FORT BENNING, Ga., 6 June 2013. The Maneuver Center of Excellence and Georgia Tech Research Institute are performing multiple unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) test flights through June 7 at McKenna Urban Operations Complex test site.
The joint endeavor’s purpose is to perform experiments that will further GTRI research on automation of collaborative UAS operations. The demonstration is designed to simulate a growing UAS threat to U.S. forces, test its capabilities for accuracy and validate the system so it can be an asset for future Army operational assessments.
This capability was initially demonstrated the 2010 Robotics Rodeo. Ongoing research seeks to expand collaborative operations to four or more aircraft, and to demonstrate autonomous, collaborative task assignment approaches.
This test will also demonstrate the capability and benefits of flying multiple unmanned aerial vehicles in autonomous flight. A motivating factor in conducting the event derives from, as the number and variety of UAS in the airspace grows, the need to resolve airspace conflicts between aircraft.
Automated coordination between platforms is needed to reduce operator workload and allow a single operator to manage multiple platforms. The GTRI is investigating automation of collaborative UAS operations with internal research and development efforts. Objectives of the event include: performing simultaneous, autonomous UAV flights with four Piper Cub UAVs testing collaborative autonomy algorithms, and performing test flights with the Boomer UAV platform.
