Aerospace & Defense: Developing Autonomous Robotics Refueling Capabilities

May 14, 2025

A ground vehicle autonomy software provider empowers users with its modular software framework for designing autonomous solutions for dangerous and dirty environments.

Rehana Begg

Related To:

Stratom

Designing autonomous systems from scratch is not a realistic proposition for most companies. And when it comes to core technical expertise for the defense industry, the task is best left to the pros.

Stratom has deep knowledge in mission-focused engineering, R&D and logistics/supply chain solutions, specializing in robotics, unmanned vehicles, automation, system engineering/integration and payload development.

Notably, Stratom was the first company to deliver robotic ground refueling solutions for aircraft and ground vehicles within the Department of Defense. An extension of this expertise is RAPID, a proprietary software for autonomously pumping fuels, charging electric vehicles or transferring hazardous liquids. The solution can be deployed to different vehicles and industries, ranging from mining, heavy retail/warehouse operations, trucking and construction to aviation/aerospace and the military.

Another example is the Summit Off-Road Autonomy Platform, which was developed to be a highly configurable, modular autonomous vehicle software that provides the essential framework required to implement an unmanned system.

Ahead of Automate 2025, Machine Design connected with Jack Ryan, director of Business Development, Stratom, to learn about plans for this year’s show.

Machine Design: One of Stratom’s specializations is to provide solutions for heavy materials, hazardous materials and materials with unique handling requirements in nontraditional surroundings. What are the main underlying technologies that Stratom excels at?

Jack Ryan: Stratom excels in developing ground vehicle autonomy software for both commercial and defense applications. Our team also develops autonomous ground vehicles optimized for heavy cargo movement in unstructured environments and off-road conditions.

MD: Which technologies are you highlighting at Automate 2025? Which industries are you targeting and why?

JR: Robotic refueling—as our commercial and defense customers seek to embed autonomous capabilities into their systems, Stratom has become a trusted partner in developing robotics refueling capabilities to interface with ground vehicles and helicopters.

Ground vehicle robotics—Stratom develops hardware and software solutions to address unique logistics challenges, specifically autonomous cargo movement in austere conditions.

MD: For those of us who are less familiar with the Summit Off-Road Autonomy Platform, please tell us about the unique capabilities and benefits across the modular architecture in terms of sensing, intelligence, controls & feedback, and UI.

JR: Stratom has been a trusted software provider for the department of defense and commercial customers. Our team had made significant contributions to maturing and standardizing the U.S. Army’s ground vehicle autonomy architecture, leveraging ROS2 as the middleware.

MD: As a specialist in uncrewed vehicle systems, which emerging technologies do you foresee having a lasting impact in the field? Conversely, which recent innovations face implementation hurdles?

JR: Both commercial and defense customers are actively seeking ways to conduct logistics and resupply operations without a human in the loop and moving towards one operator monitoring and/or controlling numerous unmanned systems.

For more show coverage, be sure to check out Machine Design’s Automate 2025 content hub.

About the Author

Rehana Begg | Editor-in-Chief, Machine Design

As Machine Design’s content lead, Rehana Begg is tasked with elevating the voice of the design and multi-disciplinary engineer in the face of digital transformation and engineering innovation. Begg has more than 24 years of editorial experience and has spent the past decade in the trenches of industrial manufacturing, focusing on new technologies, manufacturing innovation and business. Her B2B career has taken her from corporate boardrooms to plant floors and underground mining stopes, covering everything from automation & IIoT, robotics, mechanical design and additive manufacturing to plant operations, maintenance, reliability and continuous improvement. Begg holds an MBA, a Master of Journalism degree, and a BA (Hons.) in Political Science. She is committed to lifelong learning and feeds her passion for innovation in publishing, transparent science and clear communication by attending relevant conferences and seminars/workshops.

Follow Rehana Begg via the following social media handles:

X: @rehanabegg

LinkedIn: @rehanabegg and @MachineDesign