Enhanced cyberspace defense with real-time distributed systems using covert channel publish-subscribe broker pattern communications

In this thesis, we propose a novel cyberspace defense solution to the growing sophistication of threats facing networks within the Department of Defense. Current network defense strategies, including traditional intrusion detection and firewall-based perimeter defenses, are ineffective against increasingly sophisticated social engineering attacks such as spear-phishing which exploit individuals with targeted information. These asymmetric attacks are able to bypass current network defense technologies allowing adversaries extended and often unrestricted access to portions of the enterprise. Network defense strategies are hampered by solutions favoring network-centric designs which disregard the security requirements of the specific data and information on the networks. Our solution leverages specific technology characteristics from traditional network defense systems and real-time distributed systems using publish-subscribe broker patterns to form the foundation of a full-spectrum cyber operations capability. Building on this foundation, we present the addition of covert channel communications within the distributed systems framework to protect sensitive Command and Control and Battle Management messaging from adversary intercept and exploitation. Through this combined approach, DoD and Service network defense professionals will be able to meet sophisticated cyberspace threats head-on while simultaneously protecting the data and information critical to warfighting Commands, Services and Agencies.http://archive.org/details/enhancedcyberspa109454049US Air Force (USAF) author.Approved for public release; distribution is unlimited

The use of maritime simulation for training

This thesis is a study of the growth in maritime simulation in general and its use as a training aid with specific reference to the need for shiphandling simulator programs in Iran. The history of the development of radar and shiphandling simulators is examined and the development of maritime simulators in different countries is outlined. The simulator training programs of three different institutes are looked at as representing different training systems in the world. A training program at the cadet level for the Nautical College of Chabahar is proposed which will cover the four years of the B.Sc program. A series of courses at master, mate and pilot level have been established with the view that maximum advantage can be taken during the times that simulators are not in use for the cadets. The present limitations imposed by the use of simulators are explored and the consequent restrictions on simulator training are discussed. An evaluation of shiphandling simulators and the factors effecting the validity of simulator training is commented upon. Conclusions are drawn and recommendations made with the view to maximizing the benefits to be gained from the use of simulators for skill acquisition and enhanced experience in the maritime world

Evaluation of a Head-Mounted Display and Advanced Flight Control Laws for Helicopter Ship Deck Landing

Within the maritime environment, helicopters can be used for a wide variety of missions including rescue missions, transport of personnel and material as well as for surveillance and reconnaissance. To perform such tasks on open sea and to expand the onshore refueling range, ship deck landings are necessary. Adverse weather conditions, such as high winds, fog and precipitation lead to strong ship movements and create a turbulent environment on the ship's landing deck. Combined with few visual cues, ship deck operations put a high workload on pilots which can compromise flight safety. To support pilots during ship deck operations a symbology concept was integrated into the previously developed head-mounted display (HMD) based on a Microsoft HoloLens 2. Three advanced flight control modes were developed for the approach phase. Results from a simulator campaign with pilots in a realistic scenario indicate that the handling qualities can degrade with the HMD and only the relative translational rate command (RTRC) is suited as advanced control mode for ship deck operation

Maritime Augmented Reality mit a prioriWissen aus Seekarten

The main objective of this thesis is to provide a concept to augment mar- itime sea chart information into the camera view of the user. The benefit is the simpler navigation due to the offered 3D information and the overlay onto the real 3D environment. In the maritime context special conditions hold. The sensor technologies have to be reliable in the environment of a ship’s ferrous construction. The aug- mentation of the objects has to be very precise due to the far distances of observable objects on the sea surface. Furthermore, the approach has to be reliable due to the wide range of light conditions. For a practical solution, the system has to be mobile, light-weight and with a real-time performance. To achieve this goal, the requirements are set, the possible measurement units and the data base structure are presented. First, the requirements are analyzed and a suitable system is designed. By the combination of proper sensor techniques, the local position and orienta- tion of the user can be estimated. To verify the concept, several prototypes with exchangeable units have been evaluated. This first concept is based on a marker-based approach which leads to some drawbacks. To overcome the drawbacks, the second aspect is the improvement of the sys- tem and the analysis of markerless approaches. One possible strategy will be presented. The approach uses the statistical technique of Bayesian networks to vote for single objects in the environment. By this procedure it will be shown, that due to the a priori information the underlying sea chart system has the most benefit. The analysis of the markerless approach shows, that the sea charts structure has to be adapted to the new requirements of interactive 3D augmentation scenes. After the analysis of the chart data concept, an approach for the optimization of the charts by building up an object-to-object topology within the charts data and the Bayesian object detection approach is presented. Finally, several evaluations show the performance of the imple- mented evaluation application.Diese Arbeit stellt ein Konzept zur Verfügung, um Seekarteninformationen in eine Kamera so einzublenden, dass die Informationen lagerichtig im Sichtfeld des Benutzers erscheinen. Der Mehrwert ist eine einfachere Navigation durch die Nutzung von 3D-Symbolen in der realen Umgebung. Im maritimen Umfeld gelten besondere Anforderungen an die Aufgabenstellung. Die genutzten Sensoren müssen in der Lage sein, robuste Daten in Anwesenheit der eisenhaltigen Materialien auf dem Schiff zu liefern. Die Augmentierung muss hoch genau berechnet werden, da die beobachtbaren Objekte zum Teil sehr weit entfernt auf der Meeresoberfläche verteilt sind. Weiterhin gelten die Bedingungen einer Außenumgebung, wie variierende Wetter- und Lichtbedingungen. Um eine praktikable Anwendung gewährleisten zu können, ist ein mobiles, leicht-gewichtiges und echtzeitfähiges System zu entwickeln. In dieser Arbeit werden die Anforderungen gesetzt und Konzepte für die Hardware- und Softwarelösungen beschrieben. Im ersten Teil werden die Anforderungen analysiert und ein geeignetes Hardwaresystem entwickelt. Durch die passende Kombination von Sensortechnologien kann damit die lokale Position und Orientierung des Benutzers berechnet werden. Um das Konzept zu evaluieren sind verschiedene modulare Hardware- und Softwarekonzepte als Prototypen umgesetzt worden. Das erste Softwarekonzept befasst sich mit einem markerbasierten Erkennungsalgorithmus, der in der Evaluation einige Nachteile zeigt. Dementsprechende Verbesserungen wurden in einem zweiten Softwarekonzept durch einen markerlosen Ansatz umgesetzt. Dieser Lösungsansatz nutzt Bayes'sche Netzwerke zur Erkennung einzelner Objekte in der Umgebung. Damit kann gezeigt werden, dass mit der Hilfe von a priori Informationen die dem System zugrunde liegenden Seekarten sehr gut zu diesem Zweck genutzt werden können. Die Analyse des Systemkonzeptes zeigt des weiteren, dass die Datenstruktur der Seekarten für die Anforderungen einer interaktiven, benutzergeführten 3D- Augmentierungsszene angepasst werden müssen. Nach der ausführlichen Analyse des Seekarten-Datenkonzeptes wird ein Lösungsansatz zur Optimierung der internen Seekartenstruktur aufgezeigt. Dies wird mit der Erstellung einer Objekt-zu-Objekt-Topologie in der Datenstruktur und der Verbindung zum Bayes'schen Objekterkennungsalgorithmus umgesetzt. Anschließend zeigen Evaluationen die Fähigkeiten des endgültigen Systems

