Urban Search and Rescue
In this project, we are interested in developing an approach to allowing a small number of human operators to control a large number of search and rescue robots. We are pursuing three major threads. First, we are developing new operator paradigms for interaction. Second, we are developing techniques that manage limited communication bandwidth. Third, we are developing autonomous coordination that allows robots to work more effectively without human input.
Information Dynamics
In this project, we are looking at the dynamics of information sharing in large teams, connected by social networks. We are looking at both algorithms for more efficient sharing and what happens on a large scale when abstracted information is shared across the network.
UAV Teams
In this project, we are interested in using up to ten UAVs with different types of sensor to find ground vehicles emitting RF signals. We performed a successful flight test in 2008. This work is sponsored by L3-Com.
CAMRA
In this project, we are working with the U.S. Airforce (Eglin AFB) and Lockheed Martin on small teams of Wide Area Search Munitions. The basic paradigm is for "Target-Oriented Targeting" where the user selects targets to be simultaneously struck and the team autonomously works out the best way to get it done (with user permission). A flight test was conducted in October, 2005 with a combination of real equipment and high fidelity simulations and successful coordination was demonstrated.
ACCAST
In this project, we are working with the U.S. Army and LM-ATL on command and control for highly heterogeneous teams of autonomous systems. The autonomous teams include unattended ground sensors, unmanned aerial vehicles and unmanned ground vehicles. The project aims to develop techniques that will allow relatively small numbers of operators to control relatively large numbers of autonomous systems.