Darpa has been responsible for a number of advances that power our modern lives, including the internet, robotics, and voice recognition. The agency also organised a series of competitions in the period 2004-2007 which were designed to reward the development of autonomous driving systems.

“This is interesting because it is coming full circle,” Jeremy Carlson, a senior analyst at IHS Automotive in the area of advanced driver assist systems says. “A lot of the technology we see in automotive … autonomy came out of the Darpa challenges a few years ago.”

In the world of military vehicles, the GXV-T’s approach is revolutionary. Instead of lumbering across the battlefield protected by heavy armour, the vehicle’s occupants would be protected by intelligent systems. The object wouldn’t be to avoid being hit, or avoid being penetrated by the shots that do hit: the objective would be to avoid detection and engagement in the first place.

Military rover

“GXV-T’s goal is not just to improve or replace one particular vehicle it’s about breaking the ‘more armour’ paradigm and revolutionising protection for all armoured fighting vehicles,” said Kevin Massey, Darpa programme manager in a statement.

Artists impressions show vehicles that have more in common with a Mars rover than a tank, with a small body supported on four wheels at the end of arms that move independently, allowing the vehicle to scale boulders and other large objects. “It looks like one of those Halo vehicles,” says Scott Aughenbaugh, deputy director for strategic futures at the Center for Strategic and International Studies (CSIS), referencing the futuristic infantry vehicles seen in the shoot-‘em-up gaming classic.

In Darpa’s mock-ups, the vehicle’s interior is hi-tech and streamlined, with a head-up display presenting information directly into the field of view of the driver.