Low airspeed systems for the naval SH-60 Seahawk aircraft

Pitot-static systems have long been used to measure helicopter airspeed. The Pitot-static system is inaccurate at low airspeeds (below 40 knots) due to the limited sensitivity of the sensor and interference of rotor down wash. Additionally, the Pitot-static system only measures unidirectional airspeed and unlike its fixed wing counterparts the helicopter is not limited to flight in one direction. With the changing roles of the US Navy Seahawk it is imperative that the pilot and aircrew have all the information necessary to safely complete the mission and prolong the life of the aircraft and dynamic components. With the addition of a dipping sonar to the remanufactured SH-60B aircraft (designated SH- 60R) and the conduct of combat search and rescue mission in the Navy\u27s Seahawks the aircraft will spend more time in a hover and will be flown more aggressively than in the past. This thesis examiness the advantages of incorporating a low airspeed system into the modem helicopter, in particular the SH-60 Seahawk. The author examines the low airspeed sensors and systems currently available and gives a brief description of each system\u27s operation. The author examines the challenges of installing a low airspeed sensor onto the SH-60 Seahawk. The author has determined that either a laser velocimeter or an analytical neural network system would be the best approach for a low airspeed system for the SH-60 Seahawk. The author recommends a combined approach be taken to develop both the laser velocimeter and analytical neural network, and incorporate the best system after further flight testing

Holographic Mixed Reality System for Air Traffic Control and Management

Based on a long-term prediction by the International Civil Aviation Organization indicating steady increases in air traffic demand throughout the world, the workloads of air traffic controllers are expected to continuously increase. Air traffic control and management (ATC/M) includes the processing of various unstructured composite data along with the real-time visualization of aircraft data. To prepare for future air traffic, research and development intended to effectively present various complex navigation data to air traffic controllers is necessary. This paper presents a mixed reality-based air traffic control system for the improvement of and support for air traffic controllers&rsquo workflow using mixed reality technology that is effective for the delivery of information such as complex navigation data. The existing control systems involve difficulties in information access and interpretation. Therefore, taking notice of the necessity for the integration of air traffic control systems, this study presents the mixed reality (MR) system, which is a new approach, that enables the control of air traffic in interactive environments. This system is provided in a form usable in actual operational environments with a head-mounted see-through display installed with a controller to enable more structured work support. In addition, since this system can be controlled first-hand by air traffic controllers, it provides a new experience through improved work efficiency and productivity. Document type: Articl

The use of Eye Tracking Technology in Maritime High-Speed Craft Navigation

publishedVersio

Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms

The Joint Publication 1-02, Department of Defense Dictionary of Military and Associated Terms sets forth standard US military and associated terminology to encompass the joint activity of the Armed Forces of the United States. These military and associated terms, together with their definitions, constitute approved Department of Defense (DOD) terminology for general use by all DOD components

Advances in Human Robot Interaction for Cloud Robotics applications

In this thesis are analyzed different and innovative techniques for Human Robot Interaction. The focus of this thesis is on the interaction with flying robots. The first part is a preliminary description of the state of the art interactions techniques. Then the first project is Fly4SmartCity, where it is analyzed the interaction between humans (the citizen and the operator) and drones mediated by a cloud robotics platform. Then there is an application of the sliding autonomy paradigm and the analysis of different degrees of autonomy supported by a cloud robotics platform. The last part is dedicated to the most innovative technique for human-drone interaction in the User’s Flying Organizer project (UFO project). This project wants to develop a flying robot able to project information into the environment exploiting concepts of Spatial Augmented Realit