Using BML in Support of UAV Training and Experimentation April 8 th - PowerPoint PPT Presentation

Using BML in Support of UAV Training and Experimentation April 8 th 2011 Dr. Kevin Heffner K.Heffner@pegasim.com Pegasus Simulation Montreal, Qc, Canada

Presentation Outline Unmanned Aircraft Systems Description UAS Requirements UAV Control System Overview UAS Use-cases Experimentation for future concepts of employment Summary and Conclusions This work has been conducted in collaboration with the Defense Research and Development Canada (DRDC). 2

Types of UAV Classification Echelon Class I – Small units Range Class II – Companies Tier n/a: Micro UAVs (MUAV), Class III – Battalions Tier I: Low altitude, low endurance (LALE) Class IV – Brigades Tier II: Medium altitude, long endurance (MALE) Tier II+: High altitude, long endurance (HALE) Tier III-: HALE + low observability. Function Reconnaissance Target & Decoy Logistics Combat R & D 3

US Army Unmanned Aircraft Systems

UAS Control and Communication

UAS Operational Requirements Capabilities Challenges Collaborative UAVs Airspace deconfliction Swarming UAVs – Inter UAV collaboration Dynamic Re-routing Communication transmission support Fighter-UAV Support – Extra-UAV collaboration Augmented Payload Capabilities Legalities (e.g. Accountability) New doctrine and TTP Automatic Target Recognition Automated Weapons Fire Dismounted Soldier Systems Size Weight and Power (SWaP) Localized reconnaissance Operator Interface, Info sharing Enhanced Operator Interfaces Automation strategies Lightened Operator Cognitive Load Higher levels of autonomy Multiple UAV, single operator 6

US Army UAS Roadmap (mid/far-term) 7 US ARMY Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmp 2010-2035 http://www.rucker.army.mil/usaace/uas/US%20Army%20UAS%20RoadMap%202010%202035.pdf

Some Emerging UAS Requirements • Dynamic re-tasking of UAV during mission execution – Requires rapid decision-making and often coordination with ACA • Chat is currently an extensively utilized essential service in UAS operations – Represents an interoperability GAP – Needs to be factored into future concepts of employment • Future Requirements – Intelligent Operator Interfaces – UAV Autonomy – Multi-UAV single operator control – Swarming UAVs • Current and Future UAS Interoperability Requirements addressed by NATO – JCGUAV / STANAG 4586 CST / UxV-HCI NIAG

UAV Tasking Workflow Commander ¡ Current trend is to move from low- UAV ¡Mission ¡Commander ¡ level to higher-level control. UCS UAV ¡Operator ¡ Autonomous ¡AV ¡

Automation versus Autonomy Automation 1 is the use of control systems and information technologies reducing the need for human intervention. Autonomy 2 is Self-government [...] The capacity of a system to make a decision about its actions without the involvement of another system or operator. 1 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Automation 10 2 http://en.wiktionary.org/wiki/autonomy

Command and Control & Automation/Autonomy Mission Autonomy Goals Command Authoritative act of making decisions and ordering action . ¡ Control The act of monitoring and influencing this action. Tasks Automation Using automation as an enabler for higher levels of autonomy requires automation strategies 11

Levels of Automation Automation - Using machines to perform tasks and execute processes Level Levels of Automation * 1 The computer offers no assistance: human must take all decision and actions. 2 The computer offers a complete set of decision/action alternatives, or 3 narrows the selection down to a few, or 4 suggests one alternative, and 5 executes that suggestion if the human approves, or 6 allows the human a restricted time to veto before automatic execution, or 7 executes automatically, then necessarily informs humans, and 8 informs the human only if asked, or 9 informs the human only if it, the computer, decides to. 10 The computer decides everything and acts autonomously, ignoring the human. 12 * T.B. Sheridan and W.L. Verplank 1978

Levels of Autonomy Autonomy Achieving a set of prescribed objectives, adapt to major changes, develop its own objectives. ALFUS 1 UAS Autonomy 2 “An Unmanned Aircraft system exhibits autonomy when the system software is capable of making - and is entrusted to make - substantial real-time decisions, without human involvement or supervision.” 1 http://www.isd.mel.nist.gov/projects/autonomy_levels/ 13 2 Autonomous Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems Software Quality Assessment and Safety Assurance - AeroVations Associates, 2007

Automation Strategies Automation Management Strategies LOA A Human-based Management Level 1 B Management-by-consent Level 5 C Management-by-exception Level 6 D Machine-based Management Levels 7, 8, 9, 10 Implementing higher-level automation management strategies requires a greater formalism than found in formatted text messages. 14

