SEATTLE, March 18, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Overland AI today unveiled SPARK, a comprehensive autonomy upfit that transforms any ground vehicle into a fully autonomous platform by integrating the company’s advanced OverDrive software stack with existing vehicle hardware. Designed for rapid deployment across existing military fleets, SPARK provides an immediate path to autonomy without the extended procurement timelines typically associated with new autonomous systems.
“By integrating SPARK, the DOD and other government departments can transform their existing fleets into autonomous ground vehicles, rapidly and at scale,” said Byron Boots, co-founder and chief executive officer of Overland AI. “This immediate capability provides tactical advantages in a military theater that is changing minute over minute.”
SPARK runs Overland’s OverDrive technology on an ultra-compact compute module that fits in most vehicles. Its perception system uses LiDAR and stereo cameras to see through darkness, dust, and storms, while tracking movement via integrated GPS, IMU, and speed encoders. The system’s modular, drive-by-wire design allows for rapid installation with minimal modifications to the host vehicle, preserving manual control capabilities when needed.
Overland AI’s SPARK integrates complex infrastructure, including perception sensors, compute, comms, and drive-by-wire, to rapidly upfit ground vehicles with advanced autonomy powered by OverDrive, the company’s autonomy stack.
Additionally, the modern battlefield demands vehicles that can operate in degraded environments where GPS may be denied and communication compromised. SPARK’s communications system maintains connectivity via Starlink, tactical mesh, LTE, and WiFi when possible, ensuring mission continuity even in the harshest conditions.
“Autonomous vehicles are force multipliers that allow a single operator to control multiple vehicles, all while out of harm’s way. Our troops deserve access to this technology in a matter of days, not years,” said Greg Okopal, chief operating officer of Overland AI.
To learn more about SPARK and see open roles, visit Overland AI’s website.
About Overland AI
Founded in 2022 and headquartered in Seattle, Washington, Overland AI is powering ground operations for modern defense. The company leverages over a decade of advanced research in robotics and machine learning, as well as a field-test forward ethos, to deliver advanced autonomy for unit commanders. Hazardous missions in austere and electronically denied environments demand that this technology is reliable and resilient. Overland AI’s SPARK autonomy upfit and OverDrive stack enable ground vehicles to navigate off-road without GPS or direct operator control, while its OverWatch C2 provides commanders with precisely coordinated capabilities that are vital for complex missions to succeed. Overland AI is developing these capabilities and putting them into the hands of tactical operators today.
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Cameron Langford
First Principles Communications
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/6ae03361-7811-41dc-ba7d-dcb4f9cfd739
