SAR Mission
Overview
SAR is the search for and provision of aid to people
who are in distress or imminent danger and includes many different types
depending on the terrain, or lack thereof (water), where the search is
conducted over (Definitions for Search and Rescue, n.d.). These types include
mountain rescue, air-sea rescue, and ground and urban SAR (Definitions for
Search and Rescue, n.d.). The search phase is conducive to finding missing persons
in last known locations or in locations that are known to be effected by
natural disasters. In each case, the status of such individuals are unknown and
the quicker there location is determined, the more successful the recovery
process will be in returning them alive. Once found, the rescue phase involves
recovery such persons in non-threatening situations all the way to extreme
environments and conditions. The ability to perform fast and effective SAR
operations in such cases and during these situations is crucial to increasing
their chances of survival. Sometimes, immediate actions to support medical care
and basic life support needs may be necessary to stabilize the persons for
transport or to keep them alive during the recovery process. The process
involves aircraft, surface craft and specialized teams and equipment all
working together in a harmonized fashion for mission success (Definitions for
Search and Rescue, n.d.).
Purpose and
Overview
The purpose of this RFP is to solicit a group 3 vertical
take-off and landing (VTOL) UAS that is capable of low altitude, long-endurance
(LALE), and beyond line-of-sight (BLOS) flight operations. It must perform a
wide range search and rescue missions for the Federal Emergency Management
Agency or FEMA. FEMA currently has 28 task forces locations across the United
States and each will be provided with a UAS that will perform search and
rescues tasks in coordination with manned efforts (Task Force Locations, 2016).
Also, it is important to note that the UAS will act in a capacity to reduce
risks to manned efforts, access areas where manned efforts may not be possible
and reduce the amount of time it takes to response by deploying in advance of
full scale manned efforts. The logistics of ground efforts can be hampered at
times and the ability of the UAS to have access from the air greatly enhances
response timing. The ultimate goal of employing this UAS will be to increase
the disaster victims’ chances of survival.
Mission
Requirements
The search and rescue mission tasks are defined as:
Personnel
identification
Precise
geo-location services
Delivering
small quantities of food, water, lifesaving, other supplies for immediate on
scene medical support and personnel/location sustainment through recovery efforts
Suppressing
small electrical, oil, and gas fires to assist with recovery efforts via its
organic extraction capability or other manned air, land or sea methods
*Ability
of the UAS to perform all of these mission tasks is highly desired*
Design
Requirements
1.0. Payload
Shall be capable of color daytime video
operation up to 500 feet AGL
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be no lower than High Definition 1080p at 15 fps w/4X
digital zoom (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall have autofocus capability
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall automatically adjust brightness and contrast levels as
time of day and/or environment changes
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall have a field of view 40 by 30 degrees or better
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be moveable 360 degrees (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal,
2016)
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be gimbaled for better stabilization and pointing accuracy
(Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be STANAG 4609 compliant digital video out (Preceptor Dual
Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
Shall be capable of infrared (IR) video
operation up to 500 feet AGL
[Derived
Requirement] –Shall be no lower than High Definition 1080p at 15 fps w/4X
digital zoom (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
[Derived
Requirement] – Camera shall be cooled to allow for high imaging speed, better
magnification, higher sensitivity, and spectral filtering (revealing details
and taking measurements) (FLIR
Commercial Systems, 2015).
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall operate in short to medium wave infrared spectrum for a
robust sensor capable of daylight to starlight operation and detecting various
IR emitting devices.
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be integrated on the same sensor housing as daytime color
video camera.
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall have a field of view 40 by 30 degrees or better
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be moveable 360 degrees
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be gimbaled for better stabilization and pointing accuracy
(Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be configurable to white-hot and black-hot modes
(Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be STANAG 4609 compliant digital video out (Preceptor Dual
Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
Shall be interoperable with C2 and data-link
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be capable of relaying compressed live video feeds over
beyond line of sight datalinks
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be capable of relying housekeeping data back to GCS with
regard to status of all payloads (Austin, 2010).
Shall use power provided by air vehicle
element
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be DC for alternator and battery operation.
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be switched to allow for power on/off/reset operations
Data-Link (communications)
Shall be capable of communication range
exceeding two miles visual line of sight (VLOS)
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall have beyond line-of-sight Ku-Band satellite communication
(SATCOM) capability (BlackRay 71, 2012).
[Derived
Requirement] – Uplink/Downlink shall be encrypted to prevent unauthorized
control or viewing of video feed.
Shall provide redundant communication
capability (backup) for C2
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be able to operate in backup X band SATCOM mode with the
same SATCOM receiver to reduce SWAP requirements (BlackRay 71, 2012).
[Derived Requirement] – Uplink/Downlink shall
be encrypted to prevent unauthorized control or viewing of video feed
Shall use power provided by air vehicle
element
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be DC for alternator and battery operation.
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall have a direct connection to the alternator/battery
Command and Control (C2)
Shall be capable of manual and autonomous
operation
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall allow point-click operations for manual control from a
GCS.
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall allow dynamic re-tasking for autonomous control via
updated programmed missions from a GCS.
Shall provide redundant flight control to
prevent flyaway
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall interface separately with two GPS receivers for backup
capabilities
[Derived
Requirement] – Flight Control components shall be fault tolerate to a certain
degree to allow errors to exist and normal operation to continue (nxFCU Dual
Redundant Flight Control Unit, 2016).
[Derived
Requirement] – Vote processors shall interface between all fault-tolerate
components and redundant flight control computers to determine which flight control
computer is operating normally
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall be small, light-weight and low power (SWAP sensitive) (nxFCU
Dual Redundant Flight Control Unit, 2016).
Shall visually depict telemetry of air
vehicle element
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall include at a minimum the following indications: airspeed,
altitude, vertical speed indicator and attitude
[Derived
Requirement] – Shall indicate lower and upper level operational limits by use
of yellow and red indications or highlights, respectively
Shall visually depict payload sensor
views
Testing
Requirements
4.0. Payload
4.1. Verify color daytime video operation from one
hour after sunrise to one hour before sunset up to 500 feet AGL
4.1.1. Verify HD picture resolution, performance and
zoom levels
4.1.2. Verify auto image focusing by varying target
range from UAS
4.1.3. Verify auto adjustment of brightness and
contrast levels in the sun, in shadows, and at different camera positions
4.1.4. Verify a field of view of at least 40 by 30
degrees
4.1.5. Verify camera can be moved in 360 degrees
4.1.6. Verify image stabilization: Accepting no
drifting or jittering of the image with different positions of the camera
(straight ahead, looking down, etc).
4.1.7. Verify video achieves an acceptable STANAG
4609 output file by testing it on a STANAG video recording and playback device
4.2. Verify infrared (IR) video operation up to
500 feet AGL
4.2.1. Verify HD picture resolution, performance and
zoom levels
4.2.2. Verify cooling system operation to determine
normal operation
4.2.3. Verify normal operation of SWIR and MWIR
4.2.4. Verify both EO and IR sensors are housed
together
4.2.5. Verify field of view parameters
4.2.6. Verify camera can be moved 360 degrees
4.2.7. Verify image stabilization: Accepting no
drifting or jittering of the image with different positions of the camera
(straight ahead, looking down, etc).
4.2.8. Verify IR can switch between white-hot and
black-hot modes
4.2.9. 4.1.7. Verify
video achieves an acceptable STANAG 4609 output file by testing it on a STANAG
video recording and playback device
4.3. Shall be interoperable with C2 and data-link
4.3.1. Verify compressed live video feeds can be
achieve with data rate
4.3.2. Verify accuracy and completeness of
housekeeping data
4.4. Shall use power provided by air vehicle
element
4.4.1. Verify DC with a multimeter
4.4.2. Verify sensor can be turned on, off and reset
5.0. Data-Link (communications)
5.1. Verify operating of UAS beyond two miles
5.1.1. Verify operation of UAS in BLOS Ku-SATCOM
mode
5.1.2. Verify encryption by transmitting/receiving
from a separate GCS on same frequencies, there should be no degradation of UAS
link nor lost link
5.2. Verify C2 redundancy by sending UAS lost
link and gaining it on the back C2 link or performing a link-to-link handover
5.2.1. Verify no degradation of up/downlink occurs
while operating on X-band SATCOM
2.2.2. Verify encryption by transmitting/receiving
from a separate GCS on same frequencies, there should be no degradation of UAS
link nor lost link
5.3. Verify system powers up without any overload
or underload conditions
5.3.1. Verify DC from alternator and battery using
multimeter
5.3.2. Verify direct connection to
alternator/battery by failing any buses switched power components.
6.0.
Command and Control (C2)
6.1. Verify
normal operation during manual and autonomous modes
3.1.1. Verify point-click commands are performed by
UAS with no deviations in airspeed, altitude, attitude or routing.
3.1.2. Verify dynamic re-tasking missions are performed
by UAS with no deviations in airspeed, altitude, attitude or routing.
3.2. Shall
provide redundant flight control to prevent flyaway
3.2.1. Verify correct navigation by failing one GPS
receiver
3.2.2. Verify normal operation of flight control
surfaces by inducing faults
3.2.3. Verify vote processor chooses right flight
control computer by failing or powering off the other flight control computer.
3.2.4. Weigh unit to ensure conformity to SWAP
standards
3.3. Shall
visually depict telemetry of air vehicle element
3.3.1. Verify airspeed, altitude, vertical speed
indicator and attitude indications are displayed
3.3.2. Verify color indications are displayed when
operational limits are exceeded
3.4. Ensure link can support data rate
requirements of sensor(s) without any video degradation
Testing and
Development Strategies
From start to finish the total time from concept to
production of this UAS will take two years using the 10-phase waterfall development
methodology (Module 3: Solution Management Commentary, 2012). The timeline is
as follows:
Initiation:
one week
System
Concept Development: one week
*FEMA personnel included*
Planning:
one week
Requirements:
one week *based
on traditional manned roles*
Design:
one month *FEMA
personnel included*
Development:
two months
Integration
and Testing: three months * most
time for problem/error mitigation*
Implementation:
two months *operation w/FEMA personnel + feedback*
Operations
and Maintenance: two months
Production:
six months to one year
**Timeline
Reference: Adapted from Module 3: Solution Management Commentary. (2012).
Retrieved from http://lib.convdocs.org/docs/index-232435.html?page=5**
The sequential phases ensure that one is completed
before moving on to the next and ensures traceability, quality and reliability
of the UAS. Since the requirements of this UAS are fixed on completing
traditional SAR tasks, the risk of changing or evolving requirements that might
require a different approach (or revisiting the drawing board altogether) is
not necessary. Nonetheless, there is an acceptable level of overlap and
splashback between the phases to account for any issues that may arise.
For
the testing process, a lot of testing can of the UAS itself can be performed on
the ground since it is a vertical take-off and land UAS (Austin, 2010). This
ensures high confidence of operation when the in-flight testing phase begins
(Austin, 2010). Components, followed by subsystems, followed by integration
testing with be the separate phases of the ground testing process. In-Flight
testing will validate data obtained from full integration ground tests. In
addition, it will include mountainous terrain and unplanned/random
environmental effects (like high wind/gusts, dust, etc). Flight testing will take place on the white
sands missile range due to ease of airspace access, mountainous terrain, and
random environmental effects that occur. Testing can begin immediately due to
the availability of restricted airspace rather than waiting for the long and
length COA process required by the FAA. Instead, a memorandum of agreement will
be drafted with the Department of Defense for use of the white sands missile
range, taking less time to complete.
References
Austin, R. (2010). Aerospace Series:
Unmanned Aircraft Systems: UAVS Design,
Development and
Deployment (1). Hoboken, GB: Wiley. Retrieved from
http://www.ebrary.com.ezproxy.libproxy.db.erau.edu
Definitions for search and Rescue. (n.d.).
The Web’s Largest Resource for Definitions and
Translations.
Retrieved from http://www.definitions.net/definition/search%20and
%20rescue
nxFCU Dual Redundant Flight Control Unit.
(2016). S-Plane Automation (PTY) LTD.
Retrieved from http://www.s-plane.com/products/nxseries/nxfcu-dual/
Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal. (2016).
Lockheed Martin. Retrieved from
http://www.lockheedmartin.com/us/products/procerus/perceptor.html
Task Force Locations. (2016). Federal
Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). Retrieved
from http://www.fema.gov/task-force-locations
FLIR Commercial Systems. (2015).
Thermal Imaging Cameras – Cooled vs Uncooled. AZO
Materials:
Retrieved from http://www.azom.com/article.aspx?ArticleID=11966