Indian Army Received All 100 Robotic Mules Ordered from AeroArc

In a significant step towards modernizing its forces, the Indian Army has received a full order of 100 Robotic Mules from AeroArc, a New Delhi-based robotics company. These advanced, all-terrain robots are designed to support soldiers in diverse operational environments, enhancing their capabilities and safety.

The Robotic Mule is a rugged and versatile platform capable of traversing challenging terrain including stairs, steep hills, and even debris fields. With an IP-67 rating, it can withstand extreme weather conditions and operate in temperatures ranging from -40 to +55 degrees Celsius, making it suitable for deployment across India's varied geographical regions.

These robotic companions are much more than just pack mules. They can be equipped with a variety of payloads, including small arms weapon systems, electro-optical and thermal imaging sensors for enhanced situational awareness, loitering munitions, a robotic arm for manipulation tasks, and even chemical and radioactivity detection systems.

This versatility allows the Robotic Mule to significantly reduce the physical and cognitive burden on soldiers while increasing operational effectiveness.

Key features of the AeroArc Robotic Mule​

• Weight: 51 kg
• Ingress Protection: IP67
• Operational Temperature: -45°C to 55°C
• Top Speed: 3 m/s
• Stand-by Runtime: 20 hours
• CPU/GPU: NVIDIA Xavier
• Maximum Payload: 12 kg
• Assemble/Disassemble Time: 15 minutes

This procurement marks a major milestone in the Indian Army's modernization efforts. By integrating robotic technology into its operations, the army aims to enhance the safety of its personnel, improve operational efficiency, and maintain a technological edge in an increasingly complex security environment. The Robotic Mules will be a valuable asset in high-risk operations, providing soldiers with increased support and protection.

This development aligns with the Indian Army's broader push for technological advancements, as seen in recent initiatives like the HIMTECH symposium for high-altitude technologies and the Drone-A-Thon 2 competition. The army is actively exploring and procuring indigenous technologies to equip its soldiers for the challenges of modern warfare, particularly in demanding high-altitude environments.

 

[PKPRS]

This is really great, we now have a robotic K9 and a robotic mule , this effort needs to be really applauded, however it may have come from, great success in a short time.

 

[Bhishma]

Good for counter terror ops. Not so much for real war. Its vulnerable to jamming. With some slight tweaks, it can be turned into fully autonomous terminator dogs. You can expect this tech within the next 3-5 years. Imagine air dropping these buggers in a base and have them autonomously eliminate every human in sight. Only problem I can see is the difficulty to distinguish friend/civilians from foe.

 

[Sandeep]

This is a very important and critical technology, metal and process that we have developed. This will help us a lot in using it for our own indigenous engine if we develop it. Also we can try and sell this special metal to other countries who can use it to develop their own engines and make us part of their supply chain.

 

[Noir Dezzir]

HPC drum is NOT a "critical component that withstands extreme temperature and pressure." Not even close.

 

[Sandeep]

These mules will definitely help our troops to carry supplies in high altitude regions or very difficult accessible roads or border regions. The only problem is that it can only carry a payload of 12kg which is far too low. We need mules that can carry at least 30kg of weapons, ammunition, food, medical supplies etc. Now we would need to deploy more mules to carry those heavy weight supplies.

 

[Akshat]

These mules will definitely help our troops to carry supplies in high altitude regions or very difficult accessible roads or border regions. The only problem is that it can only carry a payload of 12kg which is far too low. We need mules that can carry at least 30kg of weapons, ammunition, food, medical supplies etc. Now we would need to deploy more mules to carry those heavy weight supplies.

That's why they have only ordered 100 for now. They will give feedback while the company works on more powerful models from the revenues generated. And then people blame the army for not supporting indigenous products. Wonder why only programs where DRDO/DPSUs are involved get stuck?

 

[Shafted mohammed]

HPC drum is NOT a "critical component that withstands extreme temperature and pressure." Not even close.

The whole components of High pressure compressor requires a very very special technology and process so that the components have to withstand very high temperature and stress. This requires a very special metallurgy and processes so that it can perform at those extreme conditions. There are six more processes that needs to be mastered so as to get high end engine. The high performance engines require all the technology , special alloys , their special casting process under high pressure , thermobaric coating , laser gun making micro holes for uniform cooling , the main fan Desiegn , CMC technology so as to increase the TET so that compression ratio is changed to optimize the performance.