Unmanned System Data Protocol and Format

     Past technological advancements have been driven by military creation and application. This has been true for centuries now and holds fast concerning unmanned systems. This is not saying the private sector does nothing for technological advancement; in fact, advancements in areas such as computer technology run abundant in this division and matriculate into the Department of Defense (DoD) regularly. Regarding Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs), the United States Air Force (USAF) has held true to advancements coming from the “Flying Bomb” (Innovative, 2015) to the Gorgon Stare (Version 2).

     The Gorgon Stare is name after Greek mythology ever-alert snake haired monsters (GCN, 2015). The UAV is a drone-based sensor suite consisting of nine video cameras grouped together into two sensory pods attached to the MQ-9 Reaper working in conjunction with Autonomous Real-Time Ground Ubiquitous Surveillance Imaging System (ARGUS-IS). One pod housed nearly 200 electro-optical cameras, while the other carried the infrared cameras and visual systems digital processors/datalinks (Thompson, 2015). The battlefield advantage the Gorgon Stare offered made it difficult for enemies to hide. Equipped with electro-optical cameras for daylight operations and infrared cameras for night operations, enemy movements were tracked across a 100km² area (Trimble, 2014). Unlike its reapers predecessors, this system can provide up to 65 maneuverable video streams. The sensory system is equipped with 1.8-gigapixels using four optical telescopes, each using 368 5-megapixel focal-plane arrays-cellphone camera chips (Heller, 2011). Video is collected at 12 frames per second creating massive amounts of data every minute. This data is compressed and stored in a cloud based environment. The Defense Information Systems Agency (DISA) has contracted Alliance Technology Group with its respective large data Object Storage (LDOS). LDOS technology is used to store a multitude of intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) data, which includes but not limited to: motion imagery, High-definition full-motion video, hyperspectral, laser imaging detection and ranging (LIDAR), electro-optical/infrared and synthetic aperture radar data formats (Defense, 2013). Exact voltage requirements of specific sensors is not available in an unclassified forum; however, the MQ-9 has a 950-shaft-horsepower (712 kW) turboprop engine that powers the UAV.

     Gordon Stare with the use of ARGUS-IS is one of the most advanced surveillance systems in the world. It’s a challenge coming up with something that is tangible and not “a future wish” that would improve this sensory system. Pondering the subject of system improvement, I believe data storage could be improved. The improvement has nothing to do with current technology or software upgrades but more with the data storage areas and contracting agencies tasked with the data storage/security. It is this researcher’s belief, that the DoD should keep the collection/distribution of all ISR data within its own developed server-farm. Researching numerous articles, new outlets, and research documents, I could not find anything mentioning the benefit of contracting data storage outside of creating an “in-house” server farm and any instances where data was compromised by contracting agencies handling procedures. Regardless, security of ISR data is paramount to the safety of its citizens and freedoms enjoyed by all.  

                                                                         References

Defense Systems Staff (2013, May). Sole-source contract for DISA ISR cloud storage will be opened to competition. Retrieved from http://defensesystems.com/articles/2013/05/28/ldos.aspx

DraganFly (2015, May). Innovative UAV Aircraft & Aerial Video Systems. Retrieved from http://www.draganfly.com/news/2009/03/04/a-short-history-of-unmanned-aerial-vehicles-uavs/

GCN (2015, May). Air Force to deploy 'all-seeing eye' surveillance system. Retrieved from http://gcn.com/articles/2011/01/03/air-force-gorgon-stare-wide-angle-surveillance.aspx

Heller, A. (2011, April). STR. From Video to Knowledge. Retrieved from https://str.llnl.gov/AprMay11/vaidya.html

Thompson, L. (2015, April). Forbes. Air Force's Secret "Gorgon Stare" Program Leaves Terrorists Nowhere To Hide. Retrieved from air-forces-secret-gorgon-stare-program-leaves-terrorists-nowhere-to-hide

Trimble, S. (2014, July). Flightglobal. Sierra Nevada fields ARGUS-IS upgrade to Gorgon Stare pod. Retrieved from http://www.flightglobal.com/news/articles/sierra-nevada-fields-argus-is-upgrade-to-gorgon-stare-400978/

UAS Sensor Placement (with a side of FPV)

     Why does a person buy an Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV)?  There are numerous reasons but two come to mind as the most prevalent: recreation and hobby.  I currently own two UAV systems that are purely used for recreation: Parrot Bebop Drone with Skycontroller and Inspire 1. Both are excellent recreational UAV’s that provide exceptional user applications/control; however, I find myself inclined to start a new hobby, which is becoming a First Person View (FPV) racer and competing in one/multiple competitions.  Let’s start this blog off by talking about the two UAV’s and wrap it up with a “what if” scenario regarding FPV competition.

     I purchased the Parrot Bebop Drone with Skycontroller through the Apple Store.  The drone is extremely easy to control, but not without a little homework on its respective operation (hint: read the manual).  You can control the drone via tablet or smartphone and I opted to use my tablet in tandem with the skycontroller.  Two complaints I have with current market UAV’s are link distance and battery life.  The skycontroller is equipped with an amplified Wi-Fi 36 dBm radio and four antennas (Apple, 2015), which extends the Bebop Drone's Wi-Fi range (I have flown at least 1 mile without lost connection).  The battery life is decent in the Bebop Drone as well (17-20 min).  Let’s get to the meat and potatoes of the Bebop drone and talk about its camera system.  Camera Specs: CMOS 14Mpx, 1/2.3;  Fisheye lens 180° 1/2,2: 6 optical elements and 14 Mega pixels sensor; Video stabilization: Digital on 3-axes; Video definition: 1920x1080p (30fps); Photo definition: 4096x3072 px; Video encoding: H264; Photo file format: JPEG, RAW, DNG;  Internal memory: Flash 8 GB (Bebop, 2015).  The camera is fully controllable with a 30 degree axis range of motion and is mounted on a platform that absorbs vibrations; this makes for an incredibly clear and movement free picture/video.  I highly recommend the Bebop drone for the average recreationalist; however, if you’re serious about your pictures/video then the Inspire 1 is a great upgrade.

     Sure you could spend close to $25,000 on a UAV that boasts excellent abilities/controls, but do you really need to stretch the pocketbook that much?  I say no… the Inspire 1 was the system I found which offered high-end features at an excellent price point.  Being totally honest here, my Inspire 1 currently sits in its original shipping box in the closet.  I’m currently working overseas and have not had an opportunity to use the UAV.  Reliable/accurate user reviews are so very important and with that, I promise to follow-up on this blog with my impression(s).  Why did I buy this particular system?  User reviews/videos were the spark that lit my interest.  The future is bright (my blog namesake/title) and currently 4K is the resolution of this bright future.  This UAV’s camera system offers just that.  It uses a DJI camera which is mounted on a gimbal that offers smooth/crystal clear pictures.  Camera Specs:  Video: 4K @ 24-30 fps, or 1080p @ 24-60fps; Photos: 12 Megapixels; Lens: 9 elements in 9 groups including an aspherical element; 1/2.3 inch CMOS sensor; 94⁰ wide-angle FOV; 3-axis, 360⁰ rotating gimbal (DJI, 2015).  I purchased the system with one controller ($2,899) with the hope it will open the door and assist me in pursuing my goal of movie/video production. Now, will either of these systems help me pursue my new-found hobby of FPV racing?

     There are two things that every racer (no matter the platform) desire and are considered must haves to be competitive: aerodynamics and speed.  Honestly, the Bebop Drone and Inspire 1 lack in those departments.  The Bebop drone is aerodynamic with its integrated camera setup, but it lacks in speed.  The Inspire 1 boasts a speed of 22 m/s (DJI, 2015), but it lacks the aerodynamics to be competitive.  The camera is mounted underneath via gimbal and that just won’t work in a serious FPV race.  To be a competitive FPV racer, I would need to start from scratch and drop some coin on a new set-up.  After doing a little research on set-ups, I have decided to build my own using off the shelf equipment.  Winning a race and saying, “I built it” is a victory all in its own.  After putting in some serious time researching the numerous products available, I have decided to go with the following configuration:

• Frame: Self-designed 3D printed frame
• Flight Controller: Hobbyking KK2.1 board
• Motors: Tiger MN1806 "Blackout 3S" 2300kv Motor
• ESC: HobbyKing Blue Series 12A
• Propellers: Gemfan 5030 – Red color
• Video Transmitter: FatShark 250 mW, 5.8 GHz
• Antenna: 5.8 GHz Bluebeam Omni Antenna Set (RHCP) (IBCrazy)
• Video Camera: Mobius HD camera, wide angle edition
• Power distribution: XAircraft X650 Pro JST 1 To 5 Power Cable E7008
• Landing gear: GetFPV Carbon-Fiber Landing Gear for QAV400
• Model recovery device: Hobbyking Discovery Buzzer
• FC mount: M3 Nylon threaded spacers + M3 nylon screws and nuts
• FATSHARK Attitude V2 SD FPV video goggles

 The cost for this build is roughly $943.  I did not want to break the bank; I wanted something that was not only fast but would allow for upgrades.  I’m sure in the next few months the above list of wants will change, but as of today, that’s the equipment I would purchase.  

     To summarize, without a doubt UAV’s are the future of aviation.  You don’t have to be a multi-millionaire to own/operate these wonderful aircraft.  Currently, there are items on the market for the first-time user all the way to video/movie producer.  You can buy an off shelf system or build your own.  There is no limit to the customization options for these aircraft and if you are like me, you love to customize.

- Garrick

References

Apple Store (2015, May). Parrot Bebop Drone with Skycontroller.  Retrieved from http://store.apple.com/us/product/HH4Y2VC/A/parrot-bebop-drone-with-skycontroller

DJI Store (2015, May). Inspire 1.  Retrieved from http://store.dji.com/product/inspire-1#/spec

Parrot Company Website (2015, May). Parrot Drones.  Retrieved from http://www.parrot.com/usa/products/bebop-drone/#panel-devices

Unmanned Systems Maritime Search and Rescue

 

     Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 (Boeing 777) disappeared on March 8, 2014 along with 239 passengers and crew during a flight from Kuala Lumpur to Beijing, sparking the most expensive search in aviation history (Paul, 2014).  After 20 days of searching for the missing Boeing 777 (B777) using manned aircraft and marine vessels, a relatively new unmanned search method was explored utilizing the Bluefin-21.  Angus Houston, retired Australian air chief marshal, who is head of the joint agency coordinating the search, said "the Bluefin-21 will be deployed, creating a sonar map of the area to chart any debris on the sea floor" (ABC, 2014).

 

     The Bluefin-21 is a highly modular autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) able to carry multiple sensors and payloads at one time (Bluefin, 2015). What makes the Bluefin-21 an easy choice for a maritime environment search effort, respectively underwater within the Indian Ocean; is this particular AUV carries a robust energy capacity allowing for extended underwater operations at increased depths. It is equipped with a stout sensor suite consisting of a high-performance 455 kHz side scan sonar, Synthetic Aperture Sonar (SAS), Multibeam Echosounders (MBES), imaging sonar, and Sub-Bottom Profiler (SBP) (Bluefin, 2015). The sonar systems were particularly useful as it employs sound waves to explore and map the ocean floor in search of aircraft wreckage (NOAA, 2104).  Used in this forum, the sonar was key in the exploration of more than 120-square-miles of ocean floor (CBS, 2014).

 

     The Bluefin-21 uses a proprioceptive Inertial Navigation System (INS) for course guidance underwater (Bluefin, 2015).  The use of Global Positioning System (GPS) for navigation most assuredly would not work underwater, leaving INS as the best choice. The AUV INS uses accelerometers and gyroscopes to track changes in direction and speed. It is aided by an Ultra Short Base Line (USBL) transponder which provides acoustic signal updates in relation to its position.  An above water marine vessel intercepts the signal, interrogates it and makes adjustments as needed for AUV course direction; resulting in an astonishing dead reckoning drift of less than 0.1% (Bluefin, 2015).

 

     As we now know, the vast search efforts did not yield the location of the missing B777 and uncovered very little evidence of what exactly went wrong.  Even though the Bluefin-21 scoured vast amounts of ocean floor it to fell short of finding any real evidence.  I believe this was due to a combination of the AUV's narrow sonar scope and the extremely large search area.  Perhaps if the Bluefin-21 was able to dive to even deeper depths (like the Remus 6000) covering many of the seafloor depressions (6,000m or 20,000ft) in the search area, something might have revealed itself on the respective imagery.

 

     Aiding in the search were many manned aircraft flying over thousands of square miles of Indian Ocean.  The operational logistics of conducting flight efforts for this particular search must have been very daunting. There are many reasons why utilization of an Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) would have been extremely beneficial in the search efforts.  Using UAS(s) would enable an increase in flight time, thus, allowing for increased ocean surface coverage.  Using a UAS to determine points of interest on the ocean surface could in fact be relayed to the Bluefin-21 controlling vessel; reducing the search area significantly by concentrating efforts within this particular relay point.

 

Even though 99% of search efforts have discontinued and many families are left with more questions vice answers; there were some positives in an unmanned system application usage standpoint I would like to address.  Using the Bluefin-21 in this search effort yielded a far greater coverage area then if a manned system was used.  The advantages of the unmanned system enabled increased human safety and substantial cost savings over its manned counterpart.  The ocean depths are mostly unknown, and permitting a manned vehicle to perform this particular deep sonar mission, only puts more human lives at risk; the possible loss of additional lives is mitigated by the use of an unmanned system.  The use of either a manned system or unmanned system regarding its sensor suite is equal in this respect; however, the introduction of a manned system, again, puts the potential loss of human life at risk.

 

     My prayers still go out to the families of Malaysia Airlines Flight 370, and I hope for a resolution sometime in the near future to all the unanswered questions.

 

References

Paul Tait (2014, April). Malaysia Airlines Missing Plane Search Halted Again
Over Technical Problems.  Retrieved from http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/05/15/malaysia-airlines-missing-plane_n_5 328110.html
 
ABC News (2014, April). Bluefin-21 Sub Launches Deep Dive in Flight 370
Search. Retrieved fromhttp://abcnews.go.com/International/deployed-flight-370-search/story?id=23313691
 
Bluefin Robotics. (2015, May). Bluefin-21. Retrieved fromhttp://www.bluefinrobotics.com/products/bluefin-21/
 
NOAA (2014, Jan 23). What is sonar? Retrieved fromhttp://oceanservice.noaa.gov/facts/sonar.html
 
CBS (2014, Apr 25). Malaysia Airlines Flight 370 sonar scan nears completion
without trace of missing Boeing 777.  Retrieved fromhttp://www.cbsnews.com/news/malaysia-airlines-flight-370-sonar-scan-nears-co
mpletion-no-trace-of-boeing-777

 



UAV - To spy or not to spy, that is the question

Lets be honest, when your hear someone mention Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV's) what do you think of?  That's right, Uncle Sam of better yet, your strange neighbor spying on you through the lens of there UAV hovering/flying just above you while your enjoying your newly installed pool.  There are many companies out there cashing in on UAVs and what the common folk know them best for (camera carrying spy equipment) :)

One such company is UAV Solutions (website for your enjoyment: http://uav-solutions.com/).  They have developed a sensor called Dragon View.  Believe me, if you are the regular UAV hobbyist or the creepy neighbor, then this system fits the bill.  Do I have personal experience with the sensor? Well  no; I'm simply writing about it to highlight some of its pure awesomeness!  The Dragon View sensor is a exteroceptive sensor which weighs in at a mere 1.75 lbs or .79kg (for the other 90% of the world using kg).  You can mount this sensor virtually anywhere, unmanned vehicles, antenna towers, buildings, cars, basically any structure you can think of.  The sensor provides the user both day and thermal imagery.  It records video, tracks objects and has a built in geo-location system.  Question, what are the two things outside of resolution that most UAV camera systems lack?  Answer: Image stabilization, efficient power draw.  Does the Dragon View provide the user with those capabilities?  You bet your UAV blog reading self it does.

Here is my only negative issue with the Dragon View, the price!  The sensor starts at $10,995... That's a step-hill to climb if you are just the average hobbyist. You do get a lot of cool features with this sensor and if you are in the market for one around this price range, then please hurry up and visit UAV-Solutions and be the first in your neighborhood with one ;)

Here are a few more details from UAV-Solutions product page:

Mechanical Stabilization: Integrated inertial measurement unit (IMU) for rate feedback, Direct drive mechanical stabilization, Configurable to your application

On Board Video Processing: Digitally compressed video output – H.264, Ethernet command and control
Onboard video recording to micro SD card, Video Stabilization, In-frame object Tracking

Payload Performance: Stabilization: Mechanical and Digital, Weight: 1.75 lbs.

Interface: Standard Ethernet, Vin: 24V, Power: 8.75 Watts

http://uav-solutions.com/sensor-systems/ 


-GCBUTTER