Best Development Center Erdc Podcasts (2025)

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#32: Muddy: A mapping robot for extreme environments 38:50

20d ago38:50

38:50

A low-cost unmanned ground vehicle capable of producing 3D maps, the Muddy robot has solved a variety of mapping challenges since 2017. Developed by the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Muddy is often used to test more expansive robotic platforms and to enable other projects. Its combination of autonomous navigation, affor…

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#31: Wellbot: An innovative system to maintain relief wells 30:29

4M ago30:29

30:29

The nation’s levees and dams depend upon relief wells to alleviate underground pressure when water levels are high. However, microorganisms and natural chemicals in the water gradually leave a residue that clogs the wells’ porous screen walls, reducing their practical value and increasing the risk of dam or levee failure. Existing maintenance metho…

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#30: Oil on Ice: Improving spill response in frigid regions 38:04

7M ago38:04

38:04

The environmental and economic toll of large-scale oil spills, such as the Exxon Valdez and Deepwater Horizon incidents, can linger for decades. That’s why research into better techniques and technologies for rapidly responding to these disasters is critical. One aspect of oil spill response that requires particular attention is the effect of ice a…

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#29: Underkeel Clearance: Quantifying demand for USACE dredging 39:17

9M ago39:17

39:17

The ships calling upon U.S. ports have grown larger, and navigation channels must be dredged to greater depths to handle them. However, dredging is expensive, and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) needs more data-driven tools to prioritize limited resources more efficiently. Responding to this need, ERDC developed Underkeel Clearance. Applyi…

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#28: Advanced manufacturing: Using 3D printing, new materials and optimized designs to produce large-scale components 52:43

12M ago52:43

52:43

As America’s civil works infrastructure facilities age beyond their initial design lives, so do the thousands of individual components that keep them functioning. These original components were often fabricated using vintage material and manufacturing methods, making them costly, burdensome and time-consuming to replicate. However, if one of these …

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#27: RAIL: Making it easier to transport armored vehicles to austere locations 36:19

1+ y ago36:19

36:19

Despite modern transportation advancements, rail remains a superior method for moving heavy military equipment over vast inland distances. However, transporting tanks by train requires railyard facilities with specialized equipment capable of moving the armored vehicles onto and off of the rail cars. In response, the U.S. Army Engineer Research and…

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#26: Sand Boil Filter: A more efficient tool to combat internal levee erosion 29:53

1+ y ago29:53

29:53

When river levels rise, so does the threat of sand boils, which occur when water bubbles out of the ground near the base of a levee, surrounded by a mound of displaced soil. Caused by increased pressure, sand boils are a visible sign of erosion within a levee. And unless they are treated immediately, these sand boils will grow and more sediment wil…

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#25: CorpsCam: Enabling more proactive coastal management through real-time monitoring and data 43:33

2y ago43:33

43:33

Monitoring large and constantly changing coastlines can be expensive, time consuming and dangerous. Traditional surveying methods are also limited because they only provide a single snapshot in time and don’t capture the full picture. As a result, coastal managers don’t always have the information they need to understand dynamic coastal conditions …

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#24: Providing Supercomputing Resources to Enable DOD Problem Solving 25:24

2y ago25:24

25:24

We talk with Dr. Ben Parsons, chief technology officer with the High Performance Computing Modernization Program (HPCMP), about how the program enables the Department of Defense (DOD) to solve its most critical mission challenges. Managed by ERDC, the HPCMP delivers world-class high-performance computing and expertise to DOD engineers and scientist…

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#23: Arctic Mobility 45:10

2y ago45:10

45:10

We talk with Dr. Orian Welling and Mr. Michael Parker from ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory about how ERDC’s cold weather mobility expertise will directly help the U.S. military better protect and defend the Arctic. As the Arctic grows in strategic importance to the United States, the region also presents unique challenges to…

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#22: Using Augmented and Virtual Reality to Enable Next-Generation Engineering 43:15

2y ago43:15

43:15

We talk with Jeremy Herring and Kelly Ervin from ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory about how ERDC is enabling next-generation engineering by applying augmented reality and virtual reality capabilities.These disruptive technologies can help solve a diverse range of current and future problems by immersing users in virtual scenes. As uses cont…

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#21: Enhanced Terrain Processing 38:42

2+ y ago38:42

38:42

Soldiers are often forced to operate using outdated geospatial data that may not accurately represent current ground conditions. This creates challenges when trying to find the best possible routes for troop maneuvers or when selecting helicopter landing zones.The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) is developing a series of t…

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#20: Operational Energy 34:11

2+ y ago34:11

34:11

Military operations require large amounts of energy to train, move and sustain forces, as well as to power weapons platforms – and this is known as operational energy. Given the high human toll and financial cost of supplying this energy to frontline forces, new strategies are seeking to electrify the battlefield and reduce the reliance on fossil f…

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#19: Forecast-Informed Reservoir Operations 51:21

2+ y ago51:21

51:21

Managing a reservoir is a delicate balancing act. If you keep too much water, there may not be enough storage capacity when heavy rains hit, increasing the risk for catastrophic flooding. If you release too much water, there won’t be enough to supply nearby residents who depend upon the reservoir for their survival.For decades, this process has bee…

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#18: SandSnap 39:50

3y ago39:50

39:50

Knowing the size of sand grains on the nation’s beaches is important to many coastal management efforts. However, getting that information is labor intensive, and no nationwide database of sand grain size currently exists.To fill this void, ERDC has launched SandSnap, a collaborative effort to engage citizen scientists in a project that will build …

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#17: Modernizing the B-52 Through Supercomputing 28:28

3y ago28:28

28:28

Since entering service in 1955, the B-52 Stratofortress has held strategic importance as the most combat capable bomber in the U.S. inventory. However, the newest B-52 dates to 1962, and it has become increasingly difficult to find parts to service its original engines.To keep this valuable aircraft flying, the Air Force embarked on a Commercial En…

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#16: Invasive Fisheries 42:53

3y ago42:53

42:53

Invasive carp species pose a significant threat to native fisheries, disrupting ecological balances, inflicting economic harm and hampering recreational activities. One effort to mitigate this threat is focused on blocking these fish from entering the Great Lakes, where they could significantly disrupt a $7-billion fishing industry.Guided by ERDC r…

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#15: Joint Planning Services 34:18

3y ago34:18

34:18

It can take months or years for the Department of Defense to develop strategic and operational plans, with people, information and tools often scattered and stove-piped into silos.ERDC researchers have been working to develop a digital map-based environment for remote collaboration in near real time, enabling faster and more complete military plann…

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#14: Airfield Damage Repair 40:52

3y ago40:52

40:52

Given the strategic importance of air power in military conflicts, airfields often become targets. With airfield expertise that dates to World War II, ERDC has a rich history of developing solutions to rapidly repair and sustain airfields.Today, ERDC develops material and equipment solutions, as well as construction procedures, to push current Airf…

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#13: Permafrost Basic Research 40:20

3y ago40:20

40:20

Permafrost, or ground that has been frozen for at least two years, covers roughly a quarter of the Northern Hemisphere. And it is teeming with microbes, including many with unique characteristics that have allowed them to adapt to extremely low temperatures and survive for decades.As climate change threatens to thaw permafrost and revive these micr…

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#12: Structural Health Monitoring 39:19

3+ y ago39:19

39:19

Given the aging condition and economic importance of much of the nation’s navigation infrastructure, asset managers need accurate and real-time information on the conditions of structures operating well beyond their expected design lives. However, visual inspections of structures like locks and dams are often difficult and expensive.ERDC is filling…