Human and Unmanned Teams for Tracking Elusive Dismounts (HUNTED)

21st Century Technologies, Inc. (21CT) presents the Human and Unmanned Teaming for Tracking Elusive Dismounts (HUNTED) effort. HUNTED gives small units direct control over a coordinated team of two or more unmanned systems (UMS) to perform superior search, detection, and tracking of elusive pedestrian targets in an urban environment. Our novel approach combines 3D environment knowledge with a unique non-linear target behavior prediction method. HUNTED applies the game theory tenant that the target’s behavior can be actively shaped by the pursuer’s behavior, and provides a novel solution to the problem that achieves superior operational performance with lower operator workload. Using our approach, HUNTED proactively places collaborating UMSs to cover each other’s blind spots, cooperatively hunt a target instead of merely tracking it, and corral and drive the target towards a desired location. This enables teams of UMSs to succeed in tracking tasks at which a single UMS would fail. By doing so, HUNTED will surpass the operational performance of today’s approaches to tracking elusive pedestrian targets in urban areas. HUNTED Phase 2 culminates in a staged field demonstration where ACR Silver Fox™ UAVs fly HUNTED-computed goals and flight paths to demonstrate a superior ability to maintain eyes on target.