineer and build each vehicle from scratch.

Sponsors of Deep Orange 15 are: Clemson’s Virtual Prototyping of Autonomy-Enabled Ground Systems program (VIPR-GS); U.S. Army’s DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC); Brembo; Fox Racing; and North American Rescue.

With the support of these organizations, Clemson students apply research topics that not only help advance autonomy technology but also help students gain hands-on skills to expand their experience and knowledge.

Robert Prucka, the faculty lead on Deep Orange 15, said the team is excited to unveil the vehicle.

“Our Deep Orange students collaborated across an 18-month period to develop this autonomous, high-speed, off-road relief vehicle from the ground up,” said Prucka, the Alan Kulwicki Professor of Motorsports Engineering. “Getting the opportunity to show our work and research at the GVSETS symposium provides our students with an understanding of the significance of these new technologies and the opportunity they are receiving from being a part of the Deep Orange program.”

GVSC is a major Deep Orange sponsor and is hosting the symposium at which Deep Orange 15 is being unveiled.

David Gorsich, the chief scientist at GVSC, emphasized that the deployment of autonomous vehicles is a priority for the U.S. Army.

“Through our digital transformation, virtual prototyping and digital engineering practices will enable us to design ground vehicles from a formations perspective and understand how specific technologies provide warfighting capabilities up-front, long before we go into production decisions,” he said. “The modeling and simulation done at Clemson and the teamwork in programs like Deep Orange are exemplars of how the Army Futures Command shapes the future.”

The Deep Orange program at Clemson is set up to create advanced vehicles for the vehicle sponsor and prepare students for future success.

Among them is Anirudda Joshi, a student pursuing a master’s degree in automotive engineering and serving as the engineering project manager for Deep Orange.

“Deep Orange’s product is not only the vehicle but also the student,” Joshi said. “It has been an honor to take part in Deep Orange 15. The hands-on engineering experience is beyond anything we would have received from the classroom alone. We look forward to sharing what we have created.”

The focus is on all aspects of automotive engineering, which helps students develop and hone their skills to prepare them for jobs at major automotive original equipment manufacturers and their suppliers.

Following the graduation of the student team, the Deep Orange 15 vehicle will stand as a unique and advanced research asset for Clemson University, propelling it to the forefront of autonomous high-speed off-road research.

The vehicle will serve as a validation and verification tool for the complex dynamic modeling of autonomous vehicles in challenging terrains and as an advanced deployment platform for pioneering control algorithms and energy management strategies for off-road vehicles.

Here are some of the challenges Deep Orange 15 was designed to address:

Natural Disaster Relief and Reconnaissance Mission
A natural disaster, such as a hurricane or an earthquake, changes the topography of the area and puts numerous people in immediate danger. The vehicle and two passengers must get to the scene within the golden hour (hour of time in which medical assistance is crucial for survival), create a digital map of the area, and make it back autonomously with the injured person and one passenger while the original driver stays behind at the scene to help others who are in need of assistance.

Off-Road Terrain Rescue Mission
A dehydrated hiker is stranded in a rocky area with a broken leg and needs medical attention. The vehicle must get to the hiker through the rocky terrain and get back to its original location unmanned while the driver assists the hiker in the back of the vehicle on a rescue litter.

Each year, natural disasters cause significant damage and disruption to the nation’s transportation infrastructure, destroying delivery routes to affected populations and complicating efforts to assess the situation.

In 2022 alone, natural disasters caused an estimated $165.1 billion in damages in the United States, according to the U.S. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).

To expedite the delivery of supplies and to gather real-time data for emergency responders, Clemson University students at the International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR) in Greenville, S.C. developed an off-road reconnaissance and relief vehicle that can navigate all on its own.

Equipped with lidars, cameras and high-accuracy GPS (GNSS), the autonomous vehicle can sense and navigate on unknown terrain. The vehicle can reach 45 mph, scale 18-inch high obstacles, maneuver 60% grade surfaces and pivot 360 degrees in place in two seconds.

Its adaptable series-hybrid powertrain allows for powerful maneuverability and improved fuel economy as well as silent travel in electric-only mode. When the vehicle arrives at its destination, it can deliver emergency supplies and act as a mobile generator in case of electricity disruptions without putting humans in harm’s way.

The vehicle is a result of Clemson’s flagship rapid vehicle prototype program, Deep Orange, housed within the University’s two-year master’s degree focused on systems integration in automotive engineering. To make such an ambitious project possible, two cohorts of Deep Orange students collaborated across three years to develop this autonomous, high-speed, off-road relief vehicle from the ground up.

Students worked with faculty and staff at Clemson’s International Center for Automotive Research (CU-ICAR), along with the project’s primary sponsor U.S. Army DEVCOM Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC).

Clemson announced its strategic partnership with GVSC in 2020 when the University founded its Virtual Prototyping of autonomy-enabled Ground Systems (VIPR-GS) center, backed by the U.S. Department of Defense. The partnership was designed to propel research breakthroughs in off-road vehicle autonomy, powertrain electrification, and digital engineering tools to more effectively support the mission of GVSC.

“Reliable and robust off-road driverless technology is critical to developing the next generation of military mobility vehicles. Even more critical is developing skilled and experienced engineers who can continue to drive innovation in our sector in the future. This project addresses powertrain electrification and digital engineering processes, which are key development areas for GVSC. Along with autonomy, these development areas are the driving forces behind GVSC’s research partnership with Clemson.”
– David Gorsich, U.S. Army Chief Scientist at GVSC

After the student team graduates, the Deep Orange 14 vehicle represents a unique and complex state-of-the-art research asset for Clemson, catapulting the University to the forefront of autonomous high-speed off-road research.

“The Deep Orange 14 vehicle provides not only a validation and verification tool for the intricate dynamic modeling of tracked skid steer vehicles in challenging topographies, but also a sophisticated deployment platform for cutting-edge control algorithms and energy management strategies for series hybrid vehicles,” said Assistant Professor Dr. Matthias Schmid, a faculty co-lead for Deep Orange 13/14 and VIPR-GS researcher. “As an advanced sensor platform, it will help us shape the next generation of situational awareness through sensor and data fusion at high speeds in an unprecedented setting.”

Access to such a highly developed research tool with its multilayered system integration is a rare opportunity in academia and distinct research advantage for Clemson, according to Schmid.

“Witnessing the development of a vehicle from the ground up and observing its successful performance while meeting all specifications is incredibly rewarding,” said Kaivalya Khorgade, who served as Deep Orange 14’s chief vehicle engineer. “With its tracked design and advanced series-hybrid powertrain, the vehicle can conquer various obstacles, while its autonomous features, including an array of camera and lidar sensors, offer invaluable data collection and urban reconnaissance capabilities.”

“Being challenged as a student to develop something of this complexity, something at the edge of technology, is an incredible learning experience – Let alone seeing their work live on through the discoveries of our researchers,” said BWM Chair in Systems Integration at Clemson Chris Paredis, who oversaw the Deep Orange program during both cohorts.

“It’s not just making everything work, it’s creating data logging and input capabilities to inform research across autonomy, vehicle dynamics, powertrain performance, thermal management, and more.”
– Chris Paredis, BMW Chair in Systems Integration at Clemson

The Clemson team debuted their design in Novi, Michigan at the 15th Annual Ground Vehicle Systems Engineering and Technology Symposium (GVSETS).

MISSION SCENARIOS

The vehicle addresses two mission scenarios, which students used to determine the vehicle’s technical specifications and critical functions.

1. Cold Weather Disaster Relief Mission

An unexpected snowstorm blocks highways and leaves civilians in need of food, water, and power for electricity. The autonomous vehicle must provide much-needed resources until workers can repair the local infrastructure, traversing unknown off-road terrain to get to the town in time.

2. Urban Reconnaissance Mission

A natural disaster such as a hurricane or flood changes the topography so dramatically that even aerial cameras are not able to discern if the area is traversable. The autonomous vehicle must drive through the area to assess damage, create a digital map and determine whether ground vehicles behind it would be able to pass or get stuck.

CRITICAL VEHICLE FUNCTIONS

Autonomous Off-Road Path Planning

Using LiDARs, cameras, and GPS, the Deep Orange vehicle navigates autonomously through unstructured, dynamically-changing environments. The autonomy algorithms can plan missions through unknown terrain, gathering information and updating maps based on the on-board sensors.

Off-Road Maneuverability

With its 24-inch-wide tracks, the Deep Orange vehicle can traverse almost any terrain. It can travel at speeds up to 45 mph, scale 18-inch-high obstacles and perform a full 360-degree pivot-in-place in less than two seconds.

Landscape Reconnaissance

After a natural disaster such as a hurricane or earthquake, the Deep Orange vehicle can venture out to gather information about the changed landscape and determine the traversability of the terrain to aid subsequent logistical support. Exterior pan-tilt-zoom cameras can be manipulated and viewed remotely while the vehicle moves autonomously. Collected data is compiled into a map to be wirelessly sent via 5G network for analysis.

Series Hybrid Propulsion

The vehicle’s tracks are powered by permanent magnet synchronous motors that can produce 340 kW (456 HP) of peak power per track.  A 53kWh battery allows for eight hours of low-speed silent watch capability.  In addition, a 3.0L V6 onboard diesel generator can fully replenish the battery in 30 minutes, provide additional power for the traction system during high power-demand maneuvers or act as a mobile generator for survivors when it reaches its destination.

Dynamic Research Platform

With an intuitive user interface for remote control and autonomy, the Deep Orange vehicle is ready to be used by researchers working on advanced autonomy, energy management, vehicle dynamics and digital twins. It includes extensive sensor suites for vehicle dynamics, powertrain and energy management, and thermal management. The data for all these sensors are accurately time-stamped and curated to make it available for further analysis by researchers.