Department of National Defence / CDL Systems

FPTT Technology Transfer Award

Department of National Defence /
CDL Systems

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Successful transfer and commercialization of the Vehicle Control Station

Robert Chesney
Defence Research Establishment Suffield, DND

Albert Sulmistras
CDL Systems

Dave Weiler
CDL Systems

The practicable application of a software product capable of controlling a wide variety of unmanned vehicles spans the limitless range of land, sea and air. In fact, the potential of the Vehicle Control Station (VCS) developed by the Department of National Defence (DND) researchers was so promising that a single-venture company, CDL Systems, was formed to turn it into a commercially viable product. Employing 10 people from the high technology sector, CDL has done more than that, with an estimated sales potential over the next decade of $25 million for the software and related services. The company tapped a military systems market that currently uses the system for land-mine detection, threat simulations and airborne surveillance and reconnaissance. Customized models are also being developed for cost-effective civilian applications such as hazardous waste removal, forest fire monitoring and mining operations. The success of the technology transfer by DND has far-reaching ramifications. The leading-edge capability of the VCS software adds profile to the entire UV (unmanned vehicle) product line, benefiting system integration contractors that include Canadian and American aerospace firms. As well, Canada is ensured royalty-free access to a proven, mature system when Canadian vehicles are outfitted with the same technology. "Without the significant development funding from the Canadian government, the VCS would not have been a viable product to develop purely on spec," says Dave Weiler of CDS Systems. "The combination of skills, however, has made it not only possible but worthwhile."

Sponsored by:
Scott & Aylen