Model-driven sensor operation assistance for a transport helicopter crew in manned-unmanned teaming missions: Selecting the automation level by machine decision-making

Abstract

One of the research fields at the Institute of Flight Systems (IFS) of the University of the Armed Forces (UniBwM) focuses on the integration of reconnaissance sensor operation support in manned-unmanned teaming (MUM-T) helicopter missions. The purposive deployment of mission sensors carried by a team of unmanned aerial vehicles (multi-UAV) in such missions is expected to bring in new and impactful aspects, especially in workload-intensive situations. Paradigms of variable automation in the sensor domain and cognitive assistant systems are intended to achieve an operationally manageable solution. This paper provides an overview of the sensor assistant system to be deployed in a MUM-T setup. To manage sensor deployment automation functions, a machine decision making process represented by an agent system will be described. Depending on a workload state input, a suitable level of automation will be chosen from a predefined set. A prototype system of such agent with its capability to react on varied stimuli will be demonstrated in a reduced toy problem setup.