Network UAV C3 Stage 1 Final Briefing

Timothy X BrownUniversity of Colorado at Boulder

Interdisciplinary Telecommunications ProgramElectrical and Computer Engineering

Aerospace Engineering

July 25, 2005

7/25/2005 2

Outline

• Accomplishments

• Program Description

• Testing

• Stage 2 and 3

7/25/2005 3

Ad hoc UAV-Ground NetworkAUGNet

Scenario 1: increase ground node connectivity.

NOC

Scenario 2: increase UAV mission range.

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Accomplisments

• In one year built UAV, communication, monitoring, and test bed infrastructure.

• Demonstrated – 802.11 capabilities in AUGNet scenarios– Multi-UAV operations– UAV swarm communication

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Networked UAV C3

• Problem: More UAVs implies more pilots• Idea: Command a “Flock” of cooperative UAVs

– Staged Approach– Stage 1 Complete

Level 1: intraplane subsystem com-munication and control

Level 2: Single UAV planning, inter plane control interface

Level 3: Multi UAV planning and decision making

Base Demo: UAV flies to

target, sends back images

Leashing flight demo Direction

finding flight demo

Leashing algorithms

Direction finding algorithms

Multi-UAV operations

C3 via external

interfaces

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Networked UAV Concept Development

Autonomous Flight Control

Sensors

Central Controller

Communication Networking

UAV

Stage 1 Architecture

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What did we do in Stage 1?

• Integrated Autonomous Flight Navigation into Ares Airframe– Installed and operated– Dynamics model, nose-wheel issue– Flight testing.

• Improved 802.11 communications for UAV environment.– Enabling UAV mission communication– Flight testing

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What are we doing in Stage 1?

• Sensors– Representative sensors:

temperature/pressure/humidity

• System Integration– Central Computer– Naiad Interfaces– Virtual Cockpit– Hardware in the loop

testing NaiadNode

NaiadNode

NaiadNode

NaiadNode

CommInterface

CAN Bus

Sensor N Sensor 1 Sensor 2

…

…

PiccoloAutopilot

NaiadNode

Autonomous Flight Control Module

Sensor ModulesComm Module

Supervisory Computer

NaiadNode

Computer Module

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Naiad Interface Boards

NaiadThalassa

Battery

Provide Robust and Intelligent Subsystem Interface

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Virtual Cockpit: UAV Operator Situational Awareness

Original CU Virtual Cockpit Engine

Customized for AUGNet

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Hardware in the loop testing

• Enabled rapid prototyping

• UAV “thinks” it is flying

• Fast debugging in the lab versus painful lessons in the field

FlightGear

VirtualCockpit

Operator Interface

Simulator

Ares-2

Ground Station

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Modes of Operation

Hardware in the loop Takeoff and landing Autonomous Flight

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Testing:

• Start Flight Pattern 1• Command to FP 2• Report on Temp and

Comm Connectivity• Return to FP 1 if:

– Temp < Freezing, or– No Comm for 40 sec

Simulate – freezing and – Comm loss

Central Rd

Plateau Rd

WestGate

North Gate

N

0 600 1200 meters

MAP KEY:

Road

UAV airstrip

Fixed sites

Range MNR 84

MNR 83

NOC

Scale

Flight Plan 2

Flight Plan 1

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Test Significance:

Step 1: Ares is launched and flies autonomously in preloaded flight pattern 1.

Step 2: A new flight pattern is entered over the communication link along with a “start experiment” command which turns on the temperature sensor and the packet signal strength measurement function in the communication module.

Step 3: Ares transitions into flight pattern 2 where it sends a report every second with temperature data and a list of 802.11 MAC addresses received with signal strength.

Step 4a: Ares maintains flight pattern 2 until the temperature probe records a temperature below freezing at which time the plane returns to flight pattern 1 and sends a freeze warning.

Step 4b: Ares maintains flight pattern 2 until the communication link cannot send a report to the NOC 5 seconds in a row while in level flight at which time the plane returns to flight pattern 1. When communication is established, the sensor is shut down.

NOC Comm

Computer AFC

Sensor

NOC Comm

Computer AFC

Sensor

NOC Comm

Computer AFC

Sensor

NOC Comm

Computer AFC

Sensor

NOC Comm

Computer AFC

Sensor

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56 58 60 62 64 66 680

5

10

15

Wa

ypo

int N

um

be

r [#

]

Target Waypoint Number

56 58 60 62 64 66 68

40

60

80

100

Te

mp

era

ture

[de

g F

]

Recorded Temperature on UAV

TemperatureTrigger Level

56 58 60 62 64 66 680

200

400

600

Mission Time [min]

Pin

g T

ime

[ms]

GS-UAV Round Trip Ping Time

Tracked WaypointStart ExperimentExperiment Trigger

Test Results

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A Nice Surprise:Humidity Microclimate

I.4 km

Finds hidden stream

Can plot in real time

Faster, more responsive, higher resolution

than satellite

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Stage 2: Single UAV Planning

Stage 1: system integration, scripted single-UAV planning

Stage 2: Intelligent Single UAV Planning: – sets own waypoints– UAV-UAV comms– Directional Antenna

Level 1: intraplane subsystem com-munication and control

Level 2: Single UAV planning, inter plane control interface

Level 3: Multi UAV planning and decision making

Base Demo: UAV flies to

target, sends back images

Leashing flight demo Direction

finding flight demo

Leashing algorithms

Direction finding algorithms

Multi-UAV operations

C3 via external

interfaces

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Networked UAV Concept Development

Task Goal Assessment

Interfaces to Nav, Comm, Sensors

PlanningCurrent State

UAV Central Controller

Stage 2 Architecture

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Stage 3: Multi-UAV Planning

• Multi-UAV goal sharing• Distributed Task assignment• Develop Behaviors• Multi-UAV Demo

Level 1: intraplane subsystem com-munication and control

Level 2: Single UAV planning, inter plane control interface

Level 3: Multi UAV planning and decision making

Base Demo: UAV flies to

target, sends back images

Leashing flight demo Direction

finding flight demo

Leashing algorithms

Direction finding algorithms

Multi-UAV operations

C3 via external

interfaces

Stage 1 Stage 2 Stage 3

Networked UAV Concept Development

Task Goal Assessment

Interfaces to Nav, Comm, Sensors

PlanningCurrent State

UAV Central Controller

Stage 3 Architecture

Inter-plane logical Inter-face

7/25/2005 18

Conclusions

• We are setting a goal to implement autonomous flocks of UAVs that require minimal operator direction to complete tasks.

• Stage1 has integrated the hardware and software subsystems necessary to achieve this goal.

• Testing has shown that useful data can be collected in real time.

• We are ready for Stage 2.