Coordinated Control of Multi-Agent Systems in Rapidly Varying Environments, Phase I

In this STTR project Scientific Systems Company, Inc. (SSCI) and Brigham Young University (BYU) propose to design, implement, and test an Autonomous Coordinated Control And Management System (ACCAMS) for multiple Unmanned Air Vehicles (UAVs) engaged in cooperative missions under rapidly changing environment. Over the past few years, BYU has developed an effective approach for complex cooperative missions such as the coordinated multiple UAV rendezvous mission. In this project we plan to enhance this approach by integration of Failure Detection, Identification, and Reconfiguration (FDIR) algorithms, Achievable Dynamic Performance (ADP) estimation algorithms, and high level decision making logic to the control architecture. The integration of these algorithms allow the UAVs to make intelligent decisions in the presence of subsystem failures or external threats in an autonomous fashion. The FDIR algorithms detect and identify the failure when it occurs, and reconfigures the controller to continue the mission if possible. It also estimates the new ADP and pass this information to the upper layers to decide if the trajectory/path/mission need to be changed after the failure or threat has occurred. We also plan to conduct flight tests of the baseline coordinated control scheme to demonstrate the path planning and trajectory generation capabilities using the BYU fixed-wing UAV testbed during Phase I.

This is a mature technology (TRL 7+) — the realistic path in is usually NASA's Technology Transfer Program: licensing an existing NASA patent, or a Space Act Agreement to use NASA facilities/expertise directly. NASA also runs a startup licensing program with no upfront fee for companies formed to commercialize a specific NASA technology.

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