|
All MITRE Projects (with summaries and presentations where available)
Listing of project titles in alphabetical order
Pages: 1234567891011121314151617
Implications of UAS Operations in Controlled Airspace
Primary Investigator:Helleberg, John R.
Problems:
Demand for access to the National Airspace System (NAS) by unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) is increasing. However, UASs have several unique operational characteristics that could have an impact on air traffic management (ATM). This project will study how UASs currently use Class A airspace (18,000 feet and above) and will identify issues of concern to air traffic controllers. We will investigate high priority issues via human-in-the-loop (HITL) simulation in MITRE's air traffic management laboratory.
Objectives:
The initial goal of this research is to begin to quantify human factors issues associated with UAS operations in Class A airspace from an air traffic control (ATC) perspective. We will use this data to support the development of an analytic foundation for future FAA policy decisions regarding UASs. The ultimate goal of this research is to help identify ways to improve UAS access to the NAS without negatively impacting safety or efficiency.
Activities:
The research began with a background study on how UASs currently use Class A airspace, and an issue-gathering activity using subject matter experts. The team is now using the information gathered to develop an online survey that will collect human factors issues associated with UAS operations in Class A airspace from an ATC perspective. The issues identified will then be grouped and prioritized to identify a set of candidate issues for the team to explore in more detail through laboratory simulations.
Impact:
This study will provide MITRE and the UAS community with critical data that can support the development of an analytic foundation to help address the potential need for UAS-specific procedures. The research will also help identify the characteristics of UASs that make their operation in Class A airspace, and more importantly their interaction with controllers, unique. This will pave the way for developing operational requirements and procedures that will gradually allow UASs increased access to the NAS in a safe, efficient, and equitable manner.
Public Release No:09-1007
[Presentation]
Exhibit Date(s):May 6, May 7
Improving Position, Navigation and Timing Application Integrity Using eLORAN
Primary Investigator:Peed, Doyle
Problems:
Much of the military, aviation, marine, and national civilian infrastructure relies on highly synchronized timing and position information provided by Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS), (e.g., the Global Positioning System [GPS]). GNSS signals are widely recognized as being relatively weak and potentially vulnerable. The Department of Homeland Security recently acknowledged the enhanced Long-Range Aid to Navigation (eLORAN) system as an important alterative to GPS. While the DoD and FAA have not formally adopted eLORAN, they will evaluate the potential of using eLORAN technology as an adjunct to GNSS-based positioning, navigation, and timing (PNT) for improved integrity and robustness of their systems. This research project is intended to ensure that MITRE is positioned to understand the technology and performance issues related to eLORAN, and to advise our FAA and DoD sponsors in the context of their mission needs.
Objectives:
Some project activities will focus on data collection and analysis tools to evaluate eLORAN performance, signal processing algorithms, and GPS integration issues for military and civil applications. MITRE will lead the data collection and analysis tool effort to understand the eLORAN signal structure and establish a basis for effective coupling of GPS and eLORAN. The Electronic Systems and Technologies Technical Center in MITRE's Command and Control Center (C2C) will develop a preliminary receiver prototype to help us understand the technology, demonstrate miniaturization for lightweight, portable applications, and stimulate commercialization of eLORAN. Later in the project, C2C will build on previous experience with small H-field antenna performance and design alternatives. This represents a high-risk technology issue for aviation and man-portable systems.
Activities:
We will research the existing state of eLORAN system, receiver, and antenna technologies as they apply to various sponsor mission needs. The initial phase of the project will include two key milestones. The first will be a demonstrated capability to provide insight into the eLORAN signal structure economically and successfully by using a limited-capability tool for data collection and preliminary analysis activities. This approach reduces some of the risk associated with understanding the eLORAN system and establishing good receiver performance requirements on the basis of first-hand knowledge. The other key milestone will be the completion of a preliminary design for an eLORAN receiver, with an emphasis on minimizing size, weight, power, and cost. In subsequent years we will use the knowledge obtained about the signal in space and the capabilities of modern hardware to achieve our goals. These activities will focus on determining eLORAN performance on land-mobile and airborne platforms.
Impact:
We will draw on MITRE staff experience and knowledge about eLORAN performance and hardware to evaluate a broad range of our DoD and FAA sponsors' mission needs, and to serve as a basis for additional initiatives. Projects and activities that offer opportunities for synergy and collaboration include the Army’s Commercial Communication for Tactical Environments, the FAA’s Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast system and backup navigation strategy, anti-jam/interference/spoofing initiatives, support for first responders in urban canyons or areas with poor GPS coverage, and research on integrated display for high-integrity (high-confidence) remote targeting. System size is also an issue for small aircraft and man-portable applications. Developing innovative designs to address these problems will further stimulate application of eLORAN to a wide range of user communities (e.g., dismounted soldiers, hikers, search and rescue teams, small unmanned systems, etc.). Sharing our innovations and in-depth understanding of eLORAN system performance, failure modes, and operational applications will enable us to provide objective advice to our DoD and FAA sponsors, standards bodies, and other users of PNT systems.
Public Release No:09-0997
[Presentation]
Innovative Approach to the Detection of Cross-Border Clandestine Tunnels
Primary Investigator:Shi, Weiqun
Problems:
The threat posed by underground clandestine tunnels has been a growing concern for national security. The cross-border tunnels have been used by smugglers with intention of avoiding border security for trafficking people, drugs, and other illegal materials. The ability to detect these tunnels is paramount to successful border control.
There has been, however, no effective technology solution to the cross-border tunnel detection. Almost all of these tunnels were discovered through human intelligence assets rather than by technology. The technology shortfall is due to several reasons. Lack of contrast, high material attenuation, limited instrument sensitivity, and low S/N in noisy and urban environment limits the detectability of tunnels in various geological and geophysical environments.
Objectives:
Design, build, and demonstrate a “proof-of-principle” of an innovative and cost-effective solution for cross-border clandestine tunnel detection and characterization using underground sensor grid integrated with horizontal drilling technology.
Activities:
First half year:
1) Build a prototype system with COTS component that includes borehole radar antenna, robotic crawler for guiding and delivering the radar probe through the HDD pipe, and a command/control, data recording and processing unit
2) Characterize sensitivities and system performance responses of the sensor system via:
- 2D and 3D finite difference numerical simulations to study subsurface target radar responses, sensitivities of the signals on soil properties, and compare the simulated results with field measurements
- Field experiments to study subsurface target responses and compare system performance characteristics between the surface-based sensor and the borehole based sensor.
Second half year:
1) Develop an effective signal processing algorithm
2) Work with potential customers to identify a specific operational environment for deployment and testing of the prototypes.
Impact:
Provide a low-cost, highly reliable and effective solution for detection of clandestine tunnels. Also, allow for the installation of downhole permanent sensors to achieve long-term border surveillance.
Advancements in this technology reduce the threats of clandestine tunnels and related clandestine activity. It can also help to enhance homeland security and the security of military operations.
The development of reliable techniques to detect underground clandestine tunnels is interest of many MITRE customers including DHS, CBP, U.S. Army, Force Protection and DARPA.
Potential application may also include the detection and monitoring of underground facilities and underground missile test in adversarial nations.
Public Release No:09-1142
[Presentation]
Exhibit Date(s):May 6
Integrated Departure Route Planning
Primary Investigator:Song, Lixia
Problems:
Departure traffic management faces several challenges in today's world. The lack of integrated traffic, weather, and airspace resource information leads to generation of various large-scale or inflexible Traffic Management Initiatives (TMIs) to protect the National Airspace System when traffic demand exceeds capacity. The lack of common understanding of the situation creates mistrust among the decision makers in different facilities. The point of action is too far removed from the point of decision making, which results in suboptimal departure queue sequencing. The Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) needs concepts for integrated collaborative departure traffic management, and the decision support systems to aid in applying the operational concepts. Such systems would help to reduce weather impact, improve collaborative air traffic management, and increase arrivals and departures at high-density airports.
Objectives:
We will develop a set of functions that can assist traffic managers to handle departure traffic more efficiently and safely by using integrated traffic, weather, and airspace resource information. These functions will allow managers to better identify reroutes, explore alternatives, and monitor, evaluate, implement, and alter reroutes. As a result, managers will be more likely to initiate only those reroutes necessary for departure traffic, and can implement needed reroutes more efficiently and safely. We will also develop operational concepts for integrated collaborative departure traffic management in NextGen and identify the automation needed to support such operations.
Activities:
We will develop the operational concepts and procedures for integrated collaborative departure traffic management. Next, we will design a prototype to support the concepts and run lab experiments to evaluate the concepts. The evaluation results will be used to refine the concepts and the prototyped capabilities. The mature concepts and capabilities will then be further evaluated in the field.
Impact:
The concepts for integrated collaborative departure traffic management and the associated decision support systems have the potential to greatly improve the efficiency of departure traffic management, especially under severe weather conditions. This can reduce the time needed to coordinate and implement the necessary TMIs and support efficient revision of departure management plans as weather and traffic situations change dynamically. The integrated approach also provides a basis for developing other decision support functions for traffic flow management, and facilitates the collaborative process of flow contingency management as described in the NextGen concept of operations.
Public Release No:09-1010
[Presentation]
Exhibit Date(s):May 6, May 7
Integrated Economy-Wide Modeling
Primary Investigator:Harback, Katherine T.
Problems:
Aviation is tightly connected to the broader U.S. economy. As a result, the FAA's aviation policies and investment decisions can have an economy-wide impact through aviation's connections to other industries and indvidual spending patterns. The FAA has a need to understand this broader connectivity, and in particular the impact of FAA decisions beyond just the aviation sector. Of equal importance is the need to understand the impact of no action or delayed action in making the case for critical investments.
Objectives:
Computable General Equilibrium (CGE) modeling is a technique for treating these connections consistently, allowing practitioners to carefully identify the economic consequences of changes to one industry on other industries and the economy as a whole. This research will tailor existing CGE tools to the aviation domain to understand the broader economic impact of Next Generation Air Transportation System (NextGen) policies and investment decisions.
Activities:
The project will tailor existing CGE models from top research universities to better model the impact of NextGen on the economy relative to the "do nothing" base case. We will draw on studies of air traffic and airline impacts of NextGen carried out by the Joint Planning and Development Office (JPDO) and FAA. The team will also work to extend the stakeholder base by applying its modeling approach to additional sample problems in other arenas such as aviation security and the environment.
Impact:
This research will result in a new perspective in making the case for investing in NextGen by adding a dimension to its benefits not included in previous analyses. Furthermore, it will result in MITRE having the ability to carry out additional economy-wide studies, leveraging the understanding gained through the NextGen sample problem analysis.
Public Release No:09-0992
[Presentation]
Integrated Equivalent Visual Operations
Primary Investigator:Mundra, Anand D.
Problems:
Air traffic operations at U.S. airports and terminal areas depend heavily on visual procedures for acquiring traffic and maintaining aircraft separation. Airport and terminal area operations suffer dramatically when meteorological conditions degrade to the point where visual procedures cannot be used. This is a major source of delays throughout the system.
Objectives:
This research will develop concepts that approximate or exceed visual operations using existing and emerging technologies, including Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) mode, Required Navigation Performance, wake vortex transport prognosis, Enhanced Vision Systems providing sensor-based vision in low visibility, and Synthetic Vision Systems providing terrain and cultural data for the environment.
Activities:
We will research promising technologies, generate new concepts and procedures for equivalent visual operations using these technologies, compare them for feasibility and benefits, and pick one or more with the most promise for mid-term implementation. We will conduct simulations of the chosen concepts in a laboratory environment that includes both a ground air traffic control and a cockpit environment.
Impact:
The proposed procedures will significantly increase capacity of the U.S. National Airspace System and reduce air traffic delays. This will help meet the objectives of the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Joint Program Development Office (JPDO). The FAA's surveillance program, safety, and air traffic planning offices will be interested in these concepts, as will major airlines and avionics manufacturers.
Public Release No:09-0991
[Presentation]
Exhibit Date(s):May 6, May 7
Integrated Sensing Processing & Exploitation Experimentation
Primary Investigator:Crawford, Gregory K.
Problems:
Demonstrate, via detailed data collection and experimentation, the viability of bi-statics techniques for Surface/Ground target detection and tracking (moving target S/GMTI) and imaging (fixed target SAR). This activity employs new MITRE developed techniques allowing us to revisit bi-statics as a viable approach to ISR and will provide the technical foundationfor further research and engagement with potential customers in this important area. While this activity focuses on the data collection, experimentation and demonstration of bi-statics, the companion bi-statics MSR led by Sean O'Neil will continue to undertake the requisite research in this area providing extensibility of these results and developing the next iteration of capabilities to assess/validate.
Objectives:
Develop initial bi-statics processing algorithm
Design, procure, build and integrate (2) mobile bistatics receivers
Plan, execute and analyze data from initial engineering experiment (E1): Ground-based transmitter/Ground-based receivers at China Lake Naval Weapons Center
Plan, execute and analyze data from second engineering experiment (E2): Airborne transmitter/Ground-based receivers at TBD location in conjunction with Sandia National Labs (Stretch Goal contingent on additional funding)
Activities:
1. Implement a working bistatics algorithm which can ingest and process engineering-level data collected from planned experiments. Will initially employ fixed transmitter, then move to (airborne) transmitter in E2. Will also incorporate Q/A function to support real-time data assessment and ensure quality and usability.
2. Design, procure, build, and integrate flexible/extensible mobile bistatics receivers to support a variety of engineering and operational testing planned over the next two years. Provide for engineering design checkout and provide hardware support and trouble-shooting in the field.
3. Plan, execute, and analyze data from FY09 field experiments. E1 will be performed at China Lake Naval weapons center for initial checkout, verification, and exploration of bi-statics techniques and initial base-lining for analytical results. A key outcome will be to understand bi-statics performance as a function of geometrical orientation of the receivers. In E2 (if the activity proceeds), the transmitter will be airborne, and we will examine the more complicated performance dependencies with variation in grazing angle and slant range, transmitter tracking, and more complicated ground targets/scenarios.
Impact:
Unique MITRE developed processing, when employed with bi-statics approaches, provides the opportunity to change how we might design, acquire, and deploy future radar sensors. We can also achieve a high level of geolocation accuracy (commensurate with very expensive, large aperature radar systems) and do that with lower cost, small, aperature systems. Furthermore, with the right transmitter, e.g., space based or other stand-off sensor, the receivers can be passive (e.g., stealthy). These techniques, if adequately verified and demonstrated, could be transformational. Extensive plans are being developed to engage with the DoD services and IC, but only after we have performed an initial technical base-lining of our analytical results to date using the planned experiments.
Public Release No:09-0812
Exhibit Date(s):May 6
Integrating POET
Primary Investigator:Francesca, Marie A.
Problems:
This proposal addresses the research and development of a structured approach to analyze and identify the POET (Political, Operational, Economic and Technical) relationships, trade-offs, and changes, and thereby recommend engineering “courses of action” for mission success. This project will provide an overarching SE framework that will inform and link other SE research activities, as well as draw from and integrate their lessons for greater synergy and overall impact to the SE portfolio. We will work across our sponsor base and jointly with Programs of Record and Grand Challenge COIs to develop, pilot and evolve the model.
We will develop a transforming “function” (model) that enables practitioners of Systems Engineering to derive understanding from its structure:
–Descriptive: Characterize systems engineering challenges as they currently are through POET dimensions
–Normative: Identify desirable “end states” ordirections for challenges
–Prescriptive: Identify inhibitors/enablers and apply POET mechanisms for moving from a descriptive to a normative state.
This model will enable us to develop concrete and practical mechanisms for understanding, characterizing, navigating, and addressing critical challenges and aspects of systems engineering in enterprise-scale systems.
Objectives:
Collect information across all four of the POET (Political, Operational, Economic and Technical) dimensions, including relationships among them. Data collection will leverage diverse stakeholder interviews, the Profiler, existing documentation, and case study data in order to understand what types of questions are important to ask, what information is essential, and what relationships exist.
Analyze resulting data to reveal stakeholder goals and priorities, relationships, economic and technical constraints, potential synergies, and to develop initial strategies and courses of action. Characterization of challenges in the environment will leverage existing knowledge and tools including incentives and venture capital approaches, stakeholder analysis, and other SE research.
Structure the problem sufficiently to begin transition towards desired end states, but without over-fitting or over-optimizing. This will involve identifying known inhibitors and enablers, engaging key stakeholder perspectives, identifying possible transition strategies, and keeping multiple options open to enable agile response to changes in the landscape.
Implement the model via pilot applications to actual SE challenges in collaboration with programs. Continually refine concrete SE principles and methods that help practitioners better understand the challenges, structure them, and navigate the complex acquisition landscape. Principles may include explicitly enabling more frequent and broader (cross-organizational, multi-perspective) “sensing” of the environment, as well as liaison roles to improve communication between stakeholders in order to recognize the need to re-evaluate a strategy in response to changing goals or options.
Activities:
Q1: Develop model using theoretical concepts, best empirical practices
–Map ACME recipe book, experience from FY08 mash-up spirals to POET framework
–Observations of SE acquisition efforts in ACME spirals (including ethnographic experts and concepts)
–Conduct POET-based interviews (ACME managers, users, and stakeholders)
–Products: lessons learned document, interview questionnaire.
Q2: Develop/test hypotheses on use of model to improve SE processes
–Create, apply successful acquisition design patterns
–Develop metrics and assess model using ACME spirals
–Compare results of test cases with the hypotheses against baseline cases (Q1 data, other sources)Possible spirals include:
Integrating C2and ISR (AOC, DCGS, Mission Planning, . . .).
Impact:
Contributions to both the State-of-the-Art and to the realization of Officers’ Goal 4:Advance the Practice of ESE
–More systematic success for technology development and transition: Best practice principles from pilot apps will be fed into SE acquisition processes with stakeholders
–Initial success and transition will be in the form of adoption of this model by Programs of Record and Grand Challenge COIs
–Model and pilot applications will provide concrete principles and guidelines enabling practitioners to develop more agile responses: contribute to Systems Engineering Guide
Mechanism to connect/integrate other investments across the POET dimensions within and beyond SE Grand Challenge portfolio
–Adoption of more adaptive processes by these strategic communities will lead to more systematic successes and greater aggregate effect of SE investments
–Inclusion of successful aspects of research into acquisition policy
–Knowledge Management forums to draw from and add to other efforts
–Technical Exchange Across Systems Engineering COIs
Public Release No:09-1248
[Presentation]
Exhibit Date(s):May 5
Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) Forensics
Primary Investigator:Brown, Curtis P.
Problems:
Persistent surveillance of the battlespace through a combined ground, air, and space C2ISR constellation has implications not only for real-time military operations, but also for performing “after the fact” intelligence analysis using archived data. Each significant event is a cue in both time and space into a persistent multi-INT archive. Data surrounding each event can be analyzed to determine precursors leading up to the event and evidence implicating perpetrators. The tools in the forensic environment provide an analytical framework that allows analysts to easily access, navigate, organize, process, combine and exploit spatial and temporal data from multiple intelligence sources.
Objectives:
We will continue the development of forensic analysis tools based on direct interaction, collaboration, and feedback from the analyst community. This will include both exploring new analytical capabilities and integrating new data sources like SIGINT, Combat-ID data, and others.
The main objective is to accelerate the production of actionable intelligence from forensic data. Forensic analysis goes far beyond placing dots on a map or event in a timeline. Analysts will be far more efficient if the mundane and repetitive portions of the exploitation process can be automated. This will free analysts to focus on the complex reasoning problem that truly requires having a human analyst in the loop.
Activities:
We will develop a set of tools that exploit geospatial and temporal data, and then apply the tools to real-world datasets as well as synthetic ground truth datasets that we will generate. We will integrate advanced algorithms sucha as semi-automated trackers that will help accelerate the analysis process. Advanced visualization techniques will be developed that allow the analyst to view data in both a temporal as well as geospatial context and move semlessly between them. We will explore the intersection of new intelligence and sensor sources with the existing ones and develop new analytical techniques, tactics, and procedures. We will document lessons learned and demostrate the forensic environment a the Innovation Exchange.
Impact:
We have a proven track record of transitioning technology that is used to support real missions. The forensics tool prototype is fielded to several intelligence cells both in CONUS as well as in theater. Use of the tool by analysts that support operational customers continues to have an impact in the Global War on Terror. We have several sponsors that offer a direct transition path for transition of the technology we develop as it is tested, utilized and proven by real analysts.
Use of the forensic tools will help identify new opportunities for cueing and fusion perhaps even in the area of algorithms. Conversely, it may also identify or suggest enhancements that should be made to overcome discontinuities or gaps in the data required for complete analysis.
Public Release No:09-1211
[Presentation]
Exhibit Date(s):May 5, May 6
Inter-Domain Routing for Composable Networks of Networks
Primary Investigator:Dimarogonas, James A.
Problems:
Inter-domain routing in the DoD environment is not well understood in terms of routing architecture, protocol deployment issues, and performance. The DoD is applying Internet routing architecture and standard protocols to build the Global Information Grid (GIG). The GIG architecture diverges from Internet architecture with more robust mesh-like connectivity between network domains and inherent mobile aspect of DoD operations. The border gateway protocol (BGP) is an inter-domain routing protocolthat will be used to stitch together different network domains. A thorough understanding of how to deploy, configure, and optimize BGP is needed to ensure a more efficient user experience on GIG networks.
Objectives:
Our goal is to investigate performance issues with a deployment of BGP in use between fixed, mobile, and satellite networks. Application performance will be used as a metric to show how a baseline deployment can be optimized through the use of sets of policy and commerical toolsets.
Activities:
A testbed will be created using network infrastructure, network emulation, and link emulation that maps a routing architecture to the user domains. Using a suite of user applications, the baseline architecture performance can be measured in the presence of network mobility and intermittent connectivity. BGP policy and commercial visualization tools can then be deployed to optimize the BGP deployment and increase user application performance.
Impact:
The insight and recommendations gained from experimentation can be applied directly to the AN efforts and the TSAT program. Specifically, the work can be directly transitioned to the SNPC (Selected Network Programs Consortium), which is directing risk reduction activities aimed at network integration.
Public Release No:09-0836
[Presentation]
Exhibit Date(s):May 6, May 7
|
