Advanced Technology for Unmanned Aerial Systems AUVSI Pathfinder Chapter 20th Annual Symposium 22 Ap

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Advanced Technology for Unmanned Aerial
SystemsAUVSI Pathfinder Chapter 20th Annual
Symposium22 April, 2009
The views, opinions, and/or findings contained in
this article/presentation are those of the
author/presenter and should not be interpreted as
representing the official views or policies,
either expressed or implied, of DARPA or the
Department of Defense.

• Mr. Jim McCormick
• Program Manager,
• DARPA/TTO

Approved for public release distribution is
unlimited
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What is DARPAs Mission?
Maintain Superiority
Prevent Surprise

• DARPAs mission is to maintain technological
  superiority of the US military and prevent
  technological surprise from harming our national
  security by sponsoring revolutionary,
  high-payoff research that bridges the gap
  between fundamental discoveries and their
  military use.

High Risk
High Payoff
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DARPA Role in Science and Technology
10B -
Science Technology Funding
5B -
Science and Technology Programs for the Armed
Services
Fundamental Research, Leading Edge Discovery,
System Concept Invention
0 -
NEAR
MID
FAR
Time to Acquisition Program
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DARPA Technical Offices
Acting Director, Bob Leheny Deputy Director, Bob
Leheny
Tactical Technology Dave Neyland Steve
Walker Air/Space/Land/Sea Platforms Unmanned
Systems Space Operations Laser Systems Precision
Strike
Information Processing TechniquesChuck
Morefield Charlie HollandCognitive
Systems Command Control Systems Computer
Language Translation High Productivity
Computing Sensors Processing

Microsystems TechnologyGreg KovacsDean
Collins ElectronicsPhotonicsMEMSAlgorithmsInte
grated Microsystems
Physical Sciences Materials Biology Mathematics Ne
uroscience
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DARPA Accomplishments
SATURN
1960
Command Post of the Future
Phraselator
Transit
Autonomous Ground Vehicles
M-16
Exoskeleton
VELA Hotel
ALTAIR
X-45
Ground Surveillance Radar
Mobile Robots
SUO SAS
ARPANET
1970
Mouse
MEMS
2000
ATACMS
JSF Engine
1970
Assault Breaker
Global Hawk
JSTARS
Center for Monitoring Research
1980
LSTAT
Predator
Uncooled IR
Stealth Fighter
TALON GOLD
BAT
1990
Advanced Cruise Missile
Pegasus Launch Vehicle
MIMIC
Sea Shadow
GPS
Taurus Launch Vehicle
Speech Recognition
Approved for public release distribution is
unlimited
DARPASAT
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UAS The Motivators
ComplexEnvironments
Changing Priorities
AdvancingTechnology
Evolving CONOPS
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UAS The Ends
Persistence
Effectiveness
ComplexEnvironments
Changing Priorities
OperationalAdvantage
Presence
Mass
AdvancingTechnology
Evolving CONOPS
More/Better Automation
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UAS The Means
ComplexEnvironments
Changing Priorities
Presence
AdvancingTechnology
Evolving CONOPS
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Nano Air Vehicle

• Reconnaissance inside buildings
• Ability to penetrate narrow entries
• Emplace important sensors
• Transmit data without being detected

Theater
Battlefield
Urban Outdoor
Current UAVs successfully execute missions from
theater level surveillance and attack to scouting
in urban canyons
Indoor
NANO SCALE VEHICLES CAN PROVIDE ACCESS TO A NEW
BATTLESPACE
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Falcon HTV
HTV-1
HCV
HTV-2
HTV-3X
First Flight 2009
Ground Demonstrations
Notional Flight Demonstrator
Vision Vehicle

• Aero-Thermal Dynamics
• High-Temperature Materials Structures
• Navigation Guidance and Control
• Communications through Plasma
• Combined Cycle Propulsion

Demonstrating Long-Duration Hypersonic Flight

• Prompt Global Reach from CONUS
• Reusable Space Access

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UAS The Means
Persistence
ComplexEnvironments
Changing Priorities
Presence
AdvancingTechnology
Evolving CONOPS
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A160 Hummingbird

• Demonstrate vertical take off landing unmanned
  air vehicle to carry out high endurance (gt24 hrs)
  airborne surveillance and targeting against
  ground targets and resupply of ground forces

MGTOW 4000 to 5000 lb

• Develop a high efficiency, optimum speed rotor
  (OSR), rigid rotor providing high lift-to-drag
• Achieve a lightweight structure with large fuel
  fraction for payloads of 300-1000 lbs

Internal payload 300 to 500 lb
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Autonomous Airborne Refueling Demonstration
(AARD)

• DARPA Initiative
• High Risk / High Payoff
• Feasibility Demonstration
• Address Unique Challenge of Probe and Drogue
• Objectives
• Take the Technical Excuse Off the Table
• Demonstrate in Operationally Representative
  Conditions