Representative IBCT – UAV Platoon Work Flow JFACC ¡ IBCT ¡ ¡ S2 ¡ AOC ¡ ATO ¡ Collection RSTA-­‑Squadron ¡ Plan ACO ¡ TOC ¡ Surv ¡& ¡TA ¡ MC ¡ UAV ¡ ¡ Mission ¡Planning ¡ VO ¡ IA ¡ MPO ¡ Mission UCS Routes &Tasks 15

UAS System Components CCI – Command and Control Interface DLI – Data Link Interface HCI – Human Computer Interface AV – Air Vehicle GDT – Ground Data Terminal L/R – Launch & Recovery VSM – Vehicle Specific Module 16 1 Adapted from figure B-4 in STANAG 4586 Ed 2.5

UCS Areas of Research Cross Domain Digitized C2 Forma?ed ¡Text ¡Messages ¡ UCS Air ¡Gaps ¡ Higher level platform control Informa<on ¡Overload ¡ Intelligent Operator Interfaces CCI – Command and Control Interface DLI – Data Link Interface HCI – Human Computer Interface AV – Air Vehicle GDT – Ground Data Terminal L/R – Launch & Recovery VSM – Vehicle Specific Module 17 1 Adapted from figure B-4 in STANAG 4586 Ed 2.5

DRDC BML Activity Background – Phase 1 • Initial use of BML technology: C2-Constructive Sim (CGF) Interoperation Joint SE CGF C2IS BML Orders BML Reports

DRDC BML Activity Background – Phase 2 • Second Phase: UAV simulation controlled by a C2 system (through BML) Joint SE UCAV Simulator (CAE) C2IS CGF BML Orders BML Reports

DRDC/CAE BML-Enabled Capability Reproduced with permission of DRDC

BML Example Order: Who/What/Where <OrderPush> <Where> <WhereID>14010000784100000427</WhereID> <Task> ... <AirTask> GENCOORDINATE <TaskeeWho> … <UnitID>CA-UAV</UnitID> <WhereLocation> </TaskeeWho> <GDC> <Latitude>40.062195</Latitude> <What> <Longitude>47.57694</Longitude> <WhatCode>CLARSP</WhatCode> <ElevationAGL>3000.0</ </What> ElevationAGL> </GDC> </WhereLocation> ... </Where> 21

BML Example Order: When + <StartWhen> <WhenTime> <StartTimeQualifier>AT</StartTimeQualifier> <DateTime>20091022141229.359</DateTime> </WhenTime> </StartWhen> <AffectedWho><UnitID>OMF195-B12</UnitID> </AffectedWho> <TaskID>14099999000000000019</TaskID> </AirTask> </Task> <OrderIssuedWhen>20091022141443.000</OrderIssuedWhen> <OrderID>14099999000000000030</OrderID> <TaskerWho> <UnitID> 1-HBCT </UnitID> </TaskerWho> ... <TaskOrganization> <UnitID> CA-UAV </UnitID> </TaskOrganization> </OrderPush> 22

DRDC/CAE UAV-BML Capability Highlights • UAV Tasking (From BattleView to UAV-Sim) – Tactical Air Surveillance and Reconnaissance – Deliberate Air Support • UAV Reporting (From UAV-Sim to BattleView) – General Status Reports – Task Status Reports – Contact/Position Reports – Battle Damage Assessment • UAV Simulation – STANAG 4586 Ground Control Station Emulation – DIS Gateway (can join any DIS exercise) – High fidelity EO/IR display Reproduced with permission of DRDC

DRDC/CAE UAV-BML Capability Benefits • Can task unmanned assets from C2 system during training exercise without simulation/UAV operators. • Can be extended to include human operator intervention to support other automation management strategies (e.g. takeover to manual control for Time-Sensitive Targeting and subsequent turnover to automated mode). • Can support concept development and experimentation

DRDC Research Project C2 - Autonomous Systems Interoperability Reproduced with permission of DRDC M&S Testbed for New UAV Concept Exploration

DRDC Research Project C2 - Autonomous Systems Interoperability Expected Benefits Explore the effectiveness of C-BML for the Command and Control of UAVs as a means to: 1. Eliminate/reduce as much as possible air-gaps (and resulting potential errors) 2. Shorter decision making cycles - both the “commander” and the UAV operator(s) could have control of the UAV platform – ex: UAV Dynamic re-tasking use case 3. Exploring new C4ISR concepts (and architectures) 4. Benefit from advances in UAV automation in order to achieve higher degrees of autonomy – Operator (software agent) assisted control – Multiple assets control, single operator Reproduced with permission of DRDC