Visionwave UK Unveils Varan, A New UGV Designed Around Mobility and Reduced Emissions

In June 2026, VisionWave UK, the newly established British branch of VisionWave Holdings, introduced a new UGV named Varan, during the Eurosatory exhibition. Designed and constructed in the UK, the Varan UGV incorporates lessons learned from the conflict in Ukraine, as indicated in the company’s press release. This UGV employs passive sensors for navigation, utilizing cameras and thermal imaging to interpret its environment, rather than relying on radar or LiDAR technology.

Radar technology emits a radio frequency signal that reflects off an object and returns to the vehicle, allowing the computer to calculate the distance to that object. However, such emissions can potentially be detected by adversaries, which raises concerns regarding operational security. Consequently, the Varan UGV’s design, which aims to minimize such emissions, may enhance survivability.

Varan UGV to Support Military Mission

“Traditional ground robots are excessively expensive, overly complex, and too fragile for deployment at the scale required by modern operations,” stated Jeremy Williman, the British inventor of the Varan and Managing Director of VisionWave UK and Europe. This sentiment echoes prevalent concerns within the defense sector, particularly regarding the robustness of robotic dogs, which some critics have deemed too delicate for operational use.

“We commenced the design process by focusing on the operator in the field, rather than the engineer in the depot,” Williman elaborated. “The outcome is a platform that maintains functionality even when connectivity is lost, GPS becomes inoperative, or difficult terrain is encountered.” The design of the Varan, featuring extendable wheel arms, is specifically intended to navigate challenging landscapes. Furthermore, its passive sensors enable the platform to make autonomous decisions using its onboard computer systems, independent of GPS navigation.

Industry Impact and Market Outlook

According to precedence research, the global unmanned ground vehicles market size was valued at USD 3.94 billion in 2025 and is predicted to increase from USD 4.31 billion in 2026 to approximately USD 9.49 billion by 2035, expanding at a CAGR of 9.19% from 2026 to 2035. Growing demand for UGVs from the defense sector is contributing to the market growth.

From the available information, it appears that VisionWave is offering a variety of sensing capabilities to the field that could deal with some of the major hurdles that UGVs tend to encounter.