Research Summaries

Back ARSENL Swarm Capability Fleet Transition

Fiscal Year 2017
Division Graduate School of Operational & Information Sciences
Department Computer Science
Investigator(s) Davis, Duane T.
Sponsor Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DoD)
Summary With the success live-fly demonstration of a 50-plane swarm capability, the NPS ARSENL established itself as a leader in UAV swarm research. Lessons learned during this experiment led to the development of consensus algorithms, communications protocols, command-and-control procedures, and coordinated swarm behaviors that address many of the unique challenges posed by large-scale swarm operations. ARSENL subsequently implemented a multi-swarm capability that fosters interaction between disjoint and potentially adversarial swarms through an "Arbiter" providing virtual sensor and weapon capability to multiple swarms and real-time assessment of interaction between swarms. This infrastructure was demonstrated in February 2017 with the first-ever competitive swarm versus swarm even in which competing swarms utilized different autonomy software. Recent work has incorporated quad-rotors and a heterogeneous swarm capability into the ARSENL multi-UAV infrastructure in support of the DARPA-sponsored Service Academy Swarm Challenge conducted at Camp Roberts, CA in April 2017.
The USMC has been a primary supporter of prior ARSENL work and is particularly interested in defense against potential adversary UAV capabilities. In response, The Marine Corps Air Ground Combat Center (MCAGCC) has begun incorporating both friendly and adversary UAVs into ITXs and other events. Exercise employment of these systems is manpower intensive (i.e., one vehicle, one operator), and therefore limited. These exercises highlight a unique intersection between real-world requirement and ongoing NPS research and provide an opportunity to transition previously funded research to fleet use.
This research will leverage prior ARSENL experience in the development of adversarial swarm capabilities for utilization in a training environment. These behaviors will provide realistic and repeatable simulation of enemy UAV assets conducting operations against friendly ground forces. Behaviors of particular interest are those utilized for surveillance and reconnaissance and air-to-ground attack. In addition to developing behaviors and capabilities in support of USMC training requirements and objectives.
Keywords Robotics UAV swarming collaborative autonomy unmanned systems
Publications Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal
Data Publications, theses (not shown) and data repositories will be added to the portal record when information is available in FAIRS and brought back to the portal