Formation Flight Task Control for Multi-Vehicle Guidance
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Solution Overview
Problem
Current flight control systems require a 1-to-1 relationship between aerial vehicles and operators, making it impractical for a single operator to manage and control multiple vehicles simultaneously, which is insufficient for advanced scenarios involving teams of assets.
Innovation Solution
An automated formation flight system with a task-based interface and sub-systems that include a formation commander, manager, and guidance system, allowing for the receipt and execution of task-based commands, peer-to-peer messaging, navigation data, and generation of guidance and control inputs across multiple vehicles, enabling dynamic task management and control of multi-vehicle teams.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a 1-to-1 relationship between aerial vehicle and operator is used, then control precision is improved, but operator workload increases and scalability deteriorates when managing multiple vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The system segments the control function by introducing a formation manager sub-system that handles individual vehicle control tasks, allowing the operator to manage multiple vehicles through high-level commands rather than direct control of each vehicle
Solution Approach 2:
The formation manager sub-system acts as an intermediary between the operator and individual vehicles, receiving task-based commands from the operator and translating them into specific control actions for each vehicle in the formation
2Measurement precision
If a 1-to-1 relationship between aerial vehicle and operator is used, then control precision is improved, but device complexity increases when scaling to multiple vehicles
Solution Approach 1:
The formation manager sub-system provides universal control functionality across multiple vehicles, implementing a standardized architecture where each vehicle has identical sub-systems that can operate independently or in coordination, reducing overall system complexity
Solution Approach 2:
The system uses identical formation manager sub-systems on each vehicle, creating copies of the same control architecture that can function autonomously, thereby simplifying the overall system design and reducing complexity when scaling to multiple vehicles
3Ease of operation
If automated formation flight system is implemented, then operator workload is reduced and scalability is improved, but system complexity increases
Solution Approach 1:
The control system is segmented into distinct functional layers: the formation commander sub-system for high-level task management, the formation manager sub-system for coordination, and the formation guidance sub-system for execution, allowing automated control of multiple vehicles while maintaining manageable complexity through modular architecture
Solution Approach 2:
Each vehicle is equipped with identical formation manager and guidance sub-systems that can operate autonomously, with vehicles self-coordinating through peer-to-peer communication protocols, reducing the need for complex centralized control while maintaining automated formation flight capabilities
Data Source
AI summary
A system for automated formation flight is disclosed. The system may include a formation commander sub-system including a task-based interface configured to receive a sequence of one or more task-based commands along with one or more sets of task-based options for each of the one or more task-based commands from an operator using one or more task-based selectable buttons of the task-based interface. The system may further include a formation manger sub-system communicatively coupled to the formation commander sub-system. Each vehicle of one or more vehicles within one or more teams may be configured to employ the formation manager sub-system. The formation manager sub-system may be configured to receive the one or more task-based commands along with the one or more sets of task-based options for each vehicle to perform.