Request for Proposal (RFP): Search and Rescue (SAR) Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS)

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:

1. Personnel identification
2. Precise geo-location services
3. Delivering small quantities of food, water, lifesaving, other supplies for immediate on scene medical support and personnel/location sustainment through recovery efforts
4. 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

1.   Shall be capable of color daytime video operation up to 500 feet AGL
   1. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be no lower than High Definition 1080p at 15 fps w/4X digital zoom (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
   2. [Derived Requirement] – Shall have autofocus capability
   3. [Derived Requirement] – Shall automatically adjust brightness and contrast levels as time of day and/or environment changes
   4. [Derived Requirement] – Shall have a field of view 40 by 30 degrees or better
   5. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be moveable 360 degrees (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
   6. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be gimbaled for better stabilization and pointing accuracy (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
   7. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be STANAG 4609 compliant digital video out (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
2.  Shall be capable of infrared (IR) video operation up to 500 feet AGL
   1. [Derived Requirement] –Shall be no lower than High Definition 1080p at 15 fps w/4X digital zoom (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
   2. [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).
   3. [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.
   4. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be integrated on the same sensor housing as daytime color video camera.
   5. [Derived Requirement] – Shall have a field of view 40 by 30 degrees or better
   6. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be moveable 360 degrees
   7. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be gimbaled for better stabilization and pointing accuracy (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
   8. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be configurable to white-hot and black-hot modes (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
   9. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be STANAG 4609 compliant digital video out (Preceptor Dual Sensor Gimbal, 2016)
3.   Shall be interoperable with C2 and data-link
   1. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be capable of relaying compressed live video feeds over beyond line of sight datalinks
   2. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be capable of relying housekeeping data back to GCS with regard to status of all payloads (Austin, 2010).
4.   Shall use power provided by air vehicle element
   1. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be DC for alternator and battery operation.
   2. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be switched to allow for power on/off/reset operations
      
      

1.   Data-Link (communications)
   1.   Shall be capable of communication range exceeding two miles visual line of sight (VLOS)
      1. [Derived Requirement] – Shall have beyond line-of-sight Ku-Band satellite communication (SATCOM) capability (BlackRay 71, 2012).
      2. [Derived Requirement] – Uplink/Downlink shall be encrypted to prevent unauthorized control or viewing of video feed.
   2.   Shall provide redundant communication capability (backup) for C2
      1. [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).
      2.  [Derived Requirement] – Uplink/Downlink shall be encrypted to prevent unauthorized control or viewing of video feed
   3.   Shall use power provided by air vehicle element
      1. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be DC for alternator and battery operation.
      2. [Derived Requirement] – Shall have a direct connection to the alternator/battery
2. Command and Control (C2)
   1.   Shall be capable of manual and autonomous operation
      1. [Derived Requirement] – Shall allow point-click operations for manual control from a GCS.
      2. [Derived Requirement] – Shall allow dynamic re-tasking for autonomous control via updated programmed missions from a GCS.
   2.   Shall provide redundant flight control to prevent flyaway
      1. [Derived Requirement] – Shall interface separately with two GPS receivers for backup capabilities
      2. [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).
      3. [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
      4. [Derived Requirement] – Shall be small, light-weight and low power (SWAP sensitive) (nxFCU Dual Redundant Flight Control Unit, 2016).
   3.   Shall visually depict telemetry of air vehicle element
      1. [Derived Requirement] – Shall include at a minimum the following indications: airspeed, altitude, vertical speed indicator and attitude
      2. [Derived Requirement] – Shall indicate lower and upper level operational limits by use of yellow and red indications or highlights, respectively    
   4.   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:

1. Initiation: one week                     
2. System Concept Development: one week        *FEMA personnel included*
3. Planning: one week
4. Requirements: one week                                   *based on traditional manned roles*
5. Design: one month                                            *FEMA personnel included*
6. Development: two months      
7. Integration and Testing: three months       * most time for problem/error mitigation*
8. Implementation: two months                     *operation w/FEMA personnel + feedback*
9. Operations and Maintenance: two months
10. 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