Kirk Kloeppel
4 June 2014

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– To provide potential users (public, first responder organizations and others) with information needed to make informed decisions on acquiring and deploying SUAS to save lives and protect property
– RAPS testing focuses on fire response, search and rescue operations,
HAZMAT response, border security, natural disasters, and law enforcement
– RAPS provides a unique ‘Consumer Reports’ data base; our products are unbiased, third-party evaluations of current and emerging SUAS technologies
– Users and manufacturers
– FAA by making important contributions toward establishing performance standards and best-practice guidelines
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– Key capability measures
– One test – ours – applied uniformly to all systems evaluated
– Realistic operational scenarios and environments
– Test reports produced for each system tested
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• Operational capabilities
– Example: Does SUAS support routine operations by improving situational awareness?
• Operational utility
– Example: Is SUAS easy and efficient to assemble, launch, operate, recover, and pack up?
– Example: Is video output seen effectively at multiple remote terminals?
• Technology transition
– Example: Is FAA authorization permitting SUAS operation in the NAS likely?
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• Test categories
– Scripted operational scenarios
– Operational utility assessments
– Use in National Airspace System
• Technical scope
– Daytime testing, < 400 ft, < 25 lb
• RAMPS: Robotic Aircraft for
Maritime Public Safety
– New S&T-USCG RDC partnership to test SUAS for maritime applications
• New/future capabilities
– Onboard collision avoidance; counter-spoofing; severe storm response
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Location: Elgin, OK, adjacent to Ft. Sill U.S. Army Post and within Ft. Sill restricted airspace
OTC-US site (red outline)
OTC-US is a test facility of the Oklahoma State
University’s University Multispectral Laboratory “Liberty City” site (urban scenarios)
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̶ No exchange of funds
̶ Vendors provide: SUAS, sensors; pilots, sensor operators, flight support team and equipment
DHS S&T is leveraging hundreds of millions of dollars of SUAS technology developed by DOD and the IC, including tens of millions of dollars of industry IR&D investments
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• Reports
– Created by S&T RAPS team for users
– Approved for release by DHS S&T
– Posted and archived online
• Websites and access
– Gov’t employees & gov’t-sponsored stakeholders access RAPS Reports via http://www.firstresponder.gov
S&T Communities of Practice site, https://communities.firstresponder.gov
RAPS Community of Practice site
– Access controlled by S&T & RAPS PM
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• Test Reports
̶ Content: Complete test results, including scoring summary tables; general
SUAS information; company-proprietary cost and other information
̶ Audience: Restricted to government employees and government-sponsored stakeholders interested in RAPS (potential users)
̶ Access to Test Reports:
• Available upon request to RAPS Program Manager
• Available online at Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety (RAPS) Secure
Community of Practice website
• Executive Summaries of Test Reports
̶ Content: Highlights of test results (non-proprietary; company-approved)
̶ Audience: Approved for public release (goal: to reach a wide readership)
̶ Access to Executive Summaries:
• Available upon request to RAPS Program Manager
• Available online at Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety (RAPS)
Community of Practice website
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To facilitate SUAS comparisons, each Report contains Rating Summaries of results in our 54 Performance Measures in 5 Assessment categories: A1. Law Enforcement; A2.
Search and Rescue; A3. Fire Response; A4. Operational Utility; A5. Operation in NAS
Above: Sample Rating summary information
Performance Measure (PM)
Scoring Keys for
Qualitative and
Quantitative Ratings
Unit, Rating (bar-graph), T & O markers Qual., Quant. Rating
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Test
Week
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
Test
Date
Dec. 10-14,
2012
Jan.14-18,
2013
Mar. 11-15,
2013
Apr. 15-19,
2013
May 13-17,
2013
June 10-14,
2013
June 17-21,
2013
July 15-19,
2013
Aug. 26-30,
2013
Company
Lockheed Martin ADP
AeroVironment
Honeywell
Leptron
(Tactical Electronics)
Aeryon Labs
UAS Dynamics
Lockheed Martin MS2
Mission Technology
Systems, LLC
AeroVironment
Platform(s)
Stalker (Blk 15),
Stalker XE (Blk 10)
Puma AE, Raven B,
Wasp AE (Blk IV)
T-Hawk (Blk II)
Avenger; R.A.P.T.R.
Scout V1, SkyRanger
Skylark
Desert Hawk III,
Desert Hawk-EER, Indago
Buster
Qube, Shrike
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√
√ √
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Test
Week
10
11
12
13
14
N/A
15
16
17
Test
Date
Sept. 9-13,
2013
Oct. 21-25,
2013
Dec. 9-13,
2013
Jan. 13-17,
2014
Jan. 27-31,
2014
April 14-25,
2014
May 12-16,
2014
May 19-23,
2014
June 16-20,
2014
Company
AirRobot
Prioria
Falcon UAS
Applied Research Assoc.
AirCover/Lockheed Martin
CBP (PSI Tactical)
UAV Solutions
Stark Aerospace
Aurora
Platform(s)
AR100B, AR100C, AR200
Maverick, VMAV
Falcon
Nighthawk
√
√
√
QR425
InstantEye
Talon, Allerion, Phoenix30
BirdEye 400, Mini-Panther √
Skate √
√
√
√
√
√
√
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• No one platform performs well in all scenarios
• Fixed-wing aircraft:
̶ Very good in search and rescue (SAR), fire monitoring
̶ Some fixed wing SUAS need operating areas > 200 ft radius
• Launch and recovery zones
• Deep stall landings affected by winds
• Rotary-winged aircraft:
̶ Perform well in crime, accident, and arson scene investigation, and in SWAT
̶ Hover ability is very beneficial
̶ Some systems are relatively quiet, providing stealth, and can “perch”
̶ Up to 50-min endurance was tested/verified – winds are not a limiting factor
(flying in winds up to 30 mph)
̶ In winds, maintain commanded flight profiles better than fixed wing aircraft
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• Essential capabilities for effective, high-use operations:
̶ Integrated EO and IR sensors on a stabilized, gimbaled platform
• SAR aided by ability to switch between two modes to validate Targets of
Interest (TOI)
• Dual sensors are valuable in urban scenarios where shadows are prevalent
̶ Geo-referenced EO and IR full motion video
• Needed for chain of custody and TOI location accuracy
• Collision avoidance:
̶ For some systems, the best way to avoid oncoming traffic may be to initiate immediate landing – but climb and descend speeds may not be sufficient to avoid collision
• Other findings:
̶ Quiet systems developed by DOD may need audible augmentation during SAR
̶ The fuel cell SUAS we tested is a significant new capability: > 8 hr endurance
• Note to potential users: It requires > 12 min for warm-up prior to launch
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Cycle 1, FY2012-14
• 2012
– Range selection; advocacy
– Define program scope and set key partnerships
– RFI; Test Plan; contracting
• Stand up:
– Processes to work with manufacturers, create and disseminate reports
– Liaison to DHS privacy working group
• Conduct 19 flight test weeks
• Analyze and disseminate results from Cycle 1 testing
Cycle 2, FY2015-16
• New RFI; new Test Plan
• Expanded test scope (goals):
– Fire/HAZMAT/disaster, SAR response
– Specialized SUAS sensors
– Larger, more complex operational scenarios
– Counter-spoofing and antijamming capabilities
– Airworthiness
• Severe storm response pilot
– RAMPS new start: Maritime testing, USCG RDC-led collaboration
– Transition Plan for future funding and management structure
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RAPS Project Support Officer:
– Mr. Kevin Spence: (202) 254-2235 kevin.spence@associates.hq.dhs.gov
RAPS and related Web Links:
– http://www.firstresponder.gov
is a public-access DHS S&T website
– Government employees and government-sponsored stakeholders interested in RAPS may request access to the RAPS Test Reports via http://www.firstresponder.gov
, which is the gateway to access S&T’s First Responder Communities of Practice site, https://communities.firstresponder.gov
, which is the gateway to the RAPS Community of
Practice site. Access is controlled by DHS S&T and the RAPS Program Manager.
– RAPS Request for information (RFI), released September 24, 2012: https://www.fbo.gov/spg/DHS/OCPO/DHS-OCPO/DHS13-01/listing.html
• RAPS Privacy Impact Assessment (PIA), approved Nov. 16, 2012, was the first such document addressing unmanned aircraft ever published – anywhere in the world: http://www.dhs.gov/sites/default/files/publications/privacy/PIAs/privacy_pia_st_ raps_nov2012.pdf
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Common Requirements: Threshold
Lost Link Procedures Rally Point
Airframe Accumulated Flight Time
Sensors
Sensors (EO/IR)
Laser Designation
Training (operator)
Deployment
Recovery
Assembly
Ready to launch (after assembly)
Mean time between lost link
Airworthiness–Operator’s Manual
Airworthiness–Maintenance Manual
Weight (MTO)
> 200 hr (rotary); > 500 hr (fixed)
Electro-optical and infrared
Fixed
None
One week
Bungee/catapult launch
Line/net capture
< 5 min
< 5 min
> 100 hr flight time
Provide written Operator’s Manual
Provide written Maintenance Manual
< 25 pounds
Rotary-winged UAS: Threshold Objective
Endurance 30 min 1 hr
Range
Speed (dash)
Speed (endurance)
Altitude
0.25 mi
10 mph
0 mph
400 ft AGL
1 mi
30 mph
20 mph
1000 ft AGL
Service Ceiling 6,000 ft MSL 10,000 ft MSL
Acoustic signature (400 ft AGL) 70 dBA 40 dBA
Objective
Rally Point, after time return to launch
> 400 hr (rotary); > 1,000 hr (fixed)
Chemical/biological/radiological
Gimbaled
Laser spotter integrated
One day
Hand launched
Deep stall/hover
< 1 min
< 1 min
> 250 hr flight time
Provide written Operator’s Manual
Provide written Maintenance Manual
< 25 pounds
Fixed-winged UAS: Threshold Objective
Endurance 30 min 2 hr
Range
Speed (dash)
Speed (endurance)
Altitude
1 mi
20 mph
15 mph
400 ft AGL
3 mi
40 mph
30 mph
1000 ft AGL
Service Ceiling 6,000 ft MSL 10,000 ft MSL
Acoustic signature (400 ft AGL) 70 dBA 40 dBA
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Dr. John Appleby, Chair
Mr. Bob Griffin, Director
Mr. Jonathan Cantor
Ms. Tamara Kessler, Chief (Act.)
Mr. John Priddy, Director
Capt Doug Nash, Chief
Mr. Chris Vaughan
Mr. Jim Williams, Director
Mr. David Morton
DHS S&T HSARPA
DHS S&T First Responder Group
DHS Chief Privacy Officer (Act.)
DHS Office for Civil Rights and Civil Liberties
DHS Customs and Border Protection (CBP)/ Air Operations
DHS U.S. Coast Guard/ Office of Aviation Forces
DHS Federal Emergency Management Admin./ Geospatial Management Office
Federal Aviation Administration (FAA)/ UAS Integration Office
FAA/ UAS Integration Office, Aviation Safety Inspector
Mr. Steve Pansky
Dr. Steve McKeever
Mr. Eric Meyn, Director
FAA/ UAS Integration Office, Senior ATC Analyst
Oklahoma State Univ./ VP for Science &Technol. Transfer; UML/ Executive Director
University Multispectral Laboratories (UML)/ Unmanned Systems Division
Chief Robert Doke
Chief Jon Hansen
LTC Jon Greenhaw
Mr. Mike O’Shea
Cmdr Bob Osborne (ret.)
Oklahoma State Fire Marshall
Director, Oklahoma Council On Firefighter Training (COFT)
Oklahoma National Guard
Department of Justice/ Office of Justice Programs
Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department
Chief Donald Shinnamon, Sr. (ret.) Public Safety Aviation Consultant
Mr. Andy Lacher MITRE Corporation/ UAS Integration Research Strategist
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http://www.gigapixel.com/image/gigapan-canucks-g7.html
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