Networked Robotic Bridging System

To address the Army’s need for the development of an autonomous drone swarm capability for watercraft to support the fielding of floating bridges in riverine environments, Intellisense Systems, Inc. (Intellisense) proposes to develop a new Networked Robotic Bridging (NRB) system. NRB is based on the integration of Intellisense’s free-space optical communication (FSOC) technology, robust and mature sensors for situational awareness, and a custom software package implementing mesh network datalinks, automatic swarm control, and path planning. Specifically, the implementation of FSOC enables NRB to provide a robust and resilient mesh network connecting swarm nodes, even in environments where radio-frequency communications are denied. This network will allow all bays separated by distances of up to 1 km to be linked while moving. The integration of sensors to support situational awareness both above and below the waterline ensures that man-made or natural obstacles are detected, and safe paths are navigated even in turbulent rivers or waters heavily occluded by salt or dirt particles. The NRB software supports real-time swarm geometry tracking, calculation of the motion path for each unmanned robotic rafting bay, and autonomous guiding of the swarm nodes. This enables control of multiple dispersed floating bays in a near vicinity to each other while also allowing each one to operate independently and be combined into a single larger rafting platform. As a result, the NRB system will be an enabling technology that supports unpredictable nonlinear river crossings while minimizing the logistics footprint. In Phase I, Intellisense will develop the NRB system architecture, identify the communication mechanism and spatial awareness and guidance sensors, and develop control software and algorithms that allow the individual floating drones to interact. This work will be encapsulated in a feasibility study report that shows how the bays will leverage NRB to autonomously form a bridge. The study will also include documentation for integration into other Department of Defense (DoD) systems and Intellisense’s plans to test and validate NRB when installed on a surrogate platform. In Phase II, Intellisense plans to fully develop the architecture, methodology, and code required to implement the NRB system; the system will operate securely (including robust cybersecurity) and in GPS-denied environments. Based on the architecture, Intellisense will develop a full-scale prototype (using modeling and simulation products to support the hardware selection), validate the prototype with breadboard testing, identify a DoD-compliant controller for the bays when not fully autonomous, and create a developmental test plan. The Phase II will culminate in outfitting surrogates with the NRB prototype and testing in relevant conditions. The prototype, including hardware, software, and test reports, will be delivered at the end of Phase II.