New and novel: call for multi-domain autonomous systems

Dstl seeks early-stage novel and disruptive science and technology to advance defence robotics and autonomous systems

UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) sits within the National Armaments Director (NAD) Group, the part of UK defence responsible for developing, delivering and sustaining the UK’s national arsenal, as well as managing the defence estate, including its housing and harbour infrastructure.

This UK Defence Innovation (UKDI) competition is run on behalf of the Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (Dstl)’s Autonomy Programme Incubator project. It seeks cutting-edge low-technology readiness level (TRL) science and technology (S&T) ideas that may be matured to support military use of autonomous systems across land, sea and air environments. 

In this competition we will be running a 2-stage process to help innovators understand early on, and with reduced effort, if their idea is appropriate for the competition and to make the review and decision-making process more efficient. Successful candidates of stage 1 will be invited to proceed with stage 2 of the competition. Head to the competition document to learn more about this new 2 stage process.

Stage 1 of this competition is interested in early-stage science and technology ideas. It aims to test new ideas and demonstrate potential rather than maturing or developing a working system or concept.