Formulating layered adjustable autonomy for unmanned aerial vehicles

Purpose - In this paper, we propose a Layered Adjustable Autonomy (LAA) as a dynamically adjustable autonomy model for a multi-agent system. It is mainly used to efficiently manage humans and agents share control of autonomous systems and maintain humans’ global control over the agents. Design/Methodology/Approach - We apply the LAA model in an agent-based autonomous Unmanned Arial Vehicle (UAV) system. The UAV system implementation consists of two parts, software, and hardware. The software part represents the controller and the cognitive and the hardware represents the computing machinery and the actuator of the UAV system. The UAV system performs three experimental scenarios of dance, surveillance and search missions. The selected scenarios demonstrate different behaviors in order to create a suitable test plan and ensure significant results. Findings - The results of the UAV system tests prove that segregating the autonomy of a system as multidimensional and adjustable layers enables humans and/or agents to perform actions in a convenient autonomy levels. Hence, reducing the adjustable autonomy drawbacks of constraining the autonomy of the agents, increasing humans’ workload and exposing the system to disturbances. Originality/value - The application of the LAA model in a UAV manifests the significance of implementing dynamic adjustable autonomy. Assessing the autonomy within three phases of agents run cycle (task-selection, actions-selection, actions-execution) is an original idea that aims to direct agents’ autonomy towards performance competency. The agents’ abilities are well exploited when an incompetent agent switches with a more competent on

Circuital and Numerical Models for Calculation of Shielding Effectiveness of Enclosure with Apertures and Monitoring Dipole Antenna Inside

In this paper, circuital and numerical models of metal In this paper, circuital and numerical models of metal enclosure with apertures are considered for the purpose of accurate shielding effectiveness calculation. An improved circuital model is presented to account for the presence of receiving dipole antenna which is often used in practice to measure the level of electromagnetic field at selected points inside the enclosure. Receiving antenna of finite dimensions could significantly change the EM field distribution inside the enclosure and thus affect the results for SE. TLM method incorporating wire node is used to create a numerical model. Both models are compared in terms of their ability to account for receiving antenna impact on shielding effectiveness of rectangular enclosure with aperture. In addition, comparison of both models is carried out for the case when an array of apertures with different aperture separation is present on one of the enclosure walls whereby the numerical TLM model is additionally enhanced with compact air-vent model

Model-based Optimization of Compressive Antennas for High-Sensing-Capacity Applications

This paper presents a novel, model-based compressive antenna design method for high sensing capacity imaging applications. Given a set of design constraints, the method maximizes the sensing capacity of the compressive antenna by varying the constitutive properties of scatterers distributed along the antenna. Preliminary 2D design results demonstrate the new method's ability to produce antenna configurations with enhanced imaging capabilities

On methods to determine bounds on the Q-factor for a given directivity

This paper revisit and extend the interesting case of bounds on the Q-factor for a given directivity for a small antenna of arbitrary shape. A higher directivity in a small antenna is closely connected with a narrow impedance bandwidth. The relation between bandwidth and a desired directivity is still not fully understood, not even for small antennas. Initial investigations in this direction has related the radius of a circumscribing sphere to the directivity, and bounds on the Q-factor has also been derived for a partial directivity in a given direction. In this paper we derive lower bounds on the Q-factor for a total desired directivity for an arbitrarily shaped antenna in a given direction as a convex problem using semi-definite relaxation techniques (SDR). We also show that the relaxed solution is also a solution of the original problem of determining the lower Q-factor bound for a total desired directivity. SDR can also be used to relax a class of other interesting non-convex constraints in antenna optimization such as tuning, losses, front-to-back ratio. We compare two different new methods to determine the lowest Q-factor for arbitrary shaped antennas for a given total directivity. We also compare our results with full EM-simulations of a parasitic element antenna with high directivity.Comment: Correct some minor typos in the previous versio

Microwave Radar-Based Breast Cancer Detection:Imaging in Inhomogeneous Breast Phantoms

This document is made available in accordance with publisher policies. Please cite only the published version using the reference above. Full terms of use are available

SATCOM antenna siting study on P-3C aircraft, volume 1

The NEC-BSC (Basic Scattering Code) was used to study the performance of a SATCOM antenna on a P-3C aircraft. After plate cylinder fields are added to version 3.1 of the NEC-BSC, it is shown that the NEC-BSC can be used to accurately predict the performance of a SATCOM antenna system on a P-3C aircraft. The study illustrates that the NEC-BSC gives good results when compared with scale model measurements provided by Boeing and Lockheed