Control Station
Analysis
Recent advancements in
unmanned surface/underwater vehicles have shown their ability to relieve man of
the dull, dirty, dangerous and deep hazards associated with maritime
operations. However, as with other
unmanned systems (UxS), unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) and unmanned
underwater vehicles (UUVs) are unable to realize their full potential due to
limitations in providing the operator with essential data and communication
strategies to support situational awareness.
In an effort to mitigate loss of operator SA, it is necessary for
unmanned systems to depict and present data in a form and manner capable of
supporting the operator’s decision making process while at the same time not
promoting situation overload or saturation.
Recent developments in control station design architecture have shown
promising results in minimizing data overload while enhancing operator SA.
Limitations
Commonality among UxS control stations has restricted an
operator’s ability to quickly adapt to the command and control infrastructure
essential to many different operating platforms. This inability of an operator to
quickly adapt to different command architectures, requires specialized training
for different operating systems and is therefore not cost effective or
sustainable (Raytheon, 2011) .
Increased use of unmanned surface vehicles (USVs) by the
Navy has identified limitations in the command and control of these systems due
to the limited communication capabilities from one surface vehicle to
another. In an effort to enhance range
and communication strategies the Navy relies on a communication network
comprised of manned/unmanned aircraft and/or satellite communications (Gonzales
& Harting, 2014) .
The PGCS essentially allows one operator to efficiently
control the USV beyond line of sight (BLOS) operations while also controlling
an UAS via multiple displays and waypoint navigation effectively controlling
the communication bridge from one control station. One operator + One Control Station x multiple
unmanned platforms = reduced costs.
Solutions
The UAV Factory© developed a portable ground control
station (Figure 1) designed specifically for controlling all manner of unmanned
vehicles.
The control station
or PGCS is comprised of commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) products providing a
flexible yet universal solution to UxS command and control (C2) (UAV Factory, n.d.) .
Equipped with a durable
Panasonic CFR-31 Toughbook and
capable of configuring dual 17” touch screen displays it provides the operator
with multiple displays formatted to present data determined by the operator as
essential to C2 of the particular UXS platform, regardless of the operating
environment.
Using a point-and-click
command architecture, the operator has the ability to navigate the unmanned
platform via waypoint navigation software.
This mouse based C2 strategy allows the operator to quickly transition between
different unmanned systems without extensive training or considerations
regarding currency in command of a particular operating platform.
Using a portable
environmentally protected case, electronic equipment can be configured to the
operators needs by use of a comprehensive set of connections which allows the
user to install application specific hardware such as autopilot RF-modems,
video receivers, data links, data storage and recording devices ( (UAV Factory,
n.d.) .
Power considerations
allow the PGCS to be used anytime anywhere, using 10-32 VDC capability or dual
hot-swappable Lithium Ion battery ports capable of providing up to two hours of
operation while the integrated power distribution system provides two 12 VDC,
50 W power outputs for the equipment in the electronics compartment as
well as external devices that are used in conjunction with the GCS. (UAV Factory, n.d.) .
Recommendation
Use of proprietary closed platform control systems,
requires higher development costs, specialized training for operators and
maintenance personnel, and increased costs associated with support
infrastructure.
Realization of an open control interface command
structure, like that of the PGCS, can reduce unnecessary costs, encourage
innovation, improve quality of operations and maximize operator qualifications (Raytheon, 2011) .
This synergistic
design logic will increase ground station functionality, facilitate C2 of
multiple vehicles and sensors, while enhancing an operators situational
awareness across all levels of unmanned systems (Raytheon, 2011) .
References
Gonzales, D., & Harting, S. (2014). Designing
Unmanned Systems with Greater Autonomy. RAND Corporation. Retrieved from
https://www.rand.org/content/dam/rand/pubs/research_reports/RR600/RR626/RAND_RR626.pdf
Raytheon. (2011, June 20). Common Ground Control
Framework: More Efficient. Less Costly. Retrieved July 7, 2018, from
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XQYW5q4qAJQ
UAV Factory. (n.d.). Portable Ground Control
Station. Retrieved July 7, 2018, from UAV Factory:
http://www.uavfactory.com/product/16
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