1. Experimentation, USV’s, and Autonomy
Carl Conti
CAPT, USN (Ret)
Spatial Integrated Systems, Inc.
Presented at
ASNE Intelligent Ships Symposium
May 2015

2. 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

3. 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.

4. 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

5. USV Capability Evolution
2009
2014

6. 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 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)

7. 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

8. 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)

9. 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.

10. 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.

11. 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 ; FLEX 2012; DARPA ACTUV autonomy and perception; Littoral Combat Ship program; ONR Swampworks autonomous perception projects; Griffin demonstrations; Operation Adaptation exercises.
CARACaS

12. 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

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

14. Demonstration Area

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

16. Swarm in Formation in Escort
ASV
HVU
HSMST

17. Swarm in the Attack
COI
ASV

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

19. Video and Questions?
Video to play during questions
ONR – Article and Full Video: