From DARPA RACER to the Battlefield
Greg Okopal, Co-Founder & COO, Overland AI joined Grayson Brulte on The Road to Autonomy podcast to discuss the founding of Overland AI at University of Washington.
Early on, Overland AI participated in the DARPA RACER program, growing from a company operating out of shipping containers at a rally driving school in Snoqualmie, Washington, to recently raising a $100 million round led by 8VC with continued participation from Point72 Ventures.
Today, Overland AI has autonomous vehicles embedded with the 82nd Airborne, where troops are actively using their flagship uncrewed vehicle, the Ultra, for last-mile resupply, establishing communications bubbles, and route-proofing ahead of manned convoys. The Ultra is designed to allow troops to easily swap payloads and perform maintenance directly in the field, increasing its modularity.
Episode Chapters
- 0:00 AUTNMY AI
- 0:24 DARPA RACER Program
- 7:43 Field First Development
- 16:30 Designing the Ultra
- 21:38 How Troops Are Using the Ultra
- 30:25 When Do Weapons Enter the Picture?
- 39:57 The Future of Overland AI
The future is bright. The future is autonomous. The future is The Road to Autonomy.
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