1. Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System
SAROPS
Search and Rescue Optimal Planning System

2. Applied Science Associates, Inc.(ASA), Narragansett, RI
SAROPS
Technologies for Search, Assistance, and Rescue Seminar, Le Quartz, Brest, France, 18 – 20 October 2004
Malcolm L. Spaulding
Applied Science Associates, Inc.(ASA), Narragansett, RI

3. SAROPS Team United States Coast Guard Northrop Grumman
Applied Science Associates (ASA)
Metron

4. ASA - SARMAP Model System

5. Search & Rescue Problem
Create a SAR case when alerted
Gather data, estimate uncertainties
Use model to determine search area
Estimate resource availability and capability
Plan the next search
Promulgate the search plan
Perform the search plan
Evaluate the completed search
Repeat above until survivors are found and rescued

6. USCG Transition SARTools Joint Automated Worksheet (JAWS)
Near-shore search planning
Based on 1950’s paper & pencil technology
Computer Assisted Search Planning (CASP)
Offshore search planning
Based on 1970’s technology
SAROPS
Technologically current software tool
Near-shore and offshore search planning
Extensible to land-based search planning

7. SAROPS Goals To provide fast, simple Search & Rescue predictions
Minimize data entry and potential for error
Automate data linkages
Environmental data inputs
Search Action Plan outputs
Simple visualization of results

8. SAROPS Scenario Types
Voyage scenario where object can pass through or loiter in a number of locations (positions or areas) using any combination of great circle and rhumb line routes
Initial Position (with bivariate normal uncertainty) and time uncertainty for an event, plus an offset for initial location and time of distress
Positions obtained from COSPAS-SARSAT, other GMDSS
Lines of Bearing (from Radio Direction Finding, Flare Sightings, Loran, and others)
Areas defined by polygons
“Reverse Drift” scenarios
Scenarios may be “weighted”
COSPAS-SARSAT – Satellite based emergency beacon locator for search and rescue, GMDSS – Global Marine Distress Safety System

9. Probable Error of Turn Point Position
Example Scenario
Home Port
Fishing Area A
Fishing Area B
Probable Error of Turn Point Position
A Sample Voyage

10. SAROPS Components
Graphical User Interface/ (GUI)
Environmental Data Server (EDS)
Simulator (SIM)

11. GUI Requirements Deployable on ESRI® GIS mapping engine (C/JMTK)
Wizard based interface
Minimize keystrokes
Chart support (vector/raster)
Display environmental data
Animated display capabilities
Display recommended search plans/areas/patterns
Display probability maps (by scenario, object type or combined)
Reporting
C/JMTK – Commercial/Joint Mapping Tool Kit

12. GUI ENV. DATA SERVER Wind Data SRU Deployment Tools Current Data
Simulator (SIM)
Wind Data
User Defined
Point/Gridded Fields
Regional
Global
Current Data
Results
SRU Deployment Tools
ENV. DATA SERVER

13. SIM Requirements
“Monte Carlo” (particle) simulation (random walk/flight)
Simulate pre-distress motion & fixed hazards
Simulate distress incidents and outcomes
Simulate post-distress motion (drift)
Calculate near-optimal search plan (max POS)
Simulate simultaneous SRU and search object motion (use POD vs. range at CPA on each leg)
Compute cumulative POS
Account for effects of previous unsuccessful searching when recommending subsequent search plans.
POD- probability of detection, POS- probability of success, SRU- search rescue unit, CPA –closest point of approach

14. SIM Particle Filter Sample Paths t1 t3 t2
Example Below: 10,000 particles, only 5 shown.
Time t1 red ellipse
Time t2 lavender ellipse
Time t3 blue ellipse t1 t3 t2

15. EDS Requirements Surface current data Surface wind data
Other (visibility, cloud cover, sea state, etc)
Automatically accommodate variable spatial scales/resolution
Select best data available
Global land database
Expansion of data products and uses

16. EDS
Common File Format
(netCDF)
Gridded
Point
Finite Element
SIM

17. How do they communicate?
ASA Profile
How do they communicate?
GUI
SIM
Sarops
COM Extension
“launch process”
SaropsSim
Java
NetCDF
XML
DBF
all on same machine
SIM->ENV tightly coupled
SHP/ DBF
EDS
.NET Web Services

18. ArcGIS Mapping Framework
ArcGIS based Architecture - Conceptual
WWW
C O P
EXT
ArcGIS Mapping Framework
TMS
GEBASE
EDS
Maptech
MORE
EXT’S
3D Analyst
SAROPS Extension
GUI
SIM
SAR Tools Extension
Flares, Patterns, Etc
Spatial - A
GeoStat - A
WeatherFlow
* COP – Common Operational Picture, GEBASE – USCG GIS data distribution system
C-Map
Other…

19. SAROPS Screens (Initial Development)

20. SAROPS-EDS (COASTMAP) Currents:. User specified
SAROPS-EDS (COASTMAP) Currents: * User specified * NOAA/NOS tidal currents * Global atlas * Navy global ocean hydrodynamic model * Lake, coastal, and estuarine hydrodynamic models * HF radar systems Winds: * User specified * Navy global meteorological model * NOAA/NWS station forecasts

21. Short and Long Range HF Radar Systems

22. Short range HF radar

23. NOAA Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory, Hydrodynamic Forecasting System

24. Narragansett Bay estuarine hydrodynamics model

25. Global, atlas based currents

30. ASA Profile
C2 = sense, decide, act.
--LT Thompson along with the SAROPS system had performed the SENSE function. Now he had to decide where to search and how best to search.
--He fed the situational information into the SAROPS Wizard which included things like search object type (42’ deep keel s/v, 6 per liferaft*) the MST etc…SAROPS then produces a probability map of where the search objects are computed to be.
The SARSAT hit implies the vessel may have been lost
--Success means looking in the right place, finding the search object and rescuing in time. Mathematically this equates to POS=POC x POD within a period of survivability. DECIDE
--SAROPS has an optimizer to compute how to maximize POS given a particular probability density distribution and set of rescue resources. In this case there was a helo, a c-130 and WPB. The solution was to break the area into halves and search with a/c while keeping the WPB on scene to assist. ACT
-- Today was a good day, the helo spotted AMERICAN under partail sail on its second leg. The helo handed off watch to the C-130 until the WPB arrived to escort AMERICAN under Capt Herndon’s control back to port.

31. Related Development Demonstration of linkage of SAROPS/ SARMAP to high frequency radar surface current data
Sponsor: US Coast Guard, Research and Development Center
Project Team: Anteon, ASA, University of RI and CT, and Rutgers University

32. Major Study Components
Link HF radar (Block Island Sound(BIS) and Mid Atlantic Bight (MAB)) to SARMAP/SAROPS
Extend development of short term forecasting system to include wind forcing
Compare random walk and random flight model predictions, using HF radar as input, to observed trajectories of 7 drifting buoys deployed in BIS and MAB
Demonstration of integrated system in operational setting for USCG