Developments and Challenges for Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles

A Compendium

verfasst von: Anthony Finn, Steve Scheding

Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg

Buchreihe : Intelligent Systems Reference Library

Enthalten in: Springer Professional "Wirtschaft+Technik" , Springer Professional "Technik" , Springer Professional "Wirtschaft"

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It is widely anticipated that autonomous vehicles will have a transformational impact on military forces and will play a key role in many future force structures. As a result, many tasks have already been identified that unmanned systems could undertake more readily than humans. However, for this to occur, such systems will need to be agile, versatile, persistent, reliable, survivable and lethal. This will require many of the vehicles ‘cognitive’ or higher order functions to be more fully developed, whereas to date only the ‘component’ or physical functions have been successfully automated and deployed.

The book draws upon a broad range of others’ work with a view to providing a product that is greater than the sum of its parts. The discussion is intentionally approached from the perspective of improving understanding rather than providing solutions or drawing firm conclusions. Consequently, researchers reading this book with the hope of uncovering some novel theory or approach to automating an unmanned vehicle will be as disappointed as the capability planner who anticipates a catalogue of technical risks and feasibility options against his favoured list of component technologies and potential applications. Nevertheless, it is hoped that both will at least learn something of the other’s world and that progress will ensue as a result.

For the defence policy and decision maker, this is a "must-read" book which brings together an important technology summary with a considered analysis of future doctrinal, legal and ethical issues in unmanned and autonomous systems. For research engineers and developers of robotics, this book provides a unique perspective on the implications and consequences of our craft; connecting what we do to the deployment and use of the technology in current and future defence systems.
Professor Hugh Durrant-Whyte

Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Introduction

Abstract

The intrinsic demand for automated, robotic and unmanned systems is largely driven by applications that are inherently repetitive, unpleasant, or dangerous. At present, these tasks typically include agricultural, container handling, intelligent transportation (repetitive), scientific exploration, mining, waste management, (unpleasant), search and rescue, fire-fighting, and military applications (dangerous). Additionally, as many of these applications necessitate the employment of vehicles that are relatively expensive, the additional cost of the automation components and integration is often modest relative to the gains made by better use of the platform. This tends to auger well when establishing robust use cases for such systems, particularly in the commercial arena.

Anthony Finn, Steve Scheding

Background

Abstract

What we refer to as automation changes over time; when functions previously carried out by humans are carried out reliably by technology they become ‘machine operation’ rather than automation. On the other hand, certain functions preserve their automation label as they continue to be carried out by both humans and machines. The aim of this chapter is therefore to provide the reader with a historical perspective on the development of UVS and a view of what might become. This frames likely technological developments within the context of autonomous military vehicles so that the reader may appreciate the degree of disruptive innovation and capability promise becoming available within the financial planning cycles of most defence forces.

Anthony Finn, Steve Scheding

Autonomous UVS

Abstract

Cost drivers and the requirement for UVS to be mobile and adaptive means that a number of systems – either component technologies or multiple UVS – will need to be controlled by a relatively small number of people. This implies both a high degree of autonomy, and that humans will be retained within the decision-making loop at some level. In this chapter, therefore, the functional components and architecture of an autonomous UVS are described, together with the nature of human-UVS interaction. This is intended to provide an appreciation of the complexity and scale of such systems, and an understanding of the degrees of freedom that are often coupled when the performance of autonomous UVS are measured. The chapter lays the ground-work for discussing the technological challenges, the issues pertaining to technology-force insertion, and the legal conundrums.

Anthony Finn, Steve Scheding

UVS Technology Issues

Abstract

The aspirational capability objectives for UVS in the air, land and maritime environments articulated by several national roadmap documents (e.g. [202] [205] [206] [267] [268] [278] [281]) may effectively be expressed as: 2008-10 conduct of ISR missions; 2015-2020 autonomous patrol; and, 2025-2030 strike capability and combat missions. This implies a need for persistent UVS autonomy in complex dynamic military environments and the automation of a range of higher order or ‘intelligent’ functions. As a result, the challenges discussed in this chapter pertain mainly to next-generation UVS and pre-empt any ‘validated’ current military requirements. The chapter focuses on the complexities of contextual decision-making, planning in dynamic environments, verification and validation, sensory deprivation and trust and reliability for autonomous military UVS. It is recognised that there are a large number of other technological challenges that may result in improved UVS, however, these have been covered by a range of other teams in studies cataloguing the state-of-the-art and projected requirements in each of these fields against various likely missions and applications (e.g. [44] [141] [202] [204] [205] [206] [230] [234] [237] [244] [245] [268] [276] [277] [278] [279] [280] [281] [282]).

Anthony Finn, Steve Scheding

Force-Integration of UVS

Abstract

In this chapter, attention is drawn to the fact that some changes intended to increase productivity have resulted in performance declines because the technical systems and the social systems into which the technology has been embedded have been misaligned. In particular, since military UVS are expected to change and probably reduce the involvement of humans in certain tasks, and as modern military capability needs to respond to the threat of conventional force and the challenges of asymmetric conflict in terms of Effects Based Operations, a number of questions remain regarding what realistic effects can be expected from military UVS, how these systems should be integrated into a force, and how we might then quantify such benefits in the complex and non-linear battle space of the future. The intent of this chapter then is to try to highlight a number of the considerations, and to describe a process by which we are able to test the cost-capability trade-offs and value proposition for disruptive, next-generation UVS by testing their viability and evolving new operational and deployment concepts.

Anthony Finn, Steve Scheding

Legal Issues for UVS

Abstract

Many of the advances in computing and technology have increased the decisionmaking capabilities of UVS to the point where they may now make truly independent decisions regarding by which route they might travel, what constitutes a target, and whether and by what means these targets should be engaged, possibly with lethal force. As a result, it is now widely acknowledged that, if permitted, the use of such systems would mark a sea-change in the role of technology in warfare as the human could potentially be removed from the decision-making loop. This introduces a number of issues that the need to be assessed in relation to the Law of Armed Conflict. In this chapter we discuss these issues.

Anthony Finn, Steve Scheding

Backmatter

Titel: Developments and Challenges for Autonomous Unmanned Vehicles
verfasst von: Anthony Finn
Steve Scheding
Verlag: Springer Berlin Heidelberg
Electronic ISBN: 978-3-642-10704-7
Print ISBN: 978-3-642-10703-0
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-10704-7

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Inhaltsverzeichnis

Frontmatter

Introduction

Background

Autonomous UVS

UVS Technology Issues

Force-Integration of UVS

Legal Issues for UVS

Backmatter

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