Research Summaries

Back The Future of Unmanned Platforms, Automation, Big Data, and Portable Power

Fiscal Year 2019
Division Research & Sponsored Programs
Department NPS Naval Research Program
Investigator(s) Wood, Brian P.
Trask, David M.
Sponsor NPS Naval Research Program (Navy)
Summary Is the Navy prepared to support SOF to integrate the latest advances in technology in ways that best exploit the Navy’s global access with Portable power density, big data analytics, automation, and unmanned platforms? The proposed research will focus on two of the four elements: autonomy and unmanned systems. Combining both could result in lethal, combat ready systems that are less expensive to build, deploy, and maintain. The NPS MDUSV team is uniquely poised to address this research. The team is leading the way in developing CONOPS, acquisition strategies, systems engineering, and communications efforts in support of the SEA HUNTER. SEA HUNTER, a 132 foot trimaran autonomous unmanned vessel, is currently undergoing testing in San Diego. It represents the next evolution in naval warfare and NPS is actively engaged in determining how this capability will fit into fleet operations. Potential missions include fast logistics resupply, ASW, to surface warfare scout/ISR, & mine countermeasures. Its missions are only restricted by its physical structure, propulsion, & software. The AI on SEA HUNTER is the key to executing the proper “behaviors” necessary for the mission in such a way as to gain trust from the fleet. A second SEA HUNTER will be delivered in FY19 allowing for a robust testing schedule & the opportunity to test two vessels as a team. Improving the software & developing new algorithms focused on mission behaviors will continue & the NPS team is fully onboard to see what capabilities are brought to bear under this program.
The team will survey the latest trends in unmanned platforms combined with AI enabled behaviors and delineate the best attributes supporting SOF missions. This will provide data for extending the research to future systems with estimates of the time and effort needed to mature and acquired the capability. The team will then produce a final report capturing the information and conclude with recommendations.
Keywords
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