Improved networking capabilities for unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) will be a compelling necessity for a wide range of 21st century applications, both military and commercial. To make these applications successful, two main technical challenges must be addressed: (1) dynamic, highly mobile network technologies to provide reliable, time-critical exchange of the network's media, and (2) information management and control system technologies to enable the networked UAVs to function as an integrated system to accomplish designated military or commercial missions. Rigorous solutions in these areas would provide the technological foundation for Intelligent Networks. The objective of this project is to assist the Office of Naval Research in making significant forward strides in these technology areas by conducting a Phase I feasibility and tradeoff study to research and then recommend optimal solutions for state-of-the-art dynamic, mobile network technologies. This effort will involve exploring a wide range of advanced decision support systems (along with their application methodologies) and offering recommendations on an optimal solution to provide information management and control systems for the dynamic network. The research and recommendations provided by this study will provide the foundation for a follow-on Phase II proposal. Dynamic, highly-mobile UAV networks combined with effective, efficient, and responsive decision support systems providing a variable degree of autonomous control for a wide range of mission functions will enable commanders to leverage the synergistic benefits achievable by a combination of sensors, communications nodes, and weapon systems deployable by a network of UAVs, minimizing threats to manned tactical, reconnaissance, surveillance, or transport aircraft. The technical capabilities identified in this proposal will also significantly enhance and directly address established requirements of U.S. Special Operations forces - specifically, operational requirements now extant for reconnaissance, surveillance, and other support functions that could be provided by such Intelligent Networks. Significant commercial applications also exist for Intelligent Networks possessing the ability to gather and distribute a wide range of media and rapidly adapt to changing circumstances based upon a pre-established set of rules or body of expertise. Firefighting, border patrol, illegal drug monitoring, police/SWAT, disaster/emergency response teams, commercial shipping, and many other industries and market segments will benefit from UAV networks possessing intelligent, variably autonomous decision-making abilities.
Keywords: Uav,Wireless,Ad Hoc,Network,Autonomous Control,Force Multiplier
