Épisodes

  • #42 Constructing AI’s Future

    #42 Constructing AI’s Future
    Jan 20 2026
    Artificial intelligence is no longer science fiction. Today, AI is powering critical processes across the Department of War and serving as a force multiplier throughout the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers' military and civil works portfolios. In this episode of the Power of ERDC podcast, Dr. Robert Moser, director of ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory, discusses how ERDC is developing AI tools, techniques and technologies into tangible, mission-ready solutions for the nation. Moser also provides an inside look at AI in action — from practical applications like the AI model Jobsite Assisted Quality Intelligence, or JAQI, used for construction management to the visionary concept of an "AI wingman" for the modern Warfighter. Watch the video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCpodcast.org/42-artificial-intelligence_video. For additional information, visit PowerofERDCpodcast.org/42-artifical-intelligence_resources.
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    40 min
  • #41: Antarctic Expertise: ‘Explorer’ has helped shape, advance cold regions engineering

    #41: Antarctic Expertise: ‘Explorer’ has helped shape, advance cold regions engineering
    Jan 13 2026
    George Blaisdell’s career is one for the record books. His contributions to engineering in one of the world’s most inhospitable environments are legendary, but for a man with more than 30 trips to Antarctica, the work is far from over. Today’s guest is Blaisdell, a research civil engineer with ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. We discuss the importance of a constant engineering and research presence in the Antarctic and Blaisdell’s lasting impact on that continent through a variety of leadership roles for ERDC and the National Science Foundation. Among his many recognitions, Blaisdell was recently accepted into the prestigious Explorers Club, whose members include Sir Edmund Hillary and Tenzing Norgay, the first to reach the top of Mount Everest, and Neil Armstrong, the first to walk on the moon. Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCpodcast.org/41-antarctic-expertise_video. For additional information, visit PowerofERDCpodcast.org/41-antarctic-expertise_resources.
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    30 min
  • #40: Engineering at the water's edge: Advancing capabilities through modeling, autonomy and industry partnerships

    #40: Engineering at the water's edge: Advancing capabilities through modeling, autonomy and industry partnerships
    Jan 6 2026
    Dr. Gaurav Savant, Senior Scientific Technical Manager at the ERDC Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory, discusses how ERDC is transforming military and civil operations through advanced modeling, AI and autonomous systems. From ensuring safe wet gap crossings for Warfighters to revolutionizing water resource management, these innovations are reshaping the future of defense and engineering. Topics include Savant's role as a Fulbright Specialist and how that program fosters global collaboration (:42), the ConAer project for expeditionary logistics and last-mile tactical delivery (4:29), and technologies that enhance safety and effectiveness in wet gap crossings (11:44). We also talk about ERDC’s role in developing autonomous resupply and low-profile vessels (14:45), the evolving role computational fluid dynamics (CFD) plays with AI and quantum computing (17:35), and how industry and academic collaborations are driving innovation (22:04). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCpodcast.org/40-engineering-waters-edge_video. For additional information, visit PowerofERDCpodcast.org/40-engineering-waters-edge_resources.
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    27 min
  • #39: Global Forest Modeling Toolkit: Mission-critical intelligence about vegetation around the world

    #39: Global Forest Modeling Toolkit: Mission-critical intelligence about vegetation around the world
    Dec 30 2025
    Forests cover nearly a third of the Earth’s land surface and present multiple challenges to military forces. Dense trees restrict mobility, limit surveillance, impede air support and degrade communication. But not all forests are the same. To best counter these difficulties, leaders need detailed information about vegetation attributes, such as canopy cover, stem diameter and stem spacing. However, the available data for much of the planet’s forested regions is limited in coverage or detail, or both. To fill this gap, ERDC developed the Global Forest Modeling Toolkit, which supports the Warfighter with mission-critical intelligence about vegetation around the world. We discuss this toolkit with Dr. Nathan Beane, a senior research forester at ERDC’s Environmental Laboratory and lead of ERDC’s Forest Ecosystem Dynamics team. Topics include why the military needs vegetation data (3:55), what the Global Forest Modeling Toolkit is (1:44) and how the team built the capacity to estimate vegetation across the Earth (5:17). We also talked about converting the data into information that is useful for the Warfighter (12:35), how the toolkit can help the Army with environmental sensing and vehicle autonomy (14:02), and lessons learned from having Warfighters use the toolkit (21:10). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCpodcast.org/39-global-forest-modeling_video. For additional information, visit PowerofERDCpodcast.org/39-global-forest-modeling_resources.
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    30 min
  • #38: H2Rescue: Providing Power, Water and World Records

    #38: H2Rescue: Providing Power, Water and World Records
    Dec 23 2025
    Roughly the distance from New York to Miami – or 1,806 miles. That’s how far a vehicle, developed in part by ERDC, drove on one tank of hydrogen fuel to not only set a mark honored by the Guinness Book of World Records, but also to advance new and existing hydrogen-powered technologies. In this episode, we discuss the development, testing and performance of the H2Rescue vehicle with Nick Josefik, an industrial engineer at ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory. We also talk about the impact it can have in supporting emergency response efforts to natural and man-made disasters. Created to address many of the logistical challenges involved in any response, the H2Rescue vehicle – a 33,000-pound power plant on wheels – went from idea to reality in a few short years, becoming a world-class example of what power-providing emergency systems – powered by hydrogen – can deliver. Topics include the idea and mission behind the development of the H2Rescue Vehicle (02:39), details on the amount of power the vehicle can generate (04:37) and how this vehicle’s capabilities best fit in an emergency response scenario (05:59). We also discuss why hydrogen was the fuel of choice in the vehicle’s development (07:55); the federal, military and industry partners who worked together on the vehicle (11:21); and the behind-the-scenes details on how the team earned Guiness Book of World Records recognition (18:08). Watch the video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCpodcast.org/38-h2-rescue-vehicle_video. For additional information, visit PowerofERDCpodcast.org/38-h2-rescue-vehicle_resources.
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    29 min
  • #37: A Fresh (water) Runway: ERDC’s ice and snow expertise enables historic LC-130 landing

    #37: A Fresh (water) Runway: ERDC’s ice and snow expertise enables historic LC-130 landing
    Dec 16 2025
    When the New York Air National Guard’s 109th Airlift Wing needed to find a suitable location to land its massive LC-130 Hercules cargo plane during an Arctic exercise in March 2025, it turned to ERDC for help. Although the nearby sea ice was not thick enough to support the maneuver, ERDC devised a plan to land the plane on a nearby freshwater lake, a novel approach that required less ice. Leaning into ERDC’s deep expertise in developing ice and snow runways, the 109th completed the landing at Parsons Lake in Canda’s Northwest Territories – the first time the U.S. military has landed an LC-130 on a frozen freshwater surface. We discuss this feat with T.J. Melendy, a research civil engineer at ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. Topics include Melendy’s experience with ice and snow runways (5:02), how the idea to land on a freshwater lake originated (11:44) and the differences between freshwater ice and saltwater ice (3:53). We also discussed the process of testing the potential freshwater ice landing (13:30), why this achievement was significant for the U.S. military (24:20) and what is next for this effort (27:01). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCpodcast.org/37-lc130-landing_video. For additional information, including photos from the landing, visit PowerofERDCpodcast.org/37-lc130-landing_resources.
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    32 min
  • #36: SandHound: Applying robotics to advance critical coastline survey capabilities

    #36: SandHound: Applying robotics to advance critical coastline survey capabilities
    Dec 9 2025
    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 landscape and collect critical data that one day can support emergency response and military landing operations. We visit with Jacob Stasiewicz, a master’s student at the University of Delaware who has worked with ERDC for the past two years, to discuss the technology, its capabilities and its future impact on advancing coastal engineering and sciences. Topics discussed include the genesis behind the SandHound Project and early lessons learned (5:22); the experience of testing this robot platform on a busy, public beach (7:18); and the future of this type of system for use across the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and emergency management operations (10:14). We also discussed the types of sensors that were deployed during testing and their capabilities (12:07), the capabilities and the expertise of ERDC’s Field Research Facility where the testing was conducted (15:54), and the future of robotic platforms in further supporting and advancing costal engineering and sciences (22:11). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCpodcast.org/36-sandhound_video. For additional resources about the SandHound Project, visit PowerofERDCpodcast.org/36-sandhound_resources.
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    32 min
  • #35: Tech Transfer: Adding the reach to research through commercialization

    #35: Tech Transfer: Adding the reach to research through commercialization
    Dec 2 2025
    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 military and civilian applications. We explore how ERDC accelerates innovation from the lab to the marketplace with Paul Sumrall, Director of ERDCWERX, and Tisa Webb, Chief for Technology, Knowledge and Outreach with ERDC’s ORTT. From simplifying the front door for business to developing dual-use technologies that protect both warfighters and communities, we discuss how ERDC turns breakthrough science into real-world solutions. Topics discussed include: • What “technology transition” means at ERDC and how ERDCWERX and Technology Transfer team up to make it happen (0:59) • How ERDCWERX serves as the “front door for business” (3:38) • ERDC Tech Challenges—what they are, who should apply, and the outcomes they’ve produced for industry (6:52) • The importance of dual-use technologies and examples with both defense and civilian applications (14:01) • How ERDC and ERDCWERX partner to fill capability gaps (17:17) • How ERDC is lowering barriers and increasing opportunities for businesses nationwide (18:59) Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/35-tech-transfer_video. You can also see additional information about ERDCWERX and ERDC’s technology transfer efforts at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/35-tech-transfer_resources. Learn more about ERDCWERX at ERDCWERX.org. For inquiries about ERDC’s technology transfer, contact ERDCinfo@usace.army.mil.
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    28 min