USA flag logo/image

An Official Website of the United States Government

Decision-Theoretic Control of Unmanned Systems

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Army 		Award ID:
77422 		Program Year/Program:
2006 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
A062-202-2352 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Toyon Research Corporation
6800 Cortona Drive Goleta, CA 93117-3021
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2006
Title: Decision-Theoretic Control of Unmanned Systems
Agency / Branch: DOD / ARMY
Contract: W56HZV-07-C-0054
Award Amount: $70,000.00
 

Abstract:

Toyon Research Corporation proposes to develop a system that allows a user to control multiple unmanned systems (UMS) of varying levels of autonomy. We will use Dynamic Decision Networks (DDNs) to create decision-theoretic agents that can make rational, optimal decisions on their own. DDNs are an extension of the highly-successful Dynamic Bayesian Networks (DBNs) used for developing a world view by fusing sensor measurements with a priori intelligence and contextual information. DBNs and DDNs are graphical models which provide the ability for the UMS to explain its inference and reasoning to the warfighter supervising them. These cognitive architectures naturally provide the ability to update their internal world state as they receive new information about a dynamic environment and change their plans accordingly. In Phase I, we will design a DDN-based system that can interact with a human supervisor. This will involve constructing the networks, specifying the necessary probabilities, and developing utility functions for varying levels of autonomy. We would focus the Phase I option on identifying a graphical means by which UMS explain their actions to users and use Phase II to implement the Phase I design in a software prototype for the purposes of testing, demonstration, and evaluation.

Principal Investigator:

Mark R. Meloon
Senior Analyst
8059686787
mmeloon@toyon.com

Business Contact:

Marcella R. Lindbery
Director of Finance and Contracts
8059686787
mlindbery@toyon.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

TOYON RESEARCH CORP.
6800 Cortona Drive Goleta, CA 93117

EIN/Tax ID: 953526665
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No