Army Aviation Fusion of Sensor-Pushed and Agent-Pulled Information

Supporting the Aviation Applied Technology DirectorateÕs (AATD) Rotorcraft PilotÕs Associate Advanced Technology Demonstration Program, the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) demonstrated that formation of a Common Tactical Picture (CTP) from onboard and offboard sensors, via data fusion, was essential to automated decision aiding. In this case, the CTP was formed solely by the fusion of data provided by sensors dedicated to ownship tasks and from offboard sensors whose data was received via onboard processing systems, like JTIDS and the Improved Data Modem. Future network connectivity of aviation decision aiding systems to Army Battle Command System elements poses an opportunity to significantly enhance sensor data-only CTPs, if capability to autonomously and persistently discover and retrieve information from these stovepipe systems is applied. Addressing this challenge, the Lockheed Martin Advanced Technology Laboratories (ATL) has leveraged two autonomy-enabling technologies Ð multi-sensor data fusion and mobile intelligent agents, for Army aviation fusion of sensor-pushed and agent-pulled information. Over $14M in contracts and ATL research and development was combined to demonstrate these technologies in an Army ACT II proof-of-concept demonstration at the Air Maneuver Battle Lab. ATL plans to extend this concept for the AATD Airborne Manned and Unmanned System Technology Science and Technology Objective and the AATD Hunter Standoff Killer Team Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration.