Experimentation, USV’s, and Autonomy Carl Conti CAPT, USN (Ret) Spatial Integrated Systems, Inc. carl.conti@sisinc.org www.sisinc.org Presented at ASNE Intelligent Ships Symposium May 2015

Fleet Experimentation Continuum Workshops BOGSAT Seminars The Mission, The Threat, The Problem LOEs Warfighting Challenges Vision Concept Generation Technology TTP Concept Development Capabilities Road Maps Knowledge DOTMLPF- P Solutions Capability Gaps Fleet Experiments CAPT Conti, the current Director for Fleet Experimentation, came up with this slide and so I was obligated to include it … However it does make the point that Fleet Experimentation is just one step along a deliberate path that starts with “the next great idea” and, if all goes well, ends in the development of knowledge that can hopefully be turned into “solutions” that ultimately improve warfighter capabilities. JUONS/UONS Wargames M&S OPNAV / USFF / NWDC NWDC / NWC / NCCs USFFC PEOs / WCOEs Concept Driven Warfighter Driven Solution Driven

Fleet Experimentation Timeline Today This represents the overall battle rhythm for planning, executing, and assessing Fleet Experimentation As you can see, at any one time, at least two cycles of activity are occurring simultaneously – for example, during this month, the Campaign Plan for FY12 will be finalized while the execution of FY11 experiments begins in earnest and will continue over the next several months. By September of each year, most experimentation has been completed and the remaining months of the calendar year are spent analyzing, assessing, and reporting the results of experimentation just completed.

FY Fleet Experimentation Overview RIMPAC / TW Jun-Jul SOCAL to HI OPAREAS Valiant Shield / TW Sep C7F AOR Black Dart PT Mugu Sea Range Bold Alligator VACAPES FBX xx Dates and Location TBD ASWEET SOCAL SCORE Terminal Fury PACFLT AOR C3F Exercise Dates and Location TBD

USV Capability Evolution 2009 2014

Swarm Demonstration/Experiment Chief of Naval Operations (CNO) directed Chief of Naval Research (CNR) to investigate the possibility of exploiting technology advancements in the field of robotics and autonomous systems into a potential offensive swarm capability using common USN small vessels Conducted 11-14 Aug 2014, on the James River, VA 5 Unmanned Surface Vehicles (USV) under “CARACaS” Autonomous Control – A first for US Navy Demonstration of: Escort of High Value Unit Collaborative Attack on “Red” Contact of Interest World Model Fusing Static and Dynamic Objects Shared Fused Situational Awareness (SA) Picture among USVs and C2 Obstacle Avoidance Maritime Rules of the Road (COLREGS)

Swarm Government Team OPNAV Director, Innovation, Test and Evaluation, and Technology Requirements (N84) Office of Naval Research (ONR) US Fleet Forces Command Naval Warfare Development Command Naval Expeditionary Combatant Command Naval Sea Systems Command US Coast Guard Army Applied Aviation Technology Directorate Maritime Administration

Swarm Autonomy Technical Participants Spatial Integrated Systems, Inc. (SIS) Demonstration lead/Lead system integrator Hardware integration Autonomy behavior development World Model supporting autonomy and cooperative data sharing NASA Jet Propulsion Lab (JPL) Intelligent, goal-directed autonomy using the CARACaS autonomous control engine Autonomy architecture and templates COLREGS-aware motion planning Daniel H. Wagner Associates (DWH) and Johns Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory (JHU/APL) Data fusion using the Decentralized and Autonomous Data Fusion Service (DADFS)

Swarm Objectives Objective: Validate, on-water, key technical enablers for collaborative operation of multiple autonomous USVs for offensive operations. Key enablers were: 1) Distributed, fast, low bandwidth fusion of sensor data among multiple USVs 2) Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing (CARACaS) autonomous control.

Vessels for Swarm Experimentation Vessels from Naval Surface Warfare Center Carderock Division (NSWCCD) Combatant Craft Division (CCD) and Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD): 7m RHIB 11m RHIB with cabin 11m RHIB without cabin 27ft Harbor Security Boat (HSB) 38ft Small Unit Riverine Craft (SURC) Vessels equipped with commercial SIMRAD CW marine RADAR Vessels from Atlantic Targets and Marine Operations (ATMO) Eight remote controlled USVs (plus four spares) High Value Unit (HVU) / Command Ship Relentless.

Autonomy Engine: CARACaS Mars Exploration Rover Open Architecture Autonomy Engine CARACaS designed using JPL flight-derived technology with an integrated blend of hard real-time and periodic process control. Fee-free licensing available for government work. Demonstrated for maritime autonomy: Full onboard, self-contained sensing and decision making Safe navigation of vehicles guaranteed by onboard hazard detection/avoidance, with COLREGS compliance Mission planning, resource- and fault-aware replanning State-of-the-art camera-based perception systems Maritime autonomy experience for US Navy / ONR, DARPA, OSD, and NOAA. Highlights: 2014 CNO USV Swarm; Current PMS 406 Technology Transfer Agreement (TTA) Level C; Trident Warrior 2009-2012; FLEX 2012; DARPA ACTUV autonomy and perception; Littoral Combat Ship program; ONR Swampworks autonomous perception projects; Griffin demonstrations; Operation Adaptation exercises. CARACaS

Autonomy “Thermometer” Full Auto Control Examples: War “Phases” Military Civilian Autonomy Need by Warfare Phase Phase 0 Phase 1 Phase 2 Phase 3 More Less More AEGIS in “Robo-Cruiser” mode Self-Driving Car More Human Involvement Less More CARACaS More Less ROE Restrictions More Automobile Self Parallel Parking Aircraft “AutoLand” Hostile Actions Automobile Adaptive Cruise Control # of Autonomous Behaviors Computer Intelligence Level Needed Aircraft Autopilot Less Automobile Cruise Control Less Remote Control Less 11M RHIB Car Full Manual Control

CARACaS = Autonomy Autonomous Control - Control Architecture for Robotic Agent Command and Sensing (CARACaS) “Autonomy in a suitcase”

Demonstration Area

High Value Unit under Escort by 5 USVs Swarm in Escort High Value Unit under Escort by 5 USVs

Swarm in Formation in Escort ASV HVU HSMST

Swarm in the Attack COI ASV

The Terminator Dilemma: We’re building Skynet......... our job is to ensure the robots don’t kill us.

Video and Questions? https://www.dropbox.com/s/lc9on1j3j0qzibb/cnr.mp4?dl=0 Video to play during questions ONR – Article and Full Video: http://www.onr.navy.mil/Media-Center/Press-Releases/2014/autonomous-swarm-boat-unmanned-caracas.aspx