Single-seat cockpit-based management of multiple UCAVs using on-board cognitive agents for coordination in manned-unmanned fighter missions

Abstract

This article describes an automation concept, which enables the pilot of a single-seat fighter aircraft to manage more than one unmanned combat aerial vehicle (UCAV). The presented concept bases on the theory of cognitive and cooperative automation and suggests that unmanned aircraft are equipped with on-board artificial cognitive units (ACUs). By this, unmanned platforms are enabled to exhibit cooperative capabilities and rational behavior in the context of the mission. To accomplish efficient manned-unmanned cooperation the concept additionally proposes to support the pilot with an assistant system module for team coordination tasks and to provide a self-explanation capability to the unmanned aircraft. This concept has been realized as laboratory prototype and already been tested with operational personnel in our human-in-the-loop full scenario simulation environment. For the further evaluation of the concept an experimental design has been worked out. © 2013 Springer-Verlag Berlin Heidelberg.