Collaborative Research: CPS: Medium: Enabling Autonomous, Persistent, and Adaptive Mobile Observational Networks Through Energy-Aware Dynamic Coverage

这项研究将创建和验证新的方法，用于优化管理移动的观测网络组成的可再生能源的“主机”代理和“卫星”代理，从主机部署和充电。这种网络可以实现气象、气候变化、侦察和监视应用的自主、长期测量，这对国家利益至关重要。虽然此类网络的硬件已经存在，但绝大多数现有的使命规划和控制方法都将能量视为有限资源，并专注于有限持续时间的任务。这项研究将代表一种范式转变，其中网络可用的能源是可再生的，但瞬时可用的功率是有限的。这就需要不断权衡能源收集和科学信息收集的战略。这项研究将建立一个全面的框架来管理上述权衡，同时进行基于模拟和实验的演示。在这项工作中考虑的具体观测框架将涉及太阳能自主水面舰艇，无人驾驶飞行器和海底滑翔机的舰队，以表征邻近北卡罗来纳州外滩的深海和近岸沃茨之间的大气和海洋相互作用。这项研究将补充有针对性的实习活动，K-12外展活动在工程的地方在NC State，并与底特律地区大学预科工程Program.Fusing自治，持久性和适应性的观测网络需要一个正式的表征和权衡之间的网络信息量和能量的物理量的外展活动。具体而言，与可再生能源供电的主机代理，能源不再作为一个硬约束，相反，存在一个永久的权衡之间的信息的获取和使用的随机环境中可用的板载能源。为了解决这个问题，研究小组将创建：（i）一个科学定制的动态覆盖模型，用于信息表征，（ii）一个统计能源/消耗模型，以及（iii）一个多级预测控制器，根据信息/能源权衡来调整使命配置文件。主机控制器将最大限度地提高两部分的目标函数组成的有限时域覆盖求和和终端激励的基础上一个新的数量称为“信息值的能量。”该主控制器将由一系列卫星能量感知覆盖控制器补充，这些控制器根据随机资源中的安全会合要求最大化覆盖范围。该研究将在三个日益复杂的平台上进行验证-无人机网络（实验），一个太阳能自主水面舰艇（ASV）/无人机组合网络（实验），以及ASV/USV/水下滑翔机联合网络（模拟驱动）该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力价值和更广泛的评估被认为值得支持。影响审查标准。

This research will create and validate new approaches for optimally managing mobile observational networks consisting of a renewably powered “host” agent and “satellite” agents that are deployed from and recharged by the host. Such networks can enable autonomous, long-term measurements for meteorological, climate change, reconnaissance, and surveillance applications, which are of significant national interest. While the hardware exists for such networks, the vast majority of existing mission planning and control approaches treat energy as a finite resource and focus on finite-duration missions. This research will represent a paradigm shift, wherein the energy resource available to the network is renewable, but the instantaneously available power is limited. This demands strategies that continuously trade off energy harvesting and scientific information gathering. This research will establish a comprehensive framework for managing the aforementioned tradeoffs, with both simulation-based and experimental demonstrations. The specific observational framework considered in this work will involve a fleet of solar-powered autonomous surface vessels, unoccupied aerial vehicles, and undersea gliders to for characterizing atmospheric and oceanic interactions between the deep-ocean and near-shore waters adjacent to North Carolina’s Outer Banks. The research will be complemented with targeted internship activities, K-12 outreach activities at The Engineering Place at NC State, and outreach activities with the Detroit Area Pre-College Engineering Program.Fusing autonomy, persistence, and adaptation in observational networks demands a formal characterization and tradeoff between the cyber quantity of information and physical quantity of energy. Specifically, with a renewably powered host agent, energy no longer serves as a hard constraint; instead, there exists a perpetual tradeoff between the acquisition of information and the use of available on-board energy in a stochastic environment. To address this, the research team will create: (i) a scientifically tailored dynamic coverage model for information characterization, (ii) a statistical energy resource/consumption model, and (iii) a multi-level predictive controller that adapts the mission profile based on the information/energy tradeoff. The host controller will maximize a two-part objective function consisting of a finite-horizon coverage summation and terminal incentive based on a novel quantity termed the “information value of energy.” This host controller will be complemented by a series of satellite energy-aware coverage controllers that maximize coverage subject to a safe rendezvous requirement in a stochastic resource. The research will be validated across three platforms of increasing complexity – an unoccupied aerial vehicle (UAV) network (experimental), a combined solar-powered autonomous surface vessel (ASV)/UAV network (experimental), and a combined ASV/USV/undersea glider network (simulation-driven).This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.