Autonomous Aerial Cargo Unmanned Resupply System (AACUS)
Our goal was to design an intuitive user interface that allows an operator to accomplish a successful mission with only 15 minutes of training.
(PRWEB) January 30, 2015
Kutta Technologies announced today that they are a key member on the Office of the Naval Research’s (ONR) Autonomous Aerial Cargo Unmanned Resupply System (AACUS) team.
Kutta, working in partnership with Aurora Flight Sciences, developed the Human Machine Interface (HMI) technologies for the Main Operating Base (MOB) and Combat Outpost (COP). The application Kutta developed in the Phase I competition runs on a commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) iPad Mini and allows a Marine in the field to request needed supplies and denote the actual locations of where to precisely drop them. Once the request for supplies is made, it is routed through the system and the software autonomously generates a safe route to the landing zones. The safe route takes into account terrain, the airspace allocated to the mission, and other mission-specific parameters to ensure a successful resupply. Once the unmanned resupply aircraft is within range, it scans the desired landing zone and negotiates with the COP operator to determine a suitable landing location.
All the HMI devices were developed using thorough human factors engineering design methodologies known as Cognitive Task Analysis. “Our goal was to design an intuitive user interface that allows an operator to accomplish a successful mission with only 15 minutes of training,” said, James Bona, Software Developer for Kutta Technologies. During the ONR flight demonstration, Kutta exceeded all HMI benchmarks and enabled the COP operator to flawlessly supervise 13 successful unmanned approaches and two planned wave-offs.
“Recently, Amazon® demonstrated a small unmanned aircraft in a controlled environment that someday may deliver books to your doorstep. We actually did it with a large helicopter, in winter condition, and with blowing snow. Our system could carry cases of books or medical supplies that could save lives. This is no longer a dream. The technology is possible today.” – said Doug Limbaugh, CEO of Kutta Technologies.
In the Phase 2, Kutta will integrate its Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) certifiable Ground Control Station known as the UGCS-178 into the MOB and further enhance the COP interface on an Android platform.
Kutta Technologies, Inc. is based in Phoenix, AZ and is a leading developer of high reliability mission-critical software and systems for the aerospace industry. Kutta’s product lines include: The Bi-Directional Remote Video Terminal (BDRVT®), Unified Ground Control Station (UGCS-178), Kutta Rugged Computer (KRC), and Manned / Unmanned Teaming Kit (MUM-178). For more information please visit http://www.KuttaTech.com or call 1-866-574-9990.