The French defence company Safran has unveiled its eRider robotic vehicle at the Special Operations Forces Innovation Network Seminar (SOFINS) on 29th March 2017.
The eRider is a Light Strike Vehicle class used by the armed forces for both logistical and operational missions. It is thus a multi-mission 4×4 piloted vehicle, with configurable autonomous functions.
The eRider is in fact a four-wheel drive, hybrid vehicle in the light strike vehicle class, with multi-mission capability and reconfigurability (2 seat or 4 seat). Highly maneuverable and featuring low observability, the eRider can be conventionally driven, but it also has the intrinsic capabilities needed to carry out missions with partial or total autonomy.
Tracked by an airborne mini-drone, eRider has a “follow-me” mode enabling it to automatically follow the dismounted soldier. A capacity made possible thanks to a series of technological bricks developed by the automotive supplier Valeo in the framework of a partnership initiated four years ago with Safran.
The eRider, which weighs 1,500 kg, has a maximum payload capacity of 500 kg, in other words four equipped soldiers. The vehicle has a range of 300km and a maximum speed of 70 kph thanks to a 20kW electric motor powered by a Lithium-ion battery of 72V (10kW).