Autonomous CASEVAC 2025
Publish date: 2026-02-17
Report number: FOI-R--5910--SE
Pages: 24
Written in: Swedish
Keywords:
- Autonomy
- casualty extraction and evacuation
- CASEVAC
- UGV
- route planning
- body pose analysis
Abstract
In the Autonomous Medical Transport project, technology is being developed to enable efficient use of autonomous ground platforms for extraction and evacuation of wounded soldiers. The report describes the progress the project made during 2025, where the focus has been on three areas deemed particularly important for autonomous platforms to become effective tools for extracting and transporting injured soldiers: (i) detection of persons and body pose analysis in thermal (IR) camera images, (ii) route planning for ground vehicles with respect to vibration levels, and (iii) control of a robotic dog that acts as a link between the transport vehicle and the injured soldier, for example, to enable delivery of a tag line to the injured person. The purpose of the IR image analysis is to enable the autonomous vehicle to position itself correctly relative to the injured soldier and make extraction or onboard loading as safe and efficient as possible. The route planning aims to give freedom regarding the choice of the ground vehicle's path, so it does not always have to take the shortest or fastest route, but can plan a route that minimizes the strain on an onboard injured soldier. The report also summarizes the project's participation at an exercise in Västervik in May 2025 (Sjukvårdsövning 25), where results were presented and discussed together with representatives from the Armed Forces.