AIAA Infotech@Aerospace 2010

Exploiting Unmanned Aircraft Systems

Their Role in Future Military Operations and the Emergent Technologies that will Shape Their Development
Dr. Werner J.A. Dahm USAF Chief Scientist Air Force Pentagon
Headquarters U.S. Air Force
21 April 2010
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Current Unmanned Aircraft Systems of the U.S. Air Force and DoD
RQ-4 Global Hawk

U.S. Air Force

MQ-1 Predator MQ-9 Reaper

RQ-11 Raven Wasp III BATMAV RQ-170 Sentinel

U.S. Army
RQ-7 Shadow MQ-1C Warrior

U.S. Navy / Marines

RQ-11 Raven Scan Eagle

RQ-11 Raven
Wasp III BATMAV

RQ-8 Fire Scout RQ-2 Pioneer

Rapid Growth in UAS Use by USAF

USAF Need for RPA Pilots, Operators, and Ground Crews is Growing Quickly
RQ-4 Global Hawk MQ-1 Predator MQ-9 Reaper

2004

2009

2011

Emerging Roles and New Concepts for Large and Medium Size UAVs

UAS moving beyond traditional surveillance and kinetic strike roles

Longer-endurance missions require high-efficiency engine technologies

In-flight automated refueling will be key for expanding UAS capabilities May include ISR functions beyond traditional electro-optic surveillance LO may allow ops in contested or denied (non-permissive) areas Electronic warfare (EW) by stand-in jamming is a possible future role Wide-area airborne surveillance (WAAS) is increasingly important Directed energy strike capability is likely to grow (laser and HPM) Civil uses include border patrol and interdiction, and humanitarian relief
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Ultra-Long Endurance Unmanned Aircraft

New unmanned aircraft systems (VULTURE) and airships (ISIS) can remain aloft for years
Delicate lightweight structures can survive low-altitude winds if launch can be chosen

Enabled by solar cells powering lightweight batteries or regenerative fuel cell systems
Large airships containing football field size radars give extreme resolution/persistence

New Multi-Spot EO/IR Sensors for UAVs

Multi-spot EO/IR cameras allow individually steered low frame rate spots; augment FMV

Gorgon Stare now; ARGUS-IS will allow 65 spots using a 1.8 giga-pixel sensor at 15 Hz
Individually controllable spot coverage goes directly to ROVER terminals on ground Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance - Imaging System (ARGUS-IS)

New LIDAR Systems Allow Large-Area Three-Dimensional Urban Mapping

Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) allows 3D sensing with light-wavelength resolution

Allows detailed mapping of complex urban areas from unmanned airborne systems
Merge with EO/IR images to give enhanced spatial cognition and situational awareness

Low-collateral-damage strikes in urban areas via target-quality 3D pixel coordinates

UAS Automated Aerial Refueling (AAR)

Aerial refueling of UAVs from USAF tanker fleet is essential for increasing range and endurance

Requires location sensing and relative navigation to approach, hold, and move into fueling position
Precision GPS can be employed to obtain needed positional information

Once UAV has autonomously flown into contact position, boom operator engages as normal
Key issues include position-keeping with possible GPS obscuration by tanker and gust/wake stability

Flight Testing of UAS AAR Algorithms

August 2006 initial flight tests of AFRL-developed control algorithms for automated aerial refueling

KC-135 with Learjet-surrogate UAS platform gave first hands-off approach to contact position
Subsequent positions and pathways flight test and four-ship CONOPS simulations successful 120 mins continuous hands-off station keeping in contact position; approach from -mile away 12 hrs of hands-off formation flight with tanker including autonomous position-holding in turns Position-holding matched human-piloted flight

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Increased Autonomy in UAS Missions

Autonomous mission optimization under dynamic circumstances is a key capability

Must address UAV platform degradation as well as changes in operating environment

Operator only declares mission intent and constraints; UAV finds best execution path

Vigilent Spirit is current implementation

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Distributed/Cooperative Control of UAVs

Optimized scalable solution methods for multiple heterogeneous UAVs

Allows multiple UAVs to act as single coordinated unit to meet mission need
Scalability of methods is essential to allow future application to larger sets

np-hard problem; exponential growth

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Distributed/Cooperative Control of UAVs

Task coupling of multiple UAVs is key in complex environments; e.g. urban areas Must include variable autonomy to allow flexible operator interaction with UAVs Allow dynamic task re-assignment while reducing overall operator workload Demonstrated in Talisman Saber 2009

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Growing DoD Need to Improve Process for Integrating UAS in National Airspace

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Growing DoD Need to Improve Process for Integrating UAS in National Airspace

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Integration of UAS Operations in National, International, and Military Airspace

National Airspace
Authority: Federal Aviation Authority (FAA) Separation: Cooperative: TCAS / ADS-B Non-Cooperative: Visual Airfields:

International Airspace
Authority: Intl. Civil Aviation Org. (ICAO) Separation: Cooperative: TCAS Non-Cooperative: Visual Airfields:

Military Airspace
Authority: Department of Defense (DoD) Separation: Cooperative: IFF Non-Cooperative: Radar, Visual Airfields:

Friendly and well known

Limited access, not well known

Limited, austere, security

Collision Avoidance

Conflict Avoidance

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UAS Autonomous Collision Avoidance and Terminal Airspace Operations

Must address all aspects of UAV situational awareness and control Airspace deconfliction, air-ground collision avoidance, terminal area operations Must be immune to UAS lost-link cases; remotely-piloted becomes unmanned

Surface avoidance (vehicles, obstructions)

70K
60K

U-2

Global Hawk
Heron 2 Predator B

Altitude

50K
40K 30K 20K 10K

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Hermes, Aerostar, Eagle Eye, Fire Scout, Hunter

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Heron 1 Predator A

Endurance (hours)

30

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Sense-and-Avoid (SAA) System for In-Flight Collision Avoidance

Sense-and-Avoid was Global Hawk ATD for in-flight collision avoidance system Flight on surrogate aircraft began 2006 Autonomous detection and avoidance of cooperative & non-cooperative intruders

Jointly Optimal Collision Avoidance (JOCA) was transition program in 2009

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Developing Increased Trust in Autonomy: Verification & Validation of UAS Control

Systems and software V&V is a major cost and schedule driver

System Requirements System Architecture Design System Architecture Analysis Flight Control Requirements

High level of autonomy in UAVs will require new V&V methods

IVHM for mission survivability Complex adaptive systems with autonomous reconfigurability Approach infinite-state system even for moderate autonomy Data/communication drop-outs and latencies make even harder Traditional methods based on requirements traceability fail Extremely challenging problem; must overcome for UAS trust Requires entirely new approach

Control Design
Control Analysis Software Requirements Software Design

Software Implementation Software Test & Integration System Verification & Validation
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Formal Methods vs Run-Time Method for V&V of UAS Control Systems

Formal methods for finite-state systems based on abstraction and model-based checking do not extend to such systems Probabilistic or statistical tests do not provide the needed levels of assurance; set of possible inputs is far too large Classical problem of proving that failure will not occur is the central challenge Run-time approach circumvents usual limitation by inserting monitor/checker and simpler verifiable back-up controller

Run-time V&V system

Monitor system state during run-time and check against acceptable limits
Switch to simpler back-up controller if state exceeds limits

Simple back-up controller is verifiable by traditional finite-state methods

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Batteries & Liquid Hydrocarbon Fuel Cells Will Be Needed to Power Small UAVs

Small UAVs need suitable power source for propulsion and on-board systems Desired endurance times (> 8 hrs) cause battery weight to exceed lift capacity; IC engine fuel efficiencies are too low

Fuel cells give lightweight power system but must operate on logistical LHC fuel
JP kerosene fuels ideal, liquid propane is usable; need on-board fuel processor Solid-oxide fuel cells are best to date; current record held by U. Michigan team > 9 hrs aloft with propane in small UAV

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MAVs: New Aerodynamic Regimes and Microelectromechanical Components

Micro UAVs open up new opportunities for close-in sensing in urban areas Low-speed, high-maneuverability, and hovering not suited even to small UAVs Size and speed regime creates low-Re aerodynamic effects; fixed-wing UAVs become impractical as size decreases

Rotary-wing and biomimetic flappingwing configurations are best at this size

Requires lightweight flexible structures and unsteady aero-structural coupling

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Low Reynolds Number Flow Associated with Flapping-Wing Micro Air Vehicles

Unsteady aerodynamics w/ strong coupling to flexible structures is poorly understood AFRL water tunnel with large pitch-plunge mechanism allows groundbreaking studies

Advanced diagnostics (SPIV) combined with CFD are giving insights on effective designs
MAV aerodynamics, structures, and control are accessible to university-scale studies

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AMASE: Air Force Research Laboratorys AVTAS Multi-Agent Simulation Environment

Desktop simulation environment developed at AFRL for UAV cooperative control studies
Used within AFRL to develop and optimize multiple-UAV engagement approaches

AMASE User Interface

Public-released by AFRL to universities; no license restrictions and no acquisition cost

Self-contained simulation environment that accelerates iterative development/analysis

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AMASE Can Be Used to Develop/Assess New Collaborative Control Algorithms

Example shows comparison of control laws for mission with multiple areas and no-enter zones Heterogeneous UAVs make intuitive approach too complex; results show performance differs Allows effectiveness of control algorithms to be quantitatively assessed and compared Enabled maturation of process algebra laws for UAVs flown in Talisman Saber 2009 AMASE modeling details are documented and publicly available in AIAA-2009-6139

Comparison of two cooperative UAS control systems

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Concluding Remarks

We are still at the very early stages of UAS evolution, roughly where aircraft were after WWI; much is changing
Developments over next decade will span from large UAVs to MAVs as key technologies and missions evolve:

Advanced platforms and sensors Operations in non-permissive areas Automated aerial refueling Coordinated control of multiple UAVs UAS integration across airspace V&V to provide trust in autonomy

Creative approaches and technology advances will be needed to exploit the full potential that UAVs can offer
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