Dynamic Multi-Asset Management

ALPHATECH proposes to develop techniques and tools for near real-time dynamic re-tasking of ISR sensors under realistic operating conditions. Effective ISR resource management must coordinate a diverse set of assets with a wide range of capabilitiesoperating in an uncertain environment satisfying a rapidly evolving set of information needs. This involves ISR resource management over a range of planning levels and time scales. These include mode scheduling for individual sensors at time scales onthe order of a beam dwell, as well as platform route planning and sensor-to-task assignment at times scales on the order of the mission time horizon. Recent research efforts conducted by ALPHATECH have demonstrated efficient algorithms for the resourcemanagement problem at both of these levels. However, these efforts did not consider the problem of coordinating multiple planning levels and time scales. In this proposed effort, we will leverage these technologies, and address the coordination problemby developing novel algorithms that overcome the explosive combinatorics introduced by the hierarchy of re-tasking problems. We will then implement an integrated, prototype, dynamic resource manager, and apply the tool to a selected example scenario oflimited complexity and of particular relevance to Air Force information gathering.Many commercial processes could benefit substantially from dynamic resource management. Examples include power and communication network control, air traffic control,just-in-time manufacturing processes, supply chain distribution, transportation, and logistics planning. These processes all share the need for rapid decision making under uncertain and dynamically evolving conditions. The technologies developed underthis SBIR would be broadly applicable to all of these, as well as many other, commercial applications.