Abstract: This invention provides a system and method for automatically inferring when a target that is being tracked by an aerial vehicle is doing something significant (e.g. stopping suddenly, changing direction quickly or getting out of track view), and consequently alerting an operator. The alerting system also provides a classification of what the target is doing. It frees the operator from continuously monitoring the imagery stream so the operator can perform other tasks.

Abstract: This invention provides a system and method for automatically inferring when a target that is being tracked by an aerial vehicle is doing something significant (e.g. stopping suddenly, changing direction quickly or getting out of track view), and consequently alerting an operator. The alerting system also provides a classification of what the target is doing. It frees the operator from continuously monitoring the imagery stream so the operator can perform other tasks.

Abstract: A method and system for autonomous tracking of a mobile target such as a ground vehicle by an unmanned aerial vehicle are provided. The method and system utilize an approach that tracks a mobile ground target by using a ground vehicle model with an ummanned aerial vehicle model, with velocity and acceleration constraints. These real-world constraints ensure that the method is applicable to a general class of unmanned aerial vehicles and ground targets. One or more sensors are employed on the unmanned aerial vehicle, with the sensors having at least one field-of-view sensing cone over the ground. A position and path of the mobile target are monitored through input from the sensors on the unmanned aerial vehicle. The method and system detect and estimate the position and path of the mobile target when the target is inside the field-of-view sensing cone.

Abstract: A method to provide and implement a collision avoidance system for a vehicle. The method includes receiving a buffer zone boundary input defining a buffer zone at an on-board processor in the vehicle from a controlling supervisor, calculating a positively invariant set based on vehicle states and dynamic characteristics, the positively invariant set operable to define a protection zone enclosed within the buffer zone and centered about the vehicle, determining an object is traversing the buffer zone boundary; and implementing an emergency maneuver procedure after a collision avoidance maneuver fails, wherein the object does not enter the protection zone.

Abstract: A method to supervise a local dynamical system having multiple preset control objectives and operating in conjunction with other dynamical systems. The method includes receiving state input from dynamical systems in an environment at a distributed soft computing level, generating weights and applying the weights to the preset control objectives using soft computing methods to form weighted control objectives. The weights are computed based on the received state input. The method also includes generating a command signal for the local dynamical system based on the weighted control objectives and transmitting the command signal to a controller in the local dynamical system.

Abstract: A method for controlling the maneuvering of an autonomous vehicle in a network having a plurality of autonomous vehicles is provided. The method comprises monitoring the state of the autonomous vehicle. The method also comprises periodically receiving data on the states of a subset of the plurality of autonomous vehicles and periodically determining at least one command to a control loop for the autonomous vehicle based on the monitored state and the data from the subset of the plurality of autonomous vehicles.