Meta-Autonomy
Abstract
Military operators at all levels of Command and Control (C2) systems must focus their attention on a wide variety of issues to make critical decisions within operational timelines. As Autonomy becomes more prevalent, the question arises: How will autonomous systems help each other (or how will humans interact with them) to increase overall efficiency and effectiveness? Forexample, autonomous unmanned vehicles (UxVs) allow military personnel to spend more of their time analyzing threat situations while operating in environments that are too risky or physically intolerant for humans. However, a new paradigm is created in which machines will be critical in helping other machines perform jobs, thus further increasing the efficiency of autonomy.The University at Buffalo (UB) has a number of world-class researchers and laboratories that are working in different aspects of autonomy, from developing materials using autonomous processes to optimal control of unmanned vehicles (ground, aerial, water, and underwater). Related centers at UB include:~ SMART: Sustainable Manufacturing and Advanced Robotic Technologies~ OPTIMATOR: Optimization for Industrial and Military Applications thru OperationsResearch~ LAIRS: Lab for Autonomous and Intelligent Robotic Systems~ UBNL: UB Nanosatellite Laboratory~ ISTL: Institute for Sustainable Transportation and Logistics~ Communications and Networks Lab~ MaDE@UB: Materials Data Engineering LaboratoryThe proposed program, Meta-Autonomy, will be based on UB~s virtual laboratory called LASER (Laboratory for Autonomy and Semi-autonomy Engineering Research). LASER has the vision of bringing together multi-disciplinary teams of engineers (electrical, computer, mechanical, aerospace, industrial, systems and materials) to perform research in a collaborative environment. Specifically, LASER will use the DURIP Meta-Autonomy funds to research ways in whichautonomy can assist autonomy, as well as how cognition can assist autonomy. Some examples of the proposed research under Meta-Autonomy are:~ Auto Material Selection and Manufacturing: Sensors in UxVs will detect the efficiency of components (e.g., propellers) based on environmental conditions. If appropriate, the UxV will communicate directly with 3D printers to fabricate a different type of propeller to be more efficient in such conditions. Once the UxV returns home, the new propeller will be ready for installation.~ Auto Battery Exchange or Auto Charging: Develop a system in which UxVs will land in auto-recharging bases or that will automatically swap batteries with the aid of ground robots.~ Auto Communication System Selection: Communication among UxVs operating at varying altitudes (e.g., underwater and airborne) is challenging and requires the ability to change modality in real-time. Furthermore, some systems use repeaters, the locations of which require autonomous behavior to accommodate multiple autonomous vehicles.~ UxVs in Logistics: The use of UAVs for ~last-mile~ delivery promises significant time and cost savings in both the military and commercial sectors. Pairing UAVs with UGVs would further extend the flight range of UAVs and would allow deliveries of munitions, rations, and other materiel to dangerous environments.These are a few examples in which multi-disciplinary LASER members will collaborate to solve meta-autonomy problems efficiently. DURIP funds will allow the purchase of the following supporting equipment:1. Structure for Outdoor Autonomy Research (SOAR), a 300~ x 200~ x 50~ enclosed facility for field testing;2. Fleet of UxVs on which to test collaborative autonomous systems;3. A collection of sensors and communications devices;4. Additive manufacturing equipment to be field-deployable; and5. A Mobile Multifunction Control Center (M2C2) vehicle, from which autonomous missions may be monitored.This equipment will be used in existing and projected programs funded by ONR, AFRL, ARL, DARPA and IARPA.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Jul 10, 2018
- Source ID
- N000141812251
Entities
People
- Chase Murray
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- Research Foundation for the State University of New York
- United States Navy