Low-cost UAS Platform for Edge Computing Applications

Emerging and future conflicts will require significantly higher levels of autonomy at the edge of the battlefield, out of the reach of remote command and control.Ā Enabling this autonomy requires a shift in the way unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) are configured and employed, necessitating a suite of sensors and equipment that can host rapidly evolving algorithms.Ā In addition to the new equipment, UAS must become easier to use, less expensive and more numerous, reducing the logistical burden on Soldiers and creating a favorable cost exchange with the adversary.Ā DragoonÆs proposal outlines a plan to integrate and test a suite of equipment to support autonomous behaviors which are driven by autonomy software, such as Shield AIÆs Hivemind.Ā The hardware will be integrated onto DragoonÆs existing Coriolis platform and a data collection flight using the sensors will be performed.