GNC Challenges for Miniature Autonomous Systems Workshop
Sponsored by The Air Force Research Lab, Munitions Directorate
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2009 Workshop dates announced
GNC Challenges for Miniature Autonomous Systems Workshop 2009
October 26-28, 2009
Emerald Coast Conference Center
Fort Walton Beach, Florida
2008 TECHNICAL PROGRAM
Download Presentations (registered attendees only)
WORKSHOP CO-CHAIRS AND PLANNING COMMITTEE
Workshop Co-Chairs:
Mr. Fred Davis, AFRL/RWA
Dr. Mikel Miller, AFRL/RWG
Planning Committee:
2Lt Caroline New, AFRL/RWGN
Dr. William Humbert, AFRL/RWGS
Dr. Robert Murphey, AFRL/RWGN
Dr. John Raquet, AFIT
Dr. Jacob Campbell, AFRL/RYRN
Dr. Gregg Abate, AFRL/RWGN
WORKSHOP DESCRIPTION
This workshop is intended to bring the DoD technical and user community, academia, and industry together to review and discuss advances in guidance, navigation, and control (GNC) for Miniature Autonomous Systems. Current trends show that future systems will be miniature (less than 20 lbs total system weight) for a number of reasons. First, they will be much cheaper to develop and build than current systems. Second, their smaller size will allow them to be carried in large numbers and be compatible with small UAVs for air-launched systems. Also, Miniature Autonomous Systems have the potential to fill the capability gap that is necessary for access to difficult targets such as hardened command and control facilities.
Miniature autonomous systems capable of agile locomotion or flight in urban, forested, and indoor (including transitions from outdoor to indoor) environments present many unique technical challenges to the controls and systems engineer. It is envisioned that the military use of miniature systems will include acquiring, tracking, and engaging non-traditional targets. Such miniature systems will use economies of scale and synergies in time-space trajectories to compensate for individual small payloads with subsequent small chemical and kinetic energies. There are many fundamental technical gaps that prevent building these systems today. Miniature systems imply small sensor apertures with subsequent poor resolution making the system less observable and therefore harder to control. Miniature systems, either airborne or ground-based have built-in plant nonlinearities and instabilities stemming from the fact that some physical forces (e.g., viscous and friction) become comparable in magnitude to inertial forces. Miniature systems will also face fundamental challenges with insufficient actuation and will need to exploit small but dense power systems and (perhaps distributed) computational resources with limited performance.
A benefit of miniature weapon systems is the potential to greatly limit collateral damage in urban scenarios. However, very precise engagement is required to achieve the desired effects in defeating targets. Urban environments and scenarios offer unique GNC challenges for Miniature Autonomous Systems as well. Since small, agile vehicles will be required to traverse the complex flight environment in so-called "urban canyons" and the possibility exists that such systems will both outdoor and indoor applications. "Tight" operating environments, clutter, obstacles, and RF interference can create situations where extremely agile GNC techniques are required. All of these applications will challenge GNC technologies for miniature autonomous systems. This workshop offers a review of active programs in the field, a window on significant trends, and the opportunity to present new technology to the community.
The workshop will feature presentations from leaders in the DoD technical and user communities, academia, and industry. The first day of the workshop will feature perspectives from the operations community, and GNC research challenge talks from senior research representatives of the Air Force, Navy, Army, and DARPA. The afternoon of the first day will feature For Official Use Only presentations. The second and third days of the workshop will feature public forum presentations and discussions centered around a variety of topics including Multi-use Miniature Seekers/Sensors; Advanced Navigation Sensors and Techniques; System Integration Challenges; and Multi-vehicle Cooperative Operations.
| Monday, October 20, 2008: FOUO Sessions |
Operators Perspectives (FOUO)
8:00 a.m. - 9:00 a.m.
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Chair Fred Davis Air Force Research Laboratory |
1. Operational Perspective: Col. James Geurts, USSOCOM/SOAL/PEO-FW |
Vision Challenges from the R&D Community (FOUO)
9:15 a.m. -11:30 a.m.
