UAV Mission Management for Autonomous Threat-Aware Rerouting
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Solution Overview
Problem
Unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) face challenges in survivability and mission performance due to hostile environments, where remote operator intervention is time-consuming and resource-intensive, especially when communications are disrupted or the UAV must deviate from planned routes to avoid threats.
Innovation Solution
A method and apparatus for managing UAV flights that monitor environmental changes, assess their impact on the route, and dynamically adjust the route using a route analysis and planning process, along with resource allocation, to ensure mission objectives are met while minimizing exposure to threats and optimizing resource usage.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Reliability
If a remote operator monitors and controls the UAV to adjust routes in hostile environments, then the UAV can avoid threats and perform operations, but the operation time increases and additional resources are required
Solution Approach 1:
The UAV is equipped with an onboard mission management process that enables it to autonomously monitor environmental changes, detect threats, and adjust its own route without requiring remote operator intervention. This self-service capability reduces operation time while maintaining survivability through real-time autonomous decision-making
2Reliability
If a remote operator monitors and controls the UAV to adjust routes in hostile environments, then the UAV can avoid threats and perform operations, but additional resources are required to operate the UAV
Solution Approach 1:
The onboard mission management process enables the UAV to autonomously perform route adjustment decisions, eliminating the need for additional remote operator resources. The system self-monitors environmental changes and self-adjusts routes, reducing overall resource requirements while maintaining high survivability
3Productivity
If the UAV follows a predetermined route with multiple waypoints, then the mission can be executed systematically, but the UAV may be exposed to threats and resource constraints may prevent reaching all waypoints
Solution Approach 1:
The mission management process dynamically adjusts the predetermined route in real-time based on detected environmental changes and threats. The system maintains systematic mission execution by adapting waypoints and flight paths dynamically, reducing exposure to threats while optimizing resource usage to reach critical objectives
Solution Approach 2:
The system continuously monitors environmental changes and feeds this information back to the route planning process. This feedback loop enables real-time adjustments to the flight path, allowing the UAV to avoid detected threats while maintaining mission efficiency by prioritizing critical waypoints based on current conditions
Data Source
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AI summary
A method and apparatus for managing a flight of an aircraft. Conditions in an environment around the aircraft are monitored during the flight of the aircraft. In response to detecting a number of changes in the environment around the aircraft, determining whether the changes affect a current route. If so, a determination is then made as to whether the aircraft has the capability to make changes to the route in response to the number of changes in the environment. In response to a determination that the aircraft has the capability to make changes to the route, making changes to the route using a route analysis and planning process and a resource allocation process before returning to the monitoring step.