10 Mbit per Second! The real challenge behind battlefield robotics

As modern battlefields become increasingly digital, communication bandwidth—not just hardware or AI—often determines who maintains the advantage. In this short reflection, Vegvisir’s CPO and Co-Founder Raido Sarematexplores why 10 Mbit per second can be both a dream and a limitation for unmanned ground vehicles—and how Vegvisir NANO is designed to overcome exactly that challenge.

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By: Raido Saremat
‍CPO and Co-Founder at Vegvisir‍

What prompted me to write this short paper was an article I recently came across: Starlink internet isn’t fast enough for Ukraine’s combat robots.

Reading it, I thought—wow, 10 Mbit! That kind of throughput is a rarity in most real-world operations that require cover, concealment, or maneuvering. In tactical mesh networks, a stable 10 Mbit per second link would be a dream scenario. In practice, video transmission bandwidth available for video is maybe around 5 Mbit or mostly even less.

In my view, UGV technology in real combat conditions is still not capable of handling the full unpredictability of the battlefield through autonomous functions. In the short term, this is mainly a technical limitation—but in the longer term, it may remain an ethical one as well, keeping human operators in direct control.

Ukraine’s rapid adoption of unmanned ground vehicles (UGVs) is reshaping the modern battlefield. Thousands of robots are now being integrated into frontline operations—handling logistics, reconnaissance, and even direct combat—reducing risks to soldiers and increasing operational tempo. Some manufacturers release hundreds of platforms per month. But as their numbers grow, a critical bottleneck has become more evident than ever: communication. Even the satellite links such as Starlink, while invaluable, struggle to maintain the bandwidth and latency needed for real-time control. When operators must slow a UGV to walking pace just to keep a stable video feed, the technology becomes a liability rather than an advantage.

Vegvisir NANO was designed to solve exactly this problem. It delivers 360-degree situational awareness in a compact, modular package that thrives where networks are unreliable or contested. Instead of assuming constant high-speed connectivity, NANO enables operators to adapt to whatever bandwidth is available—even below 1 Mbit/s. Through adaptive resolution scaling, frame-rate management, and configurable mission profiles, it ensures operators maintain a clear and stable visual feed, keeping UGVs maneuverable even under severe network constraints.

The beauty of Vegvisir NANO lies in its simplicity. The vehicle itself carries no dedicated compute unit—only cameras and a network block designed for rugged reliability. This reduces size, weight, and power consumption while increasing resilience. Data is managed intelligently at the transmission layer, balancing clarity and speed to provide predictable, low-latency performance whether connected via tactical radio, mobile mesh, or fiber.

That fiber link is one of NANO’s greatest strengths. Supporting distances well beyond 50 km, it enables fully jam-resistant, high-fidelity video and control even in environments where electromagnetic interference makes wireless links unusable. And yes, fiber is usable on the ground in many use-cases. Communication is never a one-size-fits-all solution; resilience comes from layered systems, and that philosophy is built into the very design of the Vegvisir NANO.

For maximum interoperability, Vegvisir NANO supports standard IP-based video formats including H.264, H.265 (HEVC), and MJPEG. This means it can integrate seamlessly with nearly any modern UGV camera ecosystem—no proprietary firmware or closed protocols required. It can also be retrofitted to existing platforms to enhance visibility and optimize network performance.

The system’s 100-gram optical see-through head- or helmet-mounted display provides a full-HD view in a pocket-sized form factor—ideal for confined environments such as dugouts or (mobile) command posts, where low light emission and easy repositioning are essential.

Image: Vegvisir VISOR – head- or helmet-mounted display.

Vegvisir NANO is part of a broader mission ecosystem designed with full AI readiness at its core. The underlying architecture across Vegvisir’s products already includes data pipelines and synchronization layers that enable seamless integration of artificial intelligence when needed—whether developed by Vegvisir or provided by the client. This means NANO and the wider Vegvisir mission solutions can immediately support AI-assisted features such as object recognition, automated threat detection, and adaptive scene awareness. Vegvisir itself already has different detection algorithms that can be deployed when required, but the system architecture also allows customers to integrate their own AI models into the workflow. In practice, this flexibility ensures that Vegvisir platforms can evolve naturally from operator-driven to AI-supported operations, maintaining human decision-making where it matters most while enhancing efficiency and awareness where automation adds value.

As Ukraine and other nations scale their UGV fleets, the decisive factor will be how effectively these machines perceive their surroundings—today through human operators, and increasingly through AI in the future. Vegvisir NANO ensures that even when the network falters, unmanned systems stay fast, aware, and combat-ready.

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