Lightening the load of a USMC Rifle Platoon through robotics integration

Abstract

With the increase of the loaded weight that a Marine carries, the integration of robotics is a significant point of interest to the United States Marine Corps, especially to the Expeditionary Energy Office. Through the use of the agent-based modeling and simulation application, Pythagoras, robots are integrated into a Marine Expeditionary Unit’s rifle platoon to alleviate the burden on each Marine. This study examines the rifle platoon’s energy and power consumption, operational reach, and operational effectiveness for a scouting and patrolling mission. A systems engineering methodology results in a tradeoff analysis on the rifle platoon’s success, relative to the number of integrated robots. Integrating six robots in a rifle platoon can improve the platoon’s ability to fulfill its mission, while supporting the Marine Corps’ energy strategy. In the context of energy initiatives, this research forms the baseline for investigating the impact of robot integration in Marine combat operations through simulations.