Socio-Cyber-Physical Framework for Rapid In-Field Development of Autonomous UAVs
Abstract
The conflict-defining role that small, autonomous unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) have shown in recent years emphasizes the critical importance of (1) swiftly adaptable autonomous technology, (2) flexibly addressing dynamic mission needs, (3) overcoming electronic jamming challenges, and (4) enabling decentralized production of specialized UAVs for effective asymmetrical warfare. This projectaims to empower warfighters to develop and deploy mission-specific autonomous UAVs in the field. A proposed socio-cyber-physical framework integrates mission requirements, material availability, human skillsets, and deployable CNC machines to deliver desired vehicle performance while minimizing time and effort. The project will carry out tasks along the following three venues: (T1) Development of the proposed socio-cyber-physical framework and underlying interdisciplinary processes, methodologies, and tools. (T2) Establishment of feasibility through rapid UAV development and application in the bi-annual Defend the Republic (DTR) aerial drone competition. And (T3) Broader impact through student participation and outreach at multiple levels # high school, undergraduate, and graduatelevel # to expose more students to Navy, Defense, and STEM-related career tracks and aid future workforce development. A rudimentary example of a multi-disciplinary vehicle development was undertaken by the Indiana University DTR student team, leading to a 1st place ranking in the November 2023 DTR competition against teams from peer universities with orders of magnitude greater resources. The winning strategy involved superior hardware-software integration, minimalistic and highly effective hardware design, high flexibility in gameplay strategy, and the team#s great ability to adapt and improvise to changing conditions. These preliminary observationsprovide the motivation behind the present proposed effort, which aims to advance the science behind the interdisciplinary engineering of UAVs using a synergistic approach, while developing the next generation of Navy, Defense, and STEM-related workforce.
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- May 15, 2024
- Source ID
- N000142412302
Entities
People
- Or Dantsker
Organizations
- Indiana University
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy