Best Development Center Erdc Podcasts (2025)

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#36: SandHound: Applying robotics to advance critical coastline survey capabilities 31:47

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2h ago31:47

31:47

For several sweltering weeks along the North Carolina coastline, an ERDC team pushed a quadruped robot with a suite of advanced sensors to its limit to test its ability to conduct critical beach landscape surveys. The research – known as the SandHound Project – is working to validate whether the quadruped can operate at all levels of the coastal la…

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#35: Tech Transfer: Adding the reach to research through commercialization 27:55

3d ago27:55

27:55

ERDCWERX and ERDC’s Office of Research and Technology Transfer (ORTT) are accelerating innovation for the Warfighter and the nation. Through its collaboration with ERDCWERX, ERDC is expanding the Army’s ability to quickly adopt, adapt and deliver technologies that enhance readiness, strengthen protection, and provide dual-use solutions for both mil…

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#34: Underwater ROV: Making aquatic infrastructure inspection safer, cost-effective 31:19

10d ago31:19

31:19

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) manages hundreds of locks and dams, which are critical components of a complex navigation system that is central to our nation’s economy and security. Inspecting this aging aquatic infrastructure often requires costly and dangerous processes, such as deploying divers or dewatering structures, halting the flo…

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#33 PODS and RAIL: Versatile ramp system aids expedient deployment of military equipment 31:18

17d ago31:18

31:18

ERDC and the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command Ground Vehicle Systems Center (GVSC) collaborated in 2016 to develop a transportable ramp system that could be used to rapidly restore a damaged pier. The components from the Pier Over-Decking System (PODS) were later redeveloped into the Rapidly Available Interface for trans-Loading (R…

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Announcing a new format 1:55

3M ago1:55

1:55

We would like to announce some exciting changes that are coming soon to the Power of ERDC podcast. Beginning in October, we will relaunch the Power of ERDC podcast as a combined video and audio product that will be available each week. Episodes will continue to feature in-depth interviews with ERDC researchers about the many ways they are solving t…

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

8M 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

11M 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

1y 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

1+ y 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

1+ y 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

2y 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

2+ 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

2+ y 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

2+ y 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

2+ y 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

3y 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 con…

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#21: Enhanced Terrain Processing 38:42

3y 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 …

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#20: Operational Energy 34:11

3y 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

3+ 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 be…

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#18: SandSnap 39:50

3+ y 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

3+ y 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 E…

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#16: Invasive Fisheries 42:53

3+ y 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 …

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#15: Joint Planning Services 34:18

3+ y 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 plan…

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#14: Airfield Damage Repair 40:52

3+ y 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 Air…

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#13: Permafrost Basic Research 40:20

4y 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 mic…

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#12: Structural Health Monitoring 39:19

4y 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 fillin…

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#11: Rescue Engineering 35:30

4y ago35:30

35:30

After a structural collapse disaster, the eyes of the public are intensely focused on search-and-rescue efforts. Less familiar is the work of a special team from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE) laboring behind the scenes to ensure the safety of those efforts. The USACE Urban Search and Rescue (US&R) program deploys specially trained and eq…

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#10: DamBot 35:40

4y ago35:40

35:40

There are more than 8,000 major dams in the United States, and many of them are beyond their expected design life and require regular inspections and maintenance. The majority are embankment dams that feature outlet works structures that can be up to a half-mile long and that can be dangerous to inspect. Responding to a U.S. Army Corps of Engineers…

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#9: Protecting the Force in a Post-9/11 World 35:26

4+ y ago35:26

35:26

After the September 11, 2001 terrorist attacks, our nation needed new ways to protect its civilians and Warfighters, and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center answered the call. Leveraging its long history of studying explosive effects and protective structures, ERDC has played a vital role in providing protection solutions through…

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#8: Modeling and Simulation for Unmanned Ground Vehicles 32:53

4+ y ago32:53

32:53

Unmanned ground vehicles carry great potential for the Armed Forces, but before these systems can be deployed, they must undergo rigorous testing to ensure their autonomy can be trusted in difficult conditions. Since the early 2000s, ERDC has assisted this process by developing a suite of modeling and simulation tools that explore how autonomous sy…

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#7: Harmful Algal Blooms 29:55

4+ y ago29:55

29:55

Harmful algal blooms occur in freshwater when aquatic microorganisms, called cyanobacteria, grow rapidly and sometimes release toxins that are dangerous to humans and aquatic life. Such events have been known to compromise drinking water reservoirs, disrupt recreation, shut down fisheries, and kill fish, birds and other aquatic species. And scienti…

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#6: Ship Simulator 29:35

4+ y ago29:35

29:35

The blockage of Egypt’s Suez Canal in March shone renewed focus on just how many goods are shipped around the world and how fragile those routes can be. Given the shipping industry’s importance in the U.S., American planners must have world-class tools to prevent a comparable disaster from congesting American waterways. ERDC has operated a ship sim…

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#5: Ice adhesion basic research 29:01

4+ y ago29:01

29:01

The rapid accumulation of ice creates significant challenges for U.S. military operations and civilian activities in cold environments. It hampers mobility, disrupts communication, creates power outages and degrades infrastructure. That’s why a team of ERDC researchers is conducting innovative basic research to unravel the physical processes of how…

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#4: Mapping in GPS-denied environments 21:46

4+ y ago21:46

21:46

As Global Positioning System, or GPS, technology becomes more commonplace, so does its usage by the Armed Forces in preparing for and executing battleplans. However, there has also been a growing trend of adversaries using technologies to jam or spoof these signals. This created a need to provide mapping capabilities for use in GPS-denied environme…

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#3: Cybersecurity 28:59

4+ y ago28:59

28:59

The importance of cybersecurity continues to increase, both as more functions become connected to the internet and as adversaries exploit cyberattacks as a weapon in future conflicts. From the SolarWinds Orion hack to the breach of a Florida water treatment plant, recent attacks have underscored the critical function cybersecurity plays to national…

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#2: Installations of the Future 29:23

5y ago29:23

29:23

The nature of military bases is changing throughout the Armed Services. New defense doctrine increases their strategic importance for projecting power and for protecting Warfighters from emerging unconventional threats. Meanwhile, leaders desire more modernized facilities that will improve quality of life, keep pace with smart city technologies, an…

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#1: Post-wildfire Flood Risk Management 22:34

5y ago22:34

22:34

The intensity and frequency of wildfires in the United States is increasing, bringing immense devastation that is compounded by a lesser-known threat. Flood risks also increase exponentially after a wildfire due to sediment hazards, vegetation loss, soil changes and the reduced capacity of reservoirs. Destructive debris floods can be 1,000-times la…

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Introducing the Power of ERDC podcast 3:15

5y ago3:15

3:15

The U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) has been solving the nation’s toughest challenges for more than 90 years. Now, you can go behind the scenes as some of our nation’s smartest engineers and scientists solve complex problems across ERDC’s broad Civil Works and military mission space. Introducing the new “Power of ERDC” pod…