RISE Robotics has been awarded a $1.25 million Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II Award by US Air Force AFVentures to design an Ultra-Light 10K Loader enabled by RISE Technology.
The loader concept design will be capable of swift and safe manipulation of standard 463L cargo pallets in austere landing fields and will be a fraction of the weight of the legacy diesel-over-hydraulic 10K AT Forklift.
Adversarial advances in combat capabilities have prompted the US Air Force to pursue a strategy focused on launching, recovering, and maintaining aircraft from dispersed forward operating locations. Rather than relying on large overseas bases to project international power, Agile Combat Employment (ACE) leverages networks of austere air bases, multi-capable airmen, pre-positioned equipment and airlifts to rapidly deploy, disperse and maneuver combat capability throughout a theater. To be successful, the US Air Force must deploy reliable, low maintenance, and functional support equipment to operate effectively.
“Unloading and loading heavy cargo pallets from austere landing fields will be done with RISE’s lighter weight equipment that reduces transportation fuel usage,” said RISE Robotics CEO, Arron Acosta. “Today, commercial articulated wheel loaders with large off-road tires do the job well, but reducing fuel consumption is a new challenge best solved by RISE.”
RISE Robotics’ zero emission machines incorporate the patented RISE Cylinder (US Patent 11255416, Patent Pending: WO2019/014259), a fluid-free, electromechanical alternative to hydraulic cylinders for heavy equipment and machinery that addresses the battery-electrification problems inherent in hydraulic systems by delivering hydraulic-like forces at unprecedented efficiency, precision, speed, and weight. RISE Cylinder uses up to 90% less energy than hydraulic cylinders.