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Chair Mikel Miller Air Force Research Laboratory |
1. Navigation for Future Micro Munitions: Col. Kirk Kloeppel, Director, AFRL/RW |
Special Presentation (FOUO)
12:35 p.m. - 12:55 p.m.
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1. Micro UAS Autonomous Air Launch/Target Prosecution: 2Lt. Joseph Czabaranek, AFRL/RWAV |
FOUO Multi-Sensor GNC
1:00 p.m. - 2:25 p.m.
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Chair Fred Davis Air Force Research Laboratory
Co-chair |
1. Advanced GN&C for Nano-sized UAVs: P. DeBitetto, S. George, E. Ranger, G. Andrews, Draper Laboratory |
FOUO Miniature Navigation Systems
2:55 p.m. - 4:55 p.m.
| Tuesday, October 21, 2008: Public Access Sessions Day 1 |
Miniature Multi-Function Sensors
8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
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Chair Bill Humbert Air Force Research Laboratory |
Capability gaps are often highlighted during con icts, and the
scienti c community is tasked to develop technical solutions to ll
these gaps. Given the proliferation of UAVs, we have an opportunity
to capitalize on these platforms to perform more than just the
typical ISR function. Adding a precision strike capability against
challenging target sets in con ned urban environments requires
smaller, more maneuverable UAVs. Additionally, miniature systems
may have increased seeker/sensor requirements at the small scale.
This will place strict requirements on the development of miniature,
multi-function sensors/seekers enabling this capability. This Session
will highlight sensor/seeker technologies, and requirements which
support this capability.
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Advanced Navigation Techniques
1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Chair John Raquet Air Force Institute of Technology |
This session focuses on advanced navigation techniques and methods
for Miniature Autonomous Systems. In order to obtain robust
position, navigation, and time (PNT) knowledge for a variety of Miniature
Autonomous Systems, it is necessary to take advantage of new
types of sensors and/or use existing sensors in innovative ways. This
session will describe techniques and methods (vision-based navigation,
gravity eld navigation, magnetic eld navigation, etc.) that
exploit data from various sensors (i.e., cameras, laser-based systems,
millimeter-wave radar, magnetometers, RF-based navigation sensors,
combined communication/navigation systems, MEMS-based
inertial systems, high sensitivity GPS, etc.). Of particular interest are
PNT systems that can work in situations where standard GPS is not
available or is only partially available. Included in the concept of PNT
are position, velocity, attitude, and precise time information.
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| Wednesday, October 22, 2008: Public Access Sessions Day 2 |
System Integration Challenges - Multi Sensor Navigation
8:30 a.m. - 10:30 a.m.
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Chair Dr. Timothy Klausutis Air Force Institute of Technology/RWGI |
Future GNC challenges for miniature autonomous systems will require
novel integration approaches. This session focuses on the issues
and challenges facing current and future GNC hardware and software
algorithms for multi-sensor fusion in miniature systems. This session
will feature innovative solutions used to integrate the hardware and
software into a miniature “system of systems.” That is, the system is
highly multidisciplinary. Additionally, n order to meet size, weight,
and power restrictions associated with miniature systems, sensors
will need to be multi-functional. For example, a Ladar could serve
as a sensor and a line-of-site communication signal. Presentations
discussing new ways of integrating traditional or innovative sensors
will be offered.
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Controlling Miniature Autonomous Systems
1:30 p.m. - 4:00 p.m.
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Chair Rob Murphey Air Force Research Laboratory |
Miniature systems, either airborne or ground-based, have built-in
plant nonlinearities and instabilities stemming from the fact that
physical properties do not scale linearly nor proportionally (e.g.,
viscous and friction forces may become comparable in magnitude to
inertial forces at this scale). This session will focus on current research
activities to meet the needs of plant observability controllability,
and stability for small autonomous systems, including robust,
distributed sensing and actuation architectures that exploit low
quality sensors and low power e ectors, adaptive control strategies
that take advantage of environmental features whenever possible,
and cooperative or networked approaches that use synergies of
multiple entities to achieve a greater e ect. Papers that
illustrate modeling and application of control methodologies to
micro systems will be offered.
Alternate |
| WORKSHOP INFORMATION |
PDF BROCHURE
The technical program brochure is also available as a PDF.
