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A Quad, describing CRUSER Seed Research Program funded research. Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned Systems Education and Research (CRUSER)

Naval Research Program Poster OPNAV N415, Additive Manufacturing (AM) USMC Systems Command, Advanced Manufacturing NPS-18-N380-A Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

The article of record as published may be found at http://dx.doi.org/10.1109/JOE.2017.2782959 Experts and practitioners have worked long and hard toward achieving functionally capable robots. While numerous areas of progress have been achieved, ethical control of unmanned systems meeting legal requirements has been elusive and problematic. Common conclusions that treat ethical robots as an always-amoral philosophical conundrum requiring undemonstrated morality-based artificial intelligence are simply not sensible or repeatable. Patterning after successful practice by human teams shows that precise mission definition and task execution using well-defined, syntactically valid vocabularies is a necessary first step. Addition of operational constraints enables humans to place limits on robot activities, even when operating at a distance under gapped communications. Semantic validation can then be provided by a Mission Execution Ontology to confirm that no logical or legal contradictions are present in mission orders. Thorough simulation, testing, and certification of qualified robot responses are necessary to build human authority and trust when directing ethical robot operations at a distance. Together these capabilities can provide safeguards for autonomous robots possessing the potential for lethal force. This approach appears to have broad usefulness for both civil and military application of unmanned systems at sea. Naval Postgraduate School Consortium for Robotics and Unmanned System Education and Research

Naval Research Program Poster Naval Research Program OPNAV N41 – Logistics Programs and Corporate Operations T15-1049

Additive Manufacturing (AM), 3D printing and CAD export are critical for Navy maintenance. Rapid change continues to occur across the design, engineering, manufacturing, and production process - many products can now be fabricated using AM methods. Iterative design processes require close collaboration of all entities involved from design to production; with AM, the lines between these previously stovepipe steps become blurred. A need to design, test and adopt different maintenance workflow becomes a necessity in cases of preventive and corrective maintenance of mechanical components on Navy ships and aircrafts where such operations have major impact on operational readiness. This project proposes to study and test elements that are identified as critical for effective deployment of AM in Navy operations, with specific emphasis on maintenance operations, while remaining sensitive to other Navy domains and activities where the use of AM could bring significant value. Our overarching goal is to provide a comprehensive approach that would lead towards reduction of energy costs, as well as reduction of materials and human resources engaged in that process. OPNAV 141 - Logistics Programs and Corporate Operations

Preventive and corrective maintenance of mechanical components on Navy ships and aircrafts is a complex task that can have major impacts on operational readiness. In situation when a component needs to be delivered to a remote team (an off shore installation or ship), the final cost of transit and delivery can be further exacerbated if newly received component is confirmed not to be adequate, leading to a new iteration of physical delivery. This results in extreme and unplanned costs of the overall mission. We propose to design and test maintenance workflow that utilize the emerging capabilities of novel technologies like 3D scanning, 3D printing and stereoscopic display, ensuring that only fully tested physical components will ever be shipped to remote unit. This process can be seen as a virtualization of corrective procedures, where instead of physical components, local and remote teams exchange a set of virtual artifacts, test mock-up objects and resort to final delivery only when they are sure the new component is a perfect fit. This delayed and in-time manufacturing and transit, fully supporting the concept of smart manufacturing grid, represent the essence of policy that has energy savings at its core. The benefits of this approach will be directly applicable to many other segments of DoD and civilian domains. Naval Research Program Prepared for: N41, CAPT Frank Futcher

Naval information dominance hinges on three fundamental capabilities: assured command and control (C2), battlespace awareness, and integrated fires. None of these are possible without effective communications links. Networks, and more specifically, the information flowing through them, are now a center of gravity for the Fleet. Maritime tactics and operational plans rely on levels of synchronization only possible through bandwidth communications. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

The motivation for pursuing XML-based tactical chat includes the great potential of this technology and fixing limitations of current chat programs. XTC capabilities have the potential to completely upgrade and restructure all tactical military communications. The current tools for military chat include VRC, Yahoo, MSN, AIM, ICQ, and NKO. None of these provides the full functionality or interoperability needed in a joint environment. Moreover, if a nonproprietary chat protocol is developed, it can lead to a decision-support environment in which data, text, audio, and video can be logged, evaluated and managed, all in a Web environment where no additional specialized software or hardware is needed. Chat technology challenges for the military fit into three areas: tactical, technical and administrative. Tactically, there are many ways chat can be used, but effective practices are not yet defined in procedures or doctrine. Joint forces use a myriad of chat programs that don't interoperate and are usually proprietary. Technically many chat programs are barred by firewalls and lack a robust interface to allow logging and searching past chats, From an administrative prospective, plain-test chat has no structure. Scheduling and controlling who attends or converses remains undefined. Within DoD there is no standard for how, when, and by whom chats ought to be conducted. Possible approaches to these problems include adopting a proprietary chat system or customizing an open-source implementation. Proprietary solutions are costly, do not interoperate well, and are too inflexible for a technology that is evolving rapidly. Open-source software can provide a solution that is adaptable, extensible, quick to implement, straightforward to maintain, and relatively inexpensive. This report provides a preliminary assessment of XML-based tactical chat (XTC) using an open-source, open-standards solution. Promising initial results demonstrate that an XML document can be sent from an XHTML page in a Web browser to an off-the-shelf Jabber client via a Web serve. Further, available server and client implementation can enable a research and development plan for rapid development. further work on XTC as part of the Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XNSF) is justified and needed. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Fall 2004 Simulation Interoperability Workshop, Paper Number 21 & Presentation. Simulation Interoperability Standards Organization (SISO) SIW Conference Paper The elements of SEAPOWER 21...Sea Strike, Sea Shield and Sea Basing...commit the Navy to building, training and operating a force that maximizes the contribution of war winning capabilities in the joint battlespace anytime, anywhere. Tying the three pillars of SEAPOWER 21 together is FORCEnet. FORCEnet is the operational construct and architectural framework for naval warfare in the information age, integrating warriors, sensors, command and control, platforms, and weapons into a networked, distributed and joint combat force. SEAPOWER 21 will be implemented by a Global Concept of Operations that will provide our nation with widely dispersed combat power from platforms possessing unprecedented joint warfighting capabilities. This paper describes the creation of a new analytical modeling capability by bringing together the Naval Simulation System (NSS) for sea strike and CombatXXI for littoral and land warfare modeling. The models are linked by Web services using principles from the Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF). This implementation is an examplar for a transformational framework for design, development, and integration of simulation models.

Findings and recommendations report: Technical Challenges Workshop, Strategic Opportunities Symposium 22 October 2002 The Department of Defense (DoD) is engaged in warfighting and institutional transformation for the new millennium. In parallel, DoD Modeling & Simulation (M&S) needs to identify and adopt transformational technologies providing direct tactical relevance to warfighters. The only software systems that composably scale to worldwide scope utilize World Wide Web technologies. Therefore, it is evident that an extensible web-based framework offers great promise to scale up the capabilities of M&S systems to meet the needs of training, analysis, acquisition, and the operational warfighter. By embracing commercial web technologies as a shared-communications platform and a ubiquitous-delivery framework, DoD M&S can fully leverage mainstream practices for enterprise-wide software development.

Technical Opportunities Workshop Whitepaper, 14 June 2002 Purpose: As the Department of Defense (DoD) is engaged in both warfighting and institutional transformation for the new millennium, DoD Modeling & Simulation (M&S) also needs to identify and adopt transformational technologies which provide direct tactical relevance to warfighters. Because the only software systems that composably scale to worldwide scope utilize the World Wide Web, it is evident that an extensible Web-based framework shows great promise to scale up the capabilities of M&S systems to meet the needs of training, analysis, acquisition, and the operational warfighter. By embracing commercial web technologies as a shared-communications platform and a ubiquitous-delivery framework, DoD M&S can fully leverage mainstream practices for enterprise-wide software development.

While the application of a time-step approach in modeling C4ISR in Missile Defense Warfare (MDW) suffers inaccurate time estimation and relative slow speed, Discrete Event Simulation (DES) can elegantly satisfy these shortages. However, current DES frameworks typically rely on detailed efforts in event analysis for numerous replications before software modification of the simulation scenario can be meaningful. Such approaches have limited adaptability, especially regarding flexibility of scenario design and customizability of entity definition. This dissertation proposes an improved DES framework, Adjustable and Extensible Modeling Framework DES (AEMF-DES), which embeds the primary principles of a topical theme into a program to perform adjustable and extensible studies that can be explored by the analyst. To prove the feasibility of AEMF-DES, a Missile-Defense Simulation application (MDSIM) is also developed during this research. MSDIM simulates the C4ISR processes in Missile Defense Warfare and can estimate the overall effectiveness of a defenders deployment or attackers strategy. Additionally, based on the interest in sensor deployment evaluation, a k-coverage rate problem is also studied. Current k-coverage algorithms can only deal with binary and omnidirectional sensor models which cannot provide enough simulation fidelity if higher resolution is needed. An improved k-coverage rate algorithm is proposed in this research to handle the probabilistic and directional sensor models. A separate simulation test successfully demonstrates the feasibility of this new calculation algorithm in estimation of the k-coverage rate problem with probabilistic and directional sensor models. Considered together, the architecture implemented in this example software illustrates the value of integrating hybrid simulation techniques to support C4ISR analysis related to Missile Defense Warfare. http://archive.org/details/hybridrchitectur1094537598 Lieutenant Commander, R.O.C. (Taiwan) Navy Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Due to growing operational constraints accelerated by the Global War on Terror, the United States Navy is looking for alternative methods of training to maintain its force in a high status of readiness. Updates in technology over the last decade have prompted Navy officials to take the initiative to update its training technologies. Computer-Based Instruction provides alternative means of training so that the training of war-fighters can be accomplished efficiently and effectively, saving the U.S. Navy time and resources while maintaining a high state of readiness. The goal of this thesis is to combine the principles of Instructional Design Systems (ISD) technology and advanced Simulation in order to produce a multimedia training capability for Navy and Marine Corps Officers. Specifically this thesis applies ISD principles to engineer and improve the Anti-Terrorism Force Protection (AT/FP) Officer Course Level II (ATO Level II Course) lessons for use by Navy and Marine Corps officers. The SavageStudio scenario generation application, originally designed for assessment of force protection measures in a port environment, is used to allow students to develop simulation lessons for this course. The final product of this thesis is a training course consisting of two lessons combining Computer- Based Training and Simulation providing interactive lessons and exercises, and two media delivery comparison studies with results for the Anti-Terrorism Force Protection lessons. The first study compared media effectiveness of Computer-Based Training versus Classroom instruction. The second study assessed the effectiveness of Computer-Based Training and the use of simulation for AT/FP. http://archive.org/details/effectivenesseva109453322 US Navy (USN) author. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

The Autonomous Unmanned Vehicle Workbench (AUVW) is an ongoing project at NPS that allows rehearsal, real-time control, and replay of diverse autonomous unmanned vehicle (AUVs) missions. The AUVW increases the situational awareness of operators while allowing operators to learn valuable insights in a robots performance before, during, and after a mission. This thesis examines a variety of strategic authoritative plans for autonomous vehicles to determine functional mission requirements that autonomous vehicles are expected to be performing in the near future. Excellent agreement on tactical needs and requirements was found among these diverse documents. A series of exemplar missions corresponding to specific requirements are presented as a way to explore and evaluate different tactical capabilities. These missions are then compared to the current capabilities of the AUVW by planning, running, and evaluating them in the workbench. Although the AUVW is a powerful tool it still lacks some functionality to make it tactically usable. Nevertheless, perhaps two thirds of the necessary capabilities are already supported in the workbench and further capabilities can be feasibly integrated. The result of this work is a roadmap for future work to add functionality so that the workbench can thoroughly perform user tasks in all mission areas. http://archive.org/details/navyrequirements109453446 US Navy (USN) author. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

With the unveiling of ForceNet, the Navy's architectural framework for how naval warfare is to be conducted in the information age, much of the technological focus has been placed on Web technology. One of the most promising technologies is Web services. Web services provide for a standard way to move and share data more reliably, securely, and quickly. The capabilities imbedded in Extensible Markup Language (XML) and Simple Object Access Protocol (SOAP) can merge previously disparate systems into one integrated environment. Already proven successful in the administrative realm, wide-area networks such as the Secure Internet Protocol Network (SIPRNET) have become secure and reliable enough to pass data between systems and units to support tactical operations. The Modeling, Virtual Environments and Simulation (MOVES) Institute at the Naval Postgraduate School is currently working to extend these precepts into the modeling and simulation world under the Extensible Modeling and Simulation Framework (XMSF) project. By leveraging existing Web service technology, warfighters at the "tip of the spear" can have access to previously unrealized amounts of tactically-relevant data, analysis, and planning tools. The goal of this thesis is to apply the XMSF and Extensible 3D (X3D) graphics to the field of sonar visualization. Undersea warfare is a complex operation that requires a continuous and detailed analysis of the acoustic environment. Tactical sensor employment without a firm understanding of the complete undersea picture can lead to fatal consequences. The Navy has spent significant resources to develop training systems and tactical decision aids in an effort to integrate training, rehearsal and execution. Unfortunately, many of the high-resolution analysis tools that can provide high-resolution sonar prediction results are not easily accessible to the fleet. By taking advantage of Web services and XMSF technology, warfighters will need only access to the network to be able to pull real-time environmental analysis data from large databases, remotely run sonar prediction models on supercomputers, and view detailed three-dimensional (3D) virtual worlds that visualize the undersea picture. http://archive.org/details/tacticalwebservi109451352 Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

In modern combat operations today the display of operational data is still tied to stove-piped and proprietary systems and software. Additionally, combat systems are still using 2D displays of the battlefield in order to reflect a picture of the battlefield to the warfighter. Stepping away from stove-piped and proprietary systems and reflecting a 3D picture of the battlefield is the direction that this thesis research explores. Research is conducted to explore technologies needed to provide operational forces with web-based 3D visualizations of operational data. Technologies used in this research are XML, XSLT, JAVA, X3D and VRML. A prototype application is developed that allows for the 3D display of operational data. The research demonstrates how operational data can be stored in a database and accessed through a web-based 3D representation of the area of operation. Data sets used in this prototype include Digital Terrain Elevation Data and operational planning data. Access to the data is provided through a web-based interface. The web-based view of the data provides both 2D and 3D views. This research shows that current open source technology can provide the warfighter with a web-based 3D view of the battlefield. http://archive.org/details/dbattlespacevisu109456307 Captain, United States Marine Corps Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Includes supplementary material. The military is heavily reliant on the transfer of information among various networks in day-to-day operations. Radio-based communications networks that support this volume of information are complex, difficult to manage, and change frequently. Communications network planners need a way to clearly visualize and communicate mobile operational network capabilities, particularly to network users. By using the DJS-Java-VRML simulation and modeling toolkit, visualizations of radio-frequency energy and radio path- profiling data can be quickly generated as 3D models. These animated 3D visualizations can be loaded into a networked virtual environment, so that communications planners can detect a variety of problems such as radio frequency interference and gaps in coverage. Planners can also brief senior staff, plan within their own staff, and collaborate with communications staff planners in distant locations using such virtual environments. DIS-Java-VRML visualization tools can provide a clear picture of the battle space with respect to the deployed communications architecture. The prototypes presented in this thesis demonstrate the ability to generate a shared visualization that can show a radio communications network in 3D. Such dynamic visualizations increase communications planning information bandwidth and yield more intuitive ways of presenting information to users. Higher information density in a more intuitive format enables better understanding with quicker reaction times. This thesis and the visualization tool discussed provide the foundation for fundamental improvements in visualizing radio communications environments. Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.

Because of range limitations imposed by speed and power supplies, covert launch and recovery of Autonomous Underwater Vehicles (AUVs) near the operating area will be required for their use in many military applications. This thesis documents the implementation of precision control and planning facilities on the Phoenix AUV that will be required to support recovery in a small tube and provides a preliminary study of issues involved with AUV recovery by submarines. Implementation involves the development of low-level behaviors for sonar and vehicle control, mid-level tactics for recovery planning, and a mission planning system for translating high-level goals into an executable mission. Sonar behaviors consist of modes for locating and tracking objects, while vehicle control behaviors provide the ability to drive to and maintain a position relative to a tracked object. Finally, a mission-planning system allowing graphical specification of mission objectives and recovery parameters is implemented. Results of underwater virtual world and in-water testing show that precise AUV control based on sonar data and its use by higher-level tactics to plan and control recovery. Additionally, the mission-planning expert system has been shown to reduce mission planning time by approximately two thirds and results in missions with fewer logical and programming errors than manually generated missions http://archive.org/details/precisioncontrol109458841 Lieutenant, United States Navy

The Naval Postgraduate School autonomous underwater vehicle (AUV) phoenix did not have any sonar classification capabilities and only a basic collision avoidance system. The Phoenix also did not have the capability of dynamically representing its environment for path planning purposes. This thesis creates a sonar module that handles real time object classification and enables collision avoidance at the Tactical level. The sonar module developed communicates directly with the available sonar and preprocesses raw data to a range - bearing data pair. The module then processes the range - bearing data using parametric regression to form line segments. A polyhedron building algorithm combines line segments to form objects and classifies them based on their attributes. When the Phoenix is transiting, the classifying algorithm detects collision threats and initiates collision avoidance procedures. The result of this thesis is a fully implemented sonar module on the Phoenix. This module was tested in a virtual world, test tank and in the first ever sea-water testing of the Phoenix. The sonar module has demonstrated real time sonar classification, run time collision avoidance and the ability to dynamically update the representation of the unknown environment. The sonar module is a forked process written in the 'C' language, functioning at the Tactical level. Source code and output from an actual Phoenix mission displaying the object classification of the sonar module are included. http://archive.org/details/realtimesonarcla109458890 Lieutenant, United States Navy Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited.