F eat ure
Artificial Intelligence Eff
by Frank Wolfe
Companies are embarking on efforts to embed artificial intelligence (AI) on military unmanned aircraft systems (UAS), though the timing of full and effective autonomy for such drones is uncertain. “While it is easy to imagine a future with significant embedded AI, i.e. online learning and autonomous decision making, deployed on large swarms of UAS, there are significant challenges to adopting non-deterministic learning algorithms on unmanned systems operating in real-world situations in collaboration with our customers,” said James McGrew, the chief technology officer for technology planning and the integration team lead for Boeing’s Insitu, Inc. “As such, we are leveraging machine learning and edge processing techniques to develop tools to enhance 10
our ‘family of systems’ in ways that enhance operation without handing control over to ‘Skynet.’” Through edge processing, drones do not have to send information to the cloud and thus may achieve greater performance, information security, and autonomy. L a s t y e a r, I n s i t u a n n o u n c e d a new extended range satellite communications kit for the company’s Integrator drones and an Alticam-14 (AC14) enhanced intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) turret with telescoping video imaging capability able to identify people from the air. The AC-14 payload has a number of other ISR features, including the ability of an operator to monitor electro-optical, infrared, and short-wave infrared video streams simultaneously. Insitu has also worked on an optional, laser designator
upgrade for the AC-14 that could allow Boeing Apaches to team with Insitu Scan Eagle drones to allow Apache crews to remain out of enemy reach while firing Hellfire missiles. AI is to aid in analyzing the data provided by the AC-14 for the Integrator drones. “It is within this [Integrator] family of systems that we plan to leverage the power of processing and mature AI techniques,” McGrew said. “The Hood Tech Vision AC-14 Imager payload uses embedded processing onboard for image stabilization and target tracking. Our Insitu Common Open-mission Management Command and Control (ICOMC2) and Inexa GCS software suites use processing on the ground to assist flight planning and sensor control. And our Tacitview/Catalina suite leverages server and cloud computing
