AUVSI's Unmanned Systems 2016

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Adding Complexity to Sense and Avoid: Economic Feasibility, Autonomy and Cybersecurity (Room 275-276)

04 May 16
11:30 AM - 12:00 PM

Tracks: Air, Commercial, Defense, Research and Development, Technical Track: Sense and Avoid Technologies

The purpose of this research is to further develop a future vision of the use of Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA) and how they will safely operate in a manner required for economical replacement of existing methods and perhaps more importantly their social acceptance across multiple cultures. A primary finding from previous research indicates more robust and reliable autonomy of the RPA is the backbone of these machines realizing their full potential. Major roadblocks to obtaining the necessary level of autonomy include reliable communications, cybersecurity and fail-safe “sense and avoid” methodology. Our research has further developed the necessary technical, safety and operational goals that must be met in order for the RPAs of the future to become economically feasible and take their place in different applications of everyday society. First we developed a more robust and up-to-date basis of technology for each of these areas of interest. Comparing these updated data to our earlier findings related to multi-sensor “sense and avoid (S&A)” capability as well as projected operational scenarios we developed an algorithm for a generic RPA to utilize integrated sensors to detect, localize and make response decisions to ensure necessary machine maneuvers are performed in time to avoid the detected object. Simultaneous notification of control authorities are a function triggered as a part of the decision/response logic. Using a well define decision/response algorithm we next looked for specific system functions and hardware interfaces to off-board sensors to identify possible cybersecurity attack vulnerabilities. Both NextGen and SESAR plan to implement new operational concepts and make use of surveillance sources such the Automatic Dependent Surveillance - Broadcast (ADS-B) and the new systems such Automatic Collision Avoidance System (ACAS -X). The results will be a multiplicity of useful information that could be fed into the airspace. Final conclusions of this research are presented to show concentrated areas of concern that must be considered by RPA system designers as well as control system developers and remote air traffic controllers.