This chapter proposes methods for analysis, design, and evaluation of Meaningful Human Control (MHC) for defense technologies from the perspective of military human-machine teaming (HMT). Our approach is based on three principles. Firstly, MHC should be regarded as a core objective that guides all phases of analysis, design and evaluation. Secondly, MHC affects all parts of the sociotechnical system, including humans, machines, AI's, interactions, and context. Lastly, MHC should be viewed as a property that spans longer periods of time, encompassing both prior and realtime control by multiple actors. To describe macrolevel design options for achieving MHC, we propose various Team Design Patterns. Furthermore, we present a case study, where we applied some of these methods to envision HMT, involving robots and soldiers in a search and rescue task in a military context.

Modern cellular networks are multi-cell and use universal frequency reuse to maximize spectral efficiency. This results in high inter-cell interference. This problem is growing as cellular networks become three-dimensional with the adoption of unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). This is because the strength and number of interference links rapidly increase due to the line-of-sight channels in UAV communications. Existing interference management solutions need each transmitter to know the channel information of interfering signals, rendering them impractical due to excessive signaling overhead. In this paper, we propose leveraging deep reinforcement learning for interference management to tackle this shortcoming. In particