The multi-UA planner, UA-Teamer, could provide great value to the R&D efforts of NASA in the Integrated Aviation Systems Program and vehicular autonomy programs, specifically in the areas involving multi-vehicle cooperation and interoperability. Additionally, the final product may aid programs under aerospace safety and integration, UAS in the NAS, and programs which may someday utilize multi-UA missions, such as hurricane surveillance. The UA-Teamer system allows for simultaneously maintaining the efficiency and success of multi-vehicle missions while also detecting non-compliance of mission plans and resolving potential problems such as loss of separation and conflicts within the NAS through mission replanning. This system is critical to facilitating the safe use of multiple UAVs in the NAS. UA-Teamer provides essential developments in the areas of algorithms/control software systems, telemetry tracking, and air transportation safety. The UA-Teamer system has application to UAVs that are used or could be employed in the following market sectors: Defense/military (all Services), Government Agencies (e,g., as Homeland Security, FBI, Forestry Department), Law Enforcement Sector, First Responders, in addition to commercial companies with services that may involve future multi-UA missions. Potential applications for the UA-Teamer system include agricultural applications, disaster response (e.g. fire mapping), wildlife surveys, forest health monitoring, oil spills monitoring, mine exploration, remote imaging and mapping, and reconnaissance. UA-Teamer may have use in low attitude traffic management as well as by approaches in high density small aircraft that are envisioned under an air taxi or personal vehicle concepts.
More »