Intelligent controller architecture for full autonomy and HMI

This paper describes an autonomous Intelligent Controller (IC) directly applicable to the design of unmanned autonomous vehicles. These vehicles may operate independently or cooperate to carry out complex missions involving disparate payloads. The IC technology has been demonstrated in prototype designs of actual, autonomous, intelligently controlled vehicles. It has been applied to unmanned undersea vehicles (UUVs), unmanned airborne vehicles (UAVs), and other unmanned and automated systems. Key features of this IC include: A robust ability to react to unforeseen situations (no scripted cases) Autonomous, on-the-fly dynamic planning and re-planning Situational awareness Autonomous threat response A common architecture for multi-vehicle cooperation Expandable to incorporate new capabilities as they are identified Human interaction at any desired level, but not required Reduced maintenance and upgrade costs.