An interconnected network of UAS as a system-of-systems

• Main Authors: Gomes, Rahul, Straub, Jeremy, Jones, Andrew, Morgan, John, Tipparach, Santipab, Sletten, Aaron, Keon Woo Kim, Loegering, David, Feikema, Nick, Dayananda, Karanam, Miryala, Goutham, Gass, Andrew, Setterstrom, Kevin, Mischel, Jacob, Shipman, Dylan, Nazzaro, Colleen
• Format: Conference Proceeding
• Language: English
• Subjects: autonomous navigation; Meteorology; Monitoring; obstacle avoidance; Path planning; Poles and towers; remote sensing; Temperature sensors; UAS
• ISSN: 2155-7209
• DOI: 10.1109/DASC.2017.8102148

Technological advancements and miniaturization have made it possible for Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS) to perform a diverse range of tasks. UAS are being used in various applications ranging from remote sensing[1] to disaster response[2] to package delivery[3]. As drones rapidly fill the airspace, there are several threats that the system can encounter. These threats include mid-air collisions, loss of remote command connection, security breach of the drone's software system and critical damage to the hardware. To ensure the integrity of the drone in flight, an interconnected UAS architecture, having a fully functional system capable of responding to these situations, is required. This paper presents a system meeting these requirements. An interconnected UAS system of systems is proposed that includes systems for onboard GPS, obstacle avoidance central control and safety response. It focuses on the coordination level that the UAS systems will need to have amongst themselves. It proposes a control system to ensure effective monitoring of UAS. The UAS system architecture is comprised of eleven systems that are essential for a safe flight. In addition, the control system includes five different systems that are involved in the decision-making process. The importance and operation of these systems are discussed in detail. The proposed UAS software architecture is capable of performing autonomous self-control. It has decision making modules that can receive data from various sensors and integrate it to provide efficient route planning and data management. The software systems monitor the area surrounding the UAV to facilitate routing and decision making. The software architecture includes self-awareness to respond to situations such as adverse climatic conditions that impact the flight capabilities of the UAS. The proposed UAS system also includes hardware to monitor and update the list of obstacles in its path. This requires the UAS to be equipped with sensors for obstacle determination and a software system that accepts the inputs from these sensors, makes decisions and performs actions, promptly. An emergency response system is included to ensure that the drone will land safely in an appropriate location, if its systems are compromised. This response system is capable of deciding the severity of the situation and sends commands to the flight control system regarding the recovery steps that should be taken. The proposed system architecture incorporates cybers