leveraging maritime robotics long term problem/opportunity chad trytten, founder & ceo...

Leveraging Maritime RoboticsLong Term Problem/Opportunity

Chad Trytten, Founder & CEO2011-NOV-30

WWW.SPARKINTEGRATION.COM

Who Is This Guy?

WWW.SPARKINTEGRATION.COM Slide 2Maritime Summit 2011

2001

• Entered First Robotics Challenge• Mainly hobbyists interested• Initial UGS deployed to Afghanistan

2004• Participated in DARPA Grand Challenge• Robots demanded for EOD missions

2006

• Finished Undergrad research in distributed systems

• Spark Robotics formed• 3.54 million robots worldwide but only 9,095

military/first responder

2007

• Changed name from “Spark Robotics” to “Spark Integration”

• Continued R&D Development• Focus on the information transport part of the

problem

2009• First live installations• Lab trials by US Navy and fielded by DHS

2011

• Completed Foreign Comparative Test• Certified to fly in FAA air space• Commercial and Military customers, all sensory

platforms

WWW.SPARKINTEGRATION.COMWWW.SPARKINTEGRATION.COM Slide 3Maritime Summit 2011

Distrix - Like FedEx, sort ofExchange of information between systems

FedEx deals with physical packagesDistrix deals with information packages

FedEx uses available physical transport Distrix uses available comms transport

Other similarities

Content is irrelevant – data, voice or video Logistic process is invisible to the user Extremely fast and efficient


Opportunity - So many uses

• DoD and DHS have overseen a rapid expansion in the use of ISR over the past decade

• The applications and types of data elements continue to grow rapidly as innovation continues apace in both technology and CONOPS

• Over 175,000 sq miles of costal waters with potential for exploration, resource extraction, port/shipping operations, environmental management, ISR, security; less than 5,000 miles land borders

• Military, First Responder, and Civilian groups are consolidating systems as an investment to reduce errors and personnel costs

• Robots are platforms for information needed by the rest of operations



Problem - So many uses

• There are many different types of robots!

• Currently, each ISR system (robot) is largely still operating in isolation, limiting operational capability

• There is significant effort, cost, and risk of integrating vastly different technologies in ISR and other equipment into usable Situational Awareness (SA)

• Ultimately, many stakeholders wants access to the same robotic platforms / sensory information

• How to make it easy for other systems to use the information?



Hurdles to Adoption

• It all comes down to how easily *your* system plays with the rest

• To be competitive, corporations and government must:• Simplify and speed up the development of sensor systems• Enable seamless interaction between individual components• Ensure a secure and efficient execution environment• Don’t try to do it all, do what you do best

• Need a bi-directional, platform-independent communications mechanism that enables rapid integration of inter- and intra- information sharing of warfighters with sensor systems and ISR robots

• Must address the technical problem of low-level technological incompatibilities without forcing a single standard or re-engineering



What Is Distrix?


Distrix stands for ‘Distributed Information Exchange’

Open software framework and tools. Enables engineers to integrate complex electronic systems and subsystems.

Distrix allows systems/components built by different vendors using different standards for different purposes to work together with minimal re-engineering.


Distrix Overview

Distrix provided the same mechanism for comms over multiple ‘networks’:

1. Device-to-Application (hardware)

2. Application-to-Application (local delivery)

3. Application-to-Platform (remote delivery)

4. Platform-to-Platform (network)

Distrix agents (components) can be developed in many languages for a variety of operating systems, hardware, and communication protocols. For example:


• C• C++• C#• Java• Objective-C• Python

• Windows• Linux• Android• OS X• OpenRTOS• iOS• Bare metal

• TCP/IP• UDP/IP• Mixed TCP/UDP• Serial 232, 422, 485,

530• IPC/Local• Embedded• SPI and GPIO• MIL-STD-1553


Distrix Implementation


Runs on legacy commercial or custom hardware Deployed on a heterogeneous, distributed network that

appears flat amidst multiple (a/sync, multi-path) connection types and operating environments

Components can run in different programming languages, using different information formats on differing operating systems and hardware


Distrix Deployments

• Foreign Comparative Test with SPAWAR: Demonstrate how unmanned systems interoperability can be used to implement autonomous security in a seaport

• Border UAV Surveillance: Improve quality and security of UAS voice and data links by adding Inmarsat capability to existing UAS

• Commercial Security System: Integrate existing sensors (camera, IR, keycard access, etc.) and provide sensor auto discovery and configuration for addition of new sensors

• Multiple Data Links: Use centralized system to manage multi-comms paths and add encryption without modification to existing network



Summary

• Leverage existing investments and infrastructure for fast affordable assembly without re-engineering of mixed new and legacy

• Use COTS and MOTS products without re-design to match existing systems; the future is time and cost sensitive

• Enable cross-functional teams to work collaboratively but maintain autonomy, IP and skill sets

• Support an open, modular framework with 3rd party extensions

• Focus on operational need, not technical details



Final Quotes

• Wiilliam Lynn, Deputy Secretary Defense: “It takes the Pentagon 81 months to make a new computer system operational after it is first funded.” By contrast, he notes, “the iPhone was developed in 24 months [with COTS]”

• Lt. General Robert Lennox’s position that the combination of a COTS computing device and a legacy radio would ultimately save money: “that pairing and the fact that we have those two together would save us hundreds of millions of dollars and will lighten the load, to get it out to soldiers faster and cheaper”

• Port of Redwood City DHS Award notice: “The end product will produce a catalog of inventoried data and real time information for security and emergency response. It will create a ‘virtual Port’ and will be made available to response agencies […] in lieu of creating a new, stand alone program that would be limited to just the Port Area.”


leveraging maritime robotics long term problem/opportunity chad trytten, founder & ceo...

Documents

efficient slide

information transport

isr robots

maritime summit

information packages

systems fedex deals

use of isr

development of sensor