3 questions to Efthymios Pachos from iKnowHow (IKH)

We asked 3 questions to Efthymios Pachos from iKnowHow (IKH) Greece:

Why did your company get involved in the COMMANDS project?

iKnowHow is a leading company in custom-built robotics and automation solutions, with prototypes and products successfully developed for the needs of the civil sector. The company’s participation to the COMMANDS project served a two-fold objective: on one hand the expansion and involvement in the defence sector, which constitutes a company’s strategic decision and on the other, the further development of its innovative ideas, supporting a broader perspective in providing efficient solutions in diverse applications. The opportunity of advancing its innovation capacity, while creating at the same time new cross-border synergies and exchange of expertise, supported the final decision for participation in the COMMANDS project.

What is your specific role in the project?

iKnowHow will provide its expertise in the development of UGVs and autonomous systems, contributing to the overall COMMANDS endeavour, from the definition of single vehicle and System of Systems architectures to the integration of individual intelligent technologies for the support of advanced and effective capabilities. The company’s experience in the areas of robotics engineering, mechatronics, system integration and sensor data fusion through custom-built clever algorithms for the execution of specific tasks, will add high value to the final outcome  of the COMMANDS project. iKnowHow will contribute to the development of most intelligent technologies that will be tested in the laboratory and mobile demonstrators, serving the strict requirements of modern defence systems.

How do you see the added value of COMMANDS for the European armed forces?

COMMANDS is fully aligned with the needs of the European Armed Forces, as it complies with the prioritization of the Capability Development Plan (CDP), in the domain of Ground Combat Capabilities. Moreover, the project will elaborate on and further advance the modern concept of collaborative warfare, by seamlessly integrating advanced technologies and functions in modular open architectures. In parallel, COMMANDS will address the challenging task of operating unmanned and autonomous ground vehicles in unstructured environments, taking advantage of computer based processing technologies, machine learning and artificial intelligence. On top of all that and most importantly, COMMANDS will develop and enhance individual technologies that will be available both for upgrading current systems, as well as for integration in future vehicles, in a System of Systems warfare concept.