Worlds First Autonomous Aerial Refueling
Engagement August 30, 2006
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VultureHigh Altitude, Long Endurance UAS

• Program Objective
• Research, develop and demonstrate technologies
  that will enable delivery and maintenance of a
  1000-lb, 5-kW airborne payload for an
  uninterrupted period gt5 years with a 99
  on-station probability
• Technical Approach
• Examine three possible architectures
• A single aircraft with ultra reliable components
  using environmental energy harvesting
• Modular aircraft architecture that allows
  autonomous return of sections for
  refueling/repair
• A new aircraft operating architecture allowing
  replacement of components/refueling while on
  station
• Military Utility
• A cost-effective, retaskable, persistent
  satellite-like capability for both C2, ISR and
  SIGINT missions
• Theater-level C2 relay providing localized
  bandwidth surge capability
• Persistent ISR and SIGINT monitoring missions

Sensor Coverage Using a 65.5 kft Altitude Example
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Autonomous Real-time Ground Ubiquitous
Surveillance - Imaging System (ARGUS-IS)
Objective Increase Situational Awareness by
Finding Small (lt 0.25 m2) Movers, Example
Targets Dismounts Combatants on rooftops Mortar
Setups Continuous monitoring of
vehicles Detecting transient events, e.g. RPG
firing ARGUS-IS will simultaneously downlink 65
Predator like video streams throughout the
field of regard
Functional Elements
Altitude 6 km
ARGUS-IS Processing System
Gpixel Sensor
Datalink CDL 274 Mbit/s
Key
Existing Elements
ARGUS-IS Ground Processing
Ground Station
Being developedon this program
  Find small events in large area in time to do
something about it
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UAS The Means
Persistence
Effectiveness
ComplexEnvironments
Changing Priorities
Presence
AdvancingTechnology
Evolving CONOPS
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TTNT Phase 3 Terminal
J11 Blanking J13 Mux (Spare) J10 Discretes
Flash J3 Power In
12 RS-232 Integration Ports J1 Antenna 1 4
100/100 Base T Integration Ports 4 - 10/100/1000
Base T Application Interfaces External Cluster 1
PA Interface (CML, Spare) J2 Antenna 2
J6 Freq Std J5 GPS Ant RX A (Spare) RX B
(Spare) TX A (Spare) J9 DS101 USB 1.1 J14
TTNT Specific 66 Pins J15 TTNT Specific 66
Pins
FDL Compliant Connector/pin out
4 - 10/100/1000 Base T Test/Integration Ports
Fiber Optic (Spare)
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Key NCW Connectivity Domains Components
ABN Gateways
TTNT
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Tactical Targeting Network Technology
IP based Ad Hoc Joining lt 5 secs Extremely low
latency Responsive LO-compatible High
Throughput (Cable) JTRS Compatible Min
operational support Link 16 coexistence Work up
to Mach 8 Multiple Ind Levels of Security Capable
of Weapons Data Link
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Key NCW Connectivity Domains Components
ABN Gateways
Quint
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Quint Networking Technology
Phase 2 H/W
MIDS JTRS F-22, F-35
QNT
TTNT, Link 16 Low Latency Network OTAT
Crypto High throughput
Reprogrammable Tech
RF Manufacturing Advances
Miniaturization Tech
Dismounted Ground
F-22 F-35 B-2 F-18 F-15 F-16 B-1 B-52 A-10 F-117
Tactical Aircraft
Small UAVs
QNT Multi-Band Multi-WF Multi-bit rate GIG
extension
Weapons
J-UCAS
Gateway GiG Reachback
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UAS The Means
Persistence
Effectiveness
ComplexEnvironments
Changing Priorities
Presence
Mass
AdvancingTechnology
Evolving CONOPS
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Micro Air Vehicle (MAV)Advanced Concept
Technology Demonstration
Develop and integrate into a small, affordable
backpackable system for military use to receive
real-time combat information of difficult to
observe distant areas or objects
Mufflers
Engine
Comms / GPS / Sensor Pod
Power / Avionics Pod
Removable Landing Gear (4X)
Control Vanes

• 13 Duct (outside diameter)
• 40 min endurance
• 5500 ft ASL on an 81 deg F day

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WASP Micro Air Vehicle
Mission Description Advanced reconnaissance
(ship pre-boarding), light infantry military
operations on urbanized terrain (MOUT), organic
squad-level reconnaissance/surveillance

• Payload 2 color video cameras (front side),
  GPS, altimeter, compass, air speed
• Range 2 km to 4 km line-of-sight
• Endurance 30-40 min
• Speed 35-60 kmph, 20-35 kts
• Operating Altitude (typical) 50-1,000 ft AGL,
  15-300 m
• Span 33 cm
• Length 15 cm
• Weight 250 g (Land), 275 g (Sea)
• Launch Method Hand throw
• Recovery Method Conventional horizontal landing
  or water ditch

Features Miniature size, ruggedized
waterproofed for use on land and sea, hand
launch, autonomous flight, auto-navigation,
auto-land, common ground control station as
Pointer, Raven, Puma
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WASP in Action
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UAS The Means
Persistence
Effectiveness
ComplexEnvironments
Changing Priorities
Presence
Mass
AdvancingTechnology
Evolving CONOPS
More/Better Automation
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Damage Tolerant Controls

• Military Manned and Unmanned Aircraft
• Ability to reduce loss of UAVs and manned
  aircraft in combat
• Security of US sensitive technologies
• Facilitates greater use of UAVs in high threat
  operations saves lives and reduces costs
• Combined with flight control redundancy improves
  reliability exponentially

Damage
Baseline performance
Aircraft controllable
Aircraft uncontrollable
1 min
1 sec
ASAC recovers control upon damage
MRAC recovers performance (e.g. precision landing)
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Heterogeneous Airborne Reconnaissance Team (HART)

• Problem
• Provide real time RSTA services directly to unit
  leaders in complex environments
• Shorten tasking, retasking and sensor-to-shooter
  timelines
• Solution
• Allow direct access to a system of systems -
  multiple tiers, platforms sensors
• Decouple consumers from flight control, so they
  can focus on the fight
• Disseminate video to unit leaders via handhelds
  and to TOCs via wide screens
• Approach
• Translate multiple RSTA requests into
  multi-platform taskings Optimize employment of
  assets
• Automate tasking, airspace deconfliction, flight
  path and sensor control
• Platform agnostic add diverse systems quickly
  with no changes to UAVs or their ground stations
• Stabilize and georegister for targeting, provide
  multi-platform mosaics for Situation Awareness

Rapidly Task and Retask at Any Echelon
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Phase I Success
Technical Description
Warfighters tasked UAVs with a few simple screen
taps .

Translated Recon Surveillance and Target
Acquisition (RSTA) requests into autonomous
tasking and control of UAVs using nonproprietary,
net-centric, web-based tools Automatically
packaged and routed the appropriate video
products to the requesting warfighter
Provided stabilized, georegistered UAV
imagery Provided video mosaicing for maintaining
persistent wide-area views and situation awareness
Operational Description
Recon Surveillance
Mortar Attack

• Provided automatic, real time planning and
  control of UAVs for Warfighters at the tip of the
  spear
• Squad leaders requested
• area surveillance
• route recon / path surveillance
• site monitoring / point monitoring
• vehicle tracking
  
• A handheld touch screen provided urban fighters
  with real-time, stabilized, mosaiced video over a
  backdrop of reference imagery for the region of
  interest
• Commanders prioritized ISR support to the main
  effort, specified the area of operations, input
  No Fly Zones

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FOB 1
Surveil Path
Drop-off
Monitor safe house
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Phase 2 Coordinating Operationsthrough
Integrated Control and Reporting
Transforming ISR platforms into a RSTA Force

• How Its Done Today
• Peanut butter - platform time allocated across
  multiple units
• Bunch ball - multiple platforms converge on a
  single critical event
• To each his own - owners feel assured their
  priority mission is covered
• HART Solution
• Layered platform architecture integrated
  collection
• Agile high-altitude sensors fill gaps between
  proliferated low-altitude platforms
• Prioritized task management
• Commanders determine relative priorities among
  all task requests
• Integrated dissemination
• Sensor data accumulated over time, and passed to
  all interested parties
• HART Technical Challenges
• Airspace management
• Embedded image quality assurance
• Scalability over platform numbers and types
• Communications Architecture (Network)

Scan Eagle
HART
Video Terminals
Real-time imagery from the best available source
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HART Capabilities
Provide video-on-demand from multiple sources to
multiple users
Persistence Support 24/7 operations day and
night Multiple aircraft in flight
simultaneously Multiple aircraft and sensor
types Multiple users participating
simultaneously Agile Tasking Support multiple
tasks with each platform Deliberate search
Baseline imagery for future operations Derived
updates Revisit tactical hotspots Hasty tasks
Overwatch forces in contact, respond
quickly Bound platforms Platforms limited to
tasks from specific users No limits on
commanders ability to set priorities High
platform and sensor utilization rates Low latency
platform status reporting Automatically retask
collection of low-quality images Adherence to
airspace constraints from joint airspace
management Tailored Dissemination Georegister
all imagery to targeting accuracy with low
latency Blend EO and IR imagery at day/night
transitions Vary compression to fit dissemination
bandwidth
FireScout
Responsive to warfighters at every echelon of
command
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UAS The Ends
Persistence
Effectiveness
ComplexEnvironments
Changing Priorities
OperationalAdvantage
Presence
Mass
AdvancingTechnology
Evolving CONOPS
More/Better Automation
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Approved for public release distribution is
unlimited
36
Approved for public release distribution is
unlimited