ULTRA AP

A high-tech concept vehicle Georgia Tech helped design made its first appearance at a military technology meeting in Virginia in September.

The ULTRA AP (armored patrol) vehicle combines advanced materials and engineering. The Georgia Tech Research Institute assembled a unique team, which included automotive industry engineers with NASCAR expertise, to develop the vehicle. The project is sponsored by the Office of Naval Research.

"By bringing together experienced commercial vehicle designers with experts in advanced materials and cutting-edge engineering, we are providing a test bed for evaluating technologies that can help the military develop true ‘leap-ahead' concepts," said David Parekh, GTRI's deputy director. "By including persons with high-performance automotive engineering and NASCAR expertise as part of our team, we were able to root this advanced concepts project in real-world vehicle design."

"The ULTRA AP emphasizes high-output diesel power combined with advanced armor and a fully modern chassis. The design matches the best of modern commercial automotive technology with racing experience, said Gary Caille, a GTRI principal research engineer. "In the ULTRA AP, the GTRI/industry team has made improvements in two key areas by taking a systems approach to survivability and safety."

Survivability involves a vehicle's ability to shield occupants from hostile action. The ULTRA AP features novel design concepts and research advances in lightweight and cost-effective armor to maximize capability and protection. The new armor was designed at GTRI in partnership with the Georgia Tech School of Materials Science and Engineering. The vehicle also incorporates a "blast bucket" designed to provide ballistic, blast and enhanced rollover protection.

The ULTRA design uses onboard computers to integrate steering, suspension and brakes to provide an unparalleled level of mobility and safety, Caille said.

The concept vehicle is being studied by the Marine Corps and the Army.
http://www.gtri.gatech.edu/