Highly Survivable and Scalable Unmanned-Vehicle Aided Autonomous Networked Systems

We propose a paradigm shifting concept to the design, management, control and operation of autonomous intelligent networked C4ISR systems, based on the use of Unmanned Aerial and Ground Vehicles (UAVs and UGVs)). Mobile ad hoc wireless networks are currently generally unable to provide reliable high quality communications networking support to critical realtime flows for operations in a highly fluctuating and hostile environment. To correct this situation, we will develop in Phase I techniques for the dynamic positioning of UAVs and UGVs in multiple hierarchical orbits to best support mobile units during time periods of need. UVs will be positioned rapidly to provide coverage of segments that experience networking deficiencies. We will develop new network state metrics that are continuously monitored and used to rapidly locate UVs in the right place at the right time to maximize network connectivity, capacity and reliability, offering a solution that is adaptively hierarchical and thus highly scalable. We will use our innovative combined simulation/analysis approaches to develop a faster than real time simulator that will be used by military and commercial organizations to optimally and rapidly locate UVs to autonomously resolve network deficiencies and provide quality of service guarantees to multimedia network flows.