Technology for Airfield Repair using Multi-Agent Coordination (TARMAC)

The ability for the US Air Force to maintain operational airfields in remote locations is critical to the militaryĺs reach and responsiveness in contested environments. However, remote airfields are a challenge to maintain because they are subjected to damage caused by natural conditions and adversary forces. Our proposed effort, Technology for Airfield Repair using Multi-Agent Coordination (TARMAC), aims to develop an autonomous solution to perform RADR in remote locations. Several challenges must be addressed to realize this vision. First, an autonomous solution to accurately assess damage to an airfield must be developed and evaluated. Second, autonomous vehicles must be able to perform various types of repair TTP. Current solutions that are marketed as autonomous are often either remote controlled by an operator or follow established travel ways. Third, the ability to deploy an autonomous airfield repair system requires also understanding and designing for considerations beyond the vehicles and their coordination, including recharging vehicles and providing and mixing pavement material on site. Fourth, while the objective of the autonomous solution is to minimize operator interaction with the system, operators must have the ability to observe the operation remotely, and provide human insights if the autonomous solution encounters unexpected issues.