Kyle Usbeck

Beyond line-of-sight information dissemination for Force Protection

Force protection capabilities have emerged as necessary for operations such as Village Stability Operations and Forward Operating Base security. Current Force Protection Kits include a rich set of sensors that can be monitored from a core operator station. This paper describes ongoing research to extend the reach of Force Protection capabilities as part of an integrated, network-centric system to protect mobile troops on patrol, to include sensors beyond the organic Force Protection perimeter, and to enable the automated, selective transfer of information to and from kit locations. These extended Force Protection capabilities are enabled by a highly-mobile, vehicle mounted information management system providing beyond line-of-sight publish-subscribe capabilities, sensor data archiving, video storage and retrieval, and data ferrying across long distances.

On the Evaluation of Space–Time Functions

The Proto spatial programming language abstracts the distributed execution of programs as evaluation of space-time functions over dynamically defined subspaces on a manifold. Previously, however, function evaluation has always been defined in terms of a complete in lining of expressions during compilation. This simplified the definition of programs, at the cost of limiting expressiveness and duplicating code in compiled binaries. In this paper, we address these shortcomings, producing a model of in-place function evaluation and analysis of its implications for Proto. We have extended the MIT Proto compiler and Proto Kernel virtual machine to implement this model, and empirically verified the reduction of compiled binary size.

Integrated information and network management for end-to-end Quality of Service

Publish-subscribe-based Information Management (IM) services provide a key enabling technology for net-centric operations. This paper describes technology for Quality of Service (QoS) and Internet-Protocol-based Airborne Networking features for IM services. Enhancing IM services with airborne networking features improves effectiveness in combined tactical and enterprise networks with mobile airborne and ground-based embedded platforms interacting with enterprise systems in command and control operations.

Operational semantics of proto

The Proto spatial computing language in Beal and Bachrach (2006) [1] simplifies the creation of scalable, robust, distributed programs by abstracting a network of locally communicating devices as a continuous geometric manifold. However, Protos successful application in a number of domains is challenging its coherence across different platforms and distributions. We thus present a complete operational semantics for the Proto language, as executed asynchronously on a network of fast message-passing devices. This semantics covers all of the operations of the three space-time operator families unique to Proto-restriction, feedback, and neighborhood-as well as the current pointwise operations that it shares with most other languages. This formalization will provide a reference to aid implementers in preserving language coherence across platforms, domains, and distributions. The formalization process has also advanced the Proto language in several ways, which we explain in detail.

Using Morphogenetic Models to Develop Spatial Structures

A common problem in spatial computing is how to arrange the structure of a spatial computer into a geometric form adapted for its current environment and needs. In natural biological organisms, the processes of morphogenesis adapt structure to environment remarkably well on both an individual and evolutionary time scale. However, no clear framework has been developed for exploiting morphogenetic principles in the creation of engineered systems. In this paper, we present preliminary work toward such a framework, developed against the example of a robot similar to the iRobot LANdroid. We first show how developmental programs might act as a reference architecture for engineered designs, facilitating variation. We then present a candidate basis set of geometric operations for encoding adaptable developmental programs, demonstrate how they can be applied to develop a robot body plan, and discuss progress toward implementation.

Information Ubiquity in Austere Locations

Abstract In todays world, connectivity is increasingly taken for granted. Wireless networks, cell towers, and satellites provide ubiquitous connectivity through a number of devices. However, in austere locations constant connectivity cannot be assumed, e.g., due to the remoteness of the area, due to a disaster or combat situation, or due to insecurity or lack of access to available communications. This paper describes a system, Marti, which the authors have been developing and demonstrating that can provide inter-connectivity and access to information in austere locations. Marti is rapidly deployable and interoperates with a large number of existing devices and client applications.

A manifold operator representation for adaptive design

Many natural organisms exhibit canalization: small genetic changes are accommodated by adaptation in other systems that interact with them. Engineered systems, however, are typically quite brittle, making design automation extremely difficult. We propose to address this problem with a generative representation of design based on manifold operators. The operator set we propose combines the intuitive simplicity of top-down rewrite rules with the flexibility and distortion tolerance of bottom-up GRN-based models. An embryogeny specified using this representation thus places constraints on a developing design, rather than specifying a fixed body plan, allowing canalization processes to modulate the design as it continues to develop. We demonstrate our ideas in the domain of electromechanical design and validate them with simulations at different levels of abstraction.

Opportunistic Sharing of Airborne Sensors

Airborne sensors are often idle for much of their flight, e.g., while the platform carrying them is in transit to and from the locations of sensor tasks. The sensing needs of many other potential information consumers might thus be served by sharing such sensors, allowing other information consumers to opportunistically task them during their otherwise unscheduled time. Toward this end, we have developed Mission-Driven Tasking of Information Producers (MTIP), a prototype system for opportunistic sharing of airborne sensors. This paper describes its implementation as an agent-based task allocation system on top of the Marti Quality of Service (QoS)-managed publish-subscribe information management system, and presents simulations of a disaster response scenario demonstrating how MTIP can increase the number of sensor tasks served as well as reducing the number of UAVs required to serve a given set of sensor tasks.

Improving situation awareness with the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK)

To make appropriate, timely decisions in the field, Situational Awareness (SA) needs to be conveyed in a decentralized manner to the users at the edge of the network as well as at operations centers. Sharing real-time SA efficiently between command centers and operational troops poses many challenges, including handling heterogeneous and dynamic networks, resource constraints, and varying needs for the collection, dissemination, and display of information, as well as recording that information. A mapping application that allows teams to share relevant geospatial information efficiently and to communicate effectively with one another and command centers has wide applicability to many vertical markets across the Department of Defense, as well as a wide variety of federal, state local, and non-profit agencies that need to share locations, text, photos, and video. This paper describes the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK), an advanced, distributed tool for commercial- off-the-shelf (COTS) mobile devices such as smartphones and tablets. ATAK provides a variety of useful SA functions for soldiers, law enforcement, homeland defense, and civilian collaborative use; including mapping and navigation, range and bearing, text chat, force tracking, geospatial markup tools, image and file sharing, video playback, site surveys, and many others. This paper describes ATAK, the SA tools that ATAK has built-in, and the ways it is being used by a variety of military, homeland security, and law enforcement users.

Data Ferrying to the Tactical Edge: A Field Experiment in Exchanging Mission Plans and Intelligence in Austere Environments

The effectiveness of ground-based, wireless tactical data networks is often constrained by limitations such as communication range and line-of-sight. SATCOM is not always available because it is relatively expensive and highly contended. Data ferrying is an alternative method of data transfer in which data is uploaded from one network to a manned or unmanned vehicle, then the vehicle is driven or flown to within range of a second network where the data can be downloaded. Data ferrying via Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) can transport data over very rugged terrain without risking the safety of a human courier. This paper describes an implementation of data ferrying to provide low-cost, effective data communications between remote ground units and Forward Operating Bases in austere environments. It describes a field experiment in which a ground vehicle was used to wirelessly ferry data in a realistic scenario, and points out the lessons learned from that experiment.