Autonomous ScanEagle, Procerus Unicorn Communicate Over Search
Area
The successful autonomous communications and operation of
dissimilar unmanned aerial vehicles (UAV) in flight tests over the
rugged terrain of eastern Oregon was announced Thursday by Boeing.
The July 7-10 mission used two ScanEagles manufactured by Boeing
subsidiary Insitu and one Procerus Unicorn from The Johns Hopkins
University Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL). The UAVs
communicated using a Mobile Ad Hoc Network and swarm technology
developed by JHU/APL.
ScanEagle UAS File Photo
Swarm technology is similar to how
insects communicate and perform tasks as an intelligent group. The
UAVs worked together to search the test area through
self-generating waypoints and terrain mapping, while simultaneously
sending information to teams on the ground. A broader demonstration
is planned for the end of September.
"This is a milestone in UAV flight," said Gabriel Santander,
Boeing Advanced Autonomous Networks program director and team
leader. "The test team proved that these unmanned aircraft can
collect and use data while communicating with each other to support
a unified mission. This swarm technology may one day be used for
search-and-rescue missions or identifying enemy threats ahead of
ground patrols."
"The decentralized autonomous vehicles we demonstrated show the
potential for improved response time and reduced manning
requirements when compared with current systems," said Dave
Scheidt, JHU/APL principal investigator. "We're excited we were
able to demonstrate this capability on deployed vehicles such as
the Boeing ScanEagles."
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