Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Ground Operations Positioning System (UGOPS)

Modern battlefield scenarios are placing more reliance on the use of Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) to serve as the primary platform to execute missions at forward airbases that would otherwise be considered “dull, dirty, or dangerous” to a human pilot. There is current interest in technologies that will facilitate the automation of UAV ground control operations at locations where GPS service is either degraded or denied. This system will do such with minimum required supervision, in a manner that would approach the capabilities of, and require no more a-priori information than, manned aircraft. SARA proposes a system that will allow any UAV to be individually autonomous by adding sensors to, and using sensors already on board. The primary guiding sensor would be the on-board INS system, augmented by video sensors. Kalman Filtering will be used to estimate relative position, and SLAM algorithms will build a virtual environment. A ground control console with a real-time display will be developed to show the location and status of the UAVs and other ground vehicles, overlaid on a map of the airfield. This will enable ground control to efficiently enter waypoints and other information, interact with UAVs, and monitor and direct ground traffic.