CAL FIRE and Overland AI Lead First Evaluation of Autonomous Ground Vehicles for Wildfire Response
The California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CAL FIRE) and Overland AI joined together to demonstrate autonomous resupply and wildfire logistics, as well as fire suppression efforts via pan-tilt-zoom (PTZ) camera, for wildfire operations at Camp Pendleton, California.
Two of Overland AI’s ULTRA vehicles—a fully autonomous ground platform with off-road maneuverability and modular payloads—were piloted by OverDrive, the company’s autonomy software. Overland AI also integrated a variety of payloads to deliver continuous situational awareness and increase productivity with autonomous resupply. These payloads included the PTZ camera along with mission packages designed to deliver food, water, hose, batteries, and other critical equipment to remote fire lines.
In a coordinated mission, the ULTRA platforms autonomously delivered supplies across austere terrain and established persistent overwatch. The vehicles then repositioned to elevated ground to support future communications relay needs. Together, these unmanned ground vehicles demonstrated autonomous logistics and mobile situational awareness payloads as complementary capabilities that increase support to operations at the fire line.
"This demonstration is in line with what CAL FIRE is trying to do today with our larger autonomy plan and how we see the future of firefighting as a force multiplier," said Deputy Chief Jack Worden, from the Office of Wildfire Technology, Research and Development at CAL FIRE. "That applies not only within CAL FIRE but across the fire service as a whole."
Overland AI has worked closely with government agencies to shape how ground autonomy can meet operational demands, delivering autonomous platforms that adapt to mission requirements rather than asking those agencies to conform to rigid technology. The company’s success in the field is underpinned by autonomy that can maneuver aggressively, deploy to where it is most needed, and deliver effects across a wide variety of mission sets. This capability has enabled Overland AI to broaden its work into dual-use applications such as wildfire response, where reliable off-road mobility and persistent support are critical for protecting communities.
"ULTRA continues to show how autonomous land systems can strengthen missions from national defense to critical public safety," said Byron Boots, co-founder and chief executive officer of Overland AI. "It is an honor to support wildfire operations with our capability."
