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Power of ERDC

Power of ERDC

By: U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC)
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 Satisfy your curiosity and learn how some of our country’s smartest engineers and scientists are solving many of the toughest challenges facing the nation and the Warfighter. The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is comprised of seven research laboratories across four states, and one of its greatest strengths is its ability to combine the expertise from multiple laboratories into powerful, cross-disciplinary projects. Each month, we dive into one of these complex problems across its broad civil works and military mission space and ask ERDC’s world-class researchers about how they are discovering, developing and delivering practical cutting-edge solutions that make the world safer and better.Copyright 2026 Power of ERDC Political Science Politics & Government Science
Episodes
  • #45: Robot coyote prototype blends engineering with natural world expertise

    #45: Robot coyote prototype blends engineering with natural world expertise
    Feb 10 2026
    Bird strikes are a persistent and costly threat to aviation safety. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, more than 13,000 strikes are reported in the U.S. each year, costing hundreds of millions in damages and endangering both civilian and military aircraft. We are joined by ERDC’s Dr. Jake Jung and Dr. Brian Washburn with the U.S. Department of Agriculture – both research wildlife biologists – to discuss how these two organizations are working to develop innovative tools and techniques to address this complex problem. Among the innovations discussed is the “robot coyote,” a ground-based drone that has shown tremendous potential in helping manage the vast spaces of civilian and military airfields, keeping people and aircraft safe. Watch a video of this podcast on our website at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/45-robot-coyote_video. You can also see additional resources at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/45-robot-coyote_resources. Bird strikes are a persistent and costly threat to aviation safety. According to the Federal Aviation Administration, more than 13,000 strikes are reported in the U.S. each year, costing hundreds of millions in damages and endangering both civilian and military aircraft. We are joined by ERDC’s Dr. Jake Jung and Dr. Brian Washburn with the U.S. Department of Agriculture – both research wildlife biologists – to discuss how these two organizations are working to develop innovative tools and techniques to address this complex problem. Among the innovations discussed is the “robot coyote,” a ground-based drone that has shown tremendous potential in helping manage the vast spaces of civilian and military airfields, keeping people and aircraft safe. Watch a video of this podcast on our website at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/45-robot-coyote_video. You can also see additional resources at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/45-robot-coyote_resources.
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    36 mins
  • #44: Frontline Robotics: Enabling safer execution of one of the Army’s most dangerous tasks

    #44: Frontline Robotics: Enabling safer execution of one of the Army’s most dangerous tasks
    Feb 3 2026
    Combat engineers perform some of the military’s most dangerous duties, from breaching obstacles and clearing minefields to constructing front-line defensive positions while under enemy assault. ERDC’s Robotics for Engineer Operations – or REO – program is helping them do so safely. REO develops robotic capabilities that allow combat engineers to operate from safe standoff distances. These wide-ranging autonomous and teleoperated systems reduce risk while also multiplying force capacity and providing autonomous reconnaissance. We discuss REO with Dr. Ahmet Soylemezoglu, systems engineer at ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory and REO project lead. Topics include how REO began and its evolution (1:05), the challenges of incorporating autonomy in a combat environment (11:43) and how the effort benefits from the diverse skillsets of its team members (14:58). We also talk about industry and academic partnerships (20:48), lessons learned from field demonstrations (24:48), emergency response applications (28:31) and efforts to incorporate multi-machine teaming (31:52). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/44-REO_video. You can also see additional resources at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/44-REO_resources. For inquiries about REO, email ERDCinfo@usace.army.mil.
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    40 mins
  • #43: Strengthening the joint force with mechanics-based pavement innovation

    #43: Strengthening the joint force with mechanics-based pavement innovation
    Jan 27 2026
    When most people think about the military being ready for the fight, they picture aircraft and vehicles, not the pavements beneath them. We talk with Dr. Jeremy Stache, a research civil engineer at ERDC’s Geotechnical and Structures Laboratory, about why pavement science is essential to military mobility and power projection. Topics include the direct connection between pavement science and Army mobility (:52), the shift to mechanics-based models for pavement design (9:25), and the ability to model buried structures and risk (11:10). We also discuss how the research translates into helping commanders understand whether a runway is safe to use (17:43), how it supported the Army 250th Birthday parade (19:53), and how sensors and artificial intelligence will support next-generation decision making (24:51). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCpodcast.org/43-pavement-research_video. For additional information, visit PowerofERDCpodcast.org/43-pavement-research_resources.
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    28 mins
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