Command and Control for Embedded Systems

For many military operational scenarios there is an extremely large geographical theater. Providing coverage requires 100s to 1000s of sensing devices. Command and control (C2) of such a large number of devices, to provide time sensitive targeting (TST), poses a difficult technical challenge. Our solution to this problem is to use a hierarchy of unattended ground sensors (UGS). Ultra low-cost trigger nodes provide indications that a possible event of interest is occurring in a local area. While only equipped with a limited sensor suite, they will still be able to fuse information from multiple co-located nodes to reduce false alarms. Trigger nodes will be responsible for tasking a much smaller number of video nodes at the next higher level of the sensor hierarchy. Once a video node is alerted by a field of trigger nodes it will task its image sensor in the direction of the event and begin relaying this imagery to a stand-off communications center. There is also the provision to utilize a local video tracker to further increase the autonomy of the hierarchical sensor network. We note that such a hierarchy dramatically reduces the C2 personnel requirements. Toyon has teamed with the University of California, Santa Barbara.BENEFITS: A key benefit of the proposed work is an effective means for managing 100s to 1000s of wireless sensors. While such problems have been addressed in the literature and experimental testbeds, their applicability to problems of interest to the military has been limited. Through our use of COTS equipment and structured architecture, we perceive that the proposed system has the potential be fielded at the completion of this effort. Meeting this goal, Toyon is leveraging technology developed from an array of other programs. A similar technology transition path can be used for the systems developed through this Navy STTR. Along with the proposed command and control philosophy and resulting software, there will be resulting innovations in wireless communications, image tracking, and sensor packaging.