Today's Edition
MAYS IBRAHIM (ABU DHABI)
An Abu Dhabi-made fully autonomous off-road vehicle engineered to operate in the Gulf's most rugged terrains made its debut on Tuesday at the Unmanned Systems Exhibition and Conference (UMEX).
xRift was launched by SteerAI, an autonomous technology venture in the Advanced Technology Research Council (ATRC) ecosystem, with the support of the UAE's Smart and Autonomous Systems Council (SASC).
Instead of a passenger cab, the all-terrain vehicle is equipped with a flat utility deck capable of carrying payloads of up to 500 kilograms.
The design allows rapid reconfiguration for a wide range of missions, including logistics, intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance, and defence applications, enabling operations across deserts and rocky terrain without human intervention.
Michael Sonderby, acting chief executive of SteerAI, noted that the vehicle combines a proven off-road platform with advanced autonomy developed specifically for harsh regional conditions.
"xRift represents a new generation of high-performance autonomous off-road solution that is reliable, scalable, and customizable to end users' exact operational needs," he said. "Its versatility and durability set it apart."
The vehicle runs on CoreX, SteerAI's proprietary autonomous driving system, Sonderby told Aletihad on the sidelines of the launch.
The software integrates perception, localisation, navigation and decision-making layers, allowing the vehicle to operate in unpredictable environments where mapped roads and consistent landmarks are absent, he explained.
CoreX is vehicle-agnostic and can be deployed across different fleets, reducing risk to human operators while improving efficiency and precision, according to SteerAI.
Reda Nidhakou, the CEO of VentureOne, SteerAI's parent company, said xRift addresses a growing demand for flexible, field-ready autonomous platforms built for the region.
"It shows how local innovation can meet the operational realities of the defence and logistics sectors, delivering autonomy that's robust and ready for deployment, both here and abroad."
The foundational technology behind xRift was developed by engineers at the Technology Innovation Institute (TII), with SteerAI leading the vehicle's integration and scaling over the past year.
Sonderby said Abu Dhabi's autonomy ecosystem, providing access to research expertise, testing facilities and long-term capital, has accelerated development and deployment.
SteerAI expects production units of xRift to be ready for operational deployment by the end of 2026.
The vehicle measures 4,200 millimetres in length, 1,880 millimetres in width and 1,400 millimetres in height, with a total weight of 1,350 kilograms and a 1,100-millimetre by 1,300-millimetre flatbed. It delivers 225 horsepower, features liquid engine cooling, carries 47 litres of fuel, and has a maximum unmanned speed of 50 kilometres per hour.
Sonderby said discussions are already underway with regional customers seeking autonomous solutions for off-road logistics and industrial operations, positioning Abu Dhabi as a testbed and potential exporter of next-generation autonomous mobility.
