Network Centric Tracking for Integrated UGS and UAV Networks

The use of unmanned assets both on the ground and in the air are proving effective as semi-autonomous ISR platforms. While unmanned ground systems (UGSs) can provide stable, close-in, and persistent capabilities, unmanned air vehicles (UAVs) provide flexibility for wide area search missions and geometrically diverse viewing angles for the sensors. The primary focus of this proposed research is to harness the relative strengths of these assets in a networked ISR configuration for the purpose of persistent wide area surveillance to include tracking and imagery support for human analysts. A system will be developed to incorporate sensor imagery into the navigation solution for the UAV through precise geolocation methods leading to more accurate 3D track data. Numerica's extensive experience with network-centric tracking and 3D feature aiding will be leveraged to develop a robust tracking solution. The Phase I effort will culminate in a demonstration and proof of concept of the above items using a high-fidelity simulation environment. Furthermore, a development path will be presented that will lead to a hardware implementation for the proof of concept with real sensors and data in Phase II.