Real-Time Sensor-Independent Hyperspectral Anomaly Detection

In today’s Urban-Warfare C2ISR environment, all UAS platforms have an operationally-limited sensor capability with power consumption and recharge times that are a major problem making them unsuitable for many battlefield environments. Much of the research done to date has concentrated on minimizing the size of the UAS to minimize the battery power required to complete a mission. There is now another possible solution, the development of unique and innovative unmanned sensor system capable of long-endurance, and non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (NTISR). DRA is developing a power harvesting enabled UAS capable of carrying a variety of payloads and fulfilling a variety of layered sensing mission requirements. By providing a UAS platform with a self-refueling capability that utilizes available power sources (overhead power lines) for recharging this new class of UAS will present a unique technical solution for persistent ISR vehicles. DRA’s UAS will perform C2ISR-type missions providing virtually unlimited persistence. These new UAS platforms could operate in any environment for a nearly indefinite amount of time with little to no “return-to-base” cycles required and would provide “An Unblinking Eye all of the Way to the Ground!” BENEFIT: Persistent ISR has been identified numerous times as an area of critical importance to the DoD and other organizations. Development of a UAS sensor platform that can supply extreme endurance through an autonomous recharging capability would be marketable to both the DoD and to various commercial sectors. These UAS platforms could be used in law enforcement, immigration control, geographical surveying, remote/environmental studies, power line/pipeline maintenance, security in remote areas, as well as for many other applications. The development of the Phase II prototype will provide an opportunity to demonstrate a representative power harvesting UAS sensor platform that is capable of performing non-traditional intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (NTISR) for a nearly indefinite period of time in the field. The engineering aspects and results will be transferable to a future phase of UAS sensor system development to provide a fully autonomous power line sensing and landing capability. After developing a self-refueling UAS, another feature that a future development effort could achieve is to develop a morphing technique that would camouflage the UAS. Autonomous operation of a UAS sensor platform could be transitioned into many possible commercial sectors and military programs. A few of the commercial applications that would benefit from a sustained airborne surveillance presence include border patrol, Agriculture, Merchant Marine & Shipping, Entertainment/News/Media applications, Railway/Pipeline/Power line monitoring, Commercial/business security, Aerial Surveying, and Search and Rescue Support.