Onboard UAV Decision-Making Beyond Communication Range
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) are limited by communication range and line of sight requirements, constraining their mission capabilities, as they typically rely on remote control stations for decision-making, which can be outside their operational range or line of sight.
Innovation Solution
The implementation of an onboard computer system with an anomaly manager, adaptive sensor controller, and mission manager that enables autonomous decision-making and action execution, including anomaly detection, adaptive sensor control, and mission path management, allowing UAVs to operate independently outside communication range.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If the unmanned aerial vehicle operates within communication range of the control station, then real-time remote control and decision-making are possible, but the mission capability is constrained by communication range and line of sight requirements
Solution Approach 1:
The unmanned aerial vehicle is equipped with an onboard computer system that enables it to autonomously perform perception, interpretation, and decision-making functions. The system independently processes sensor data, evaluates mission performance, detects anomalies, and generates control commands without requiring continuous communication with the control station, thereby serving itself in environments where communication is unavailable.
Solution Approach 2:
The decision-making function is segmented from the remote control station and relocated to the onboard computer system of the unmanned aerial vehicle. This segmentation allows the vehicle to operate independently outside communication range while the control station retains strategic oversight capability when communication is available.
2Adaptability or versatility
If the unmanned aerial vehicle operates autonomously outside communication range, then mission capability is enhanced, but real-time remote monitoring and control are lost
Solution Approach 1:
The onboard computer system continuously monitors sensor data, vehicle status, and mission performance, and uses this feedback to autonomously adjust its operations. When communication is available, the system can transmit mission status and sensor information to the control station, providing feedback about the autonomous operations.
3Ease of operation
If remote operators perform all decision-making, then centralized control is maintained, but reaction time is delayed and operator burden increases
Solution Approach 1:
The onboard computer system autonomously performs real-time decision-making for anomaly detection, sensor control, and mission management without requiring operator intervention. This self-service capability eliminates communication delays and reduces the operational burden on remote operators, who only need to provide high-level guidance when communication is available.
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and apparatus for autonomously managing operation of an unmanned aerial vehicle (202). Sensor data (228) is received by a computer system (224) located onboard the unmanned aerial vehicle (202). The sensor data (228) is processed by the computer system (224) to generate information of interest (230) related to at least one target, while the unmanned aerial vehicle (202) is out of a communications range (218) of a control station (210). A number of actions (225) to be performed is identified by the computer system (224) based on the information of interest (230) related to the at least one target, while the unmanned aerial vehicle (202) is out of the communications range (218) of the control station (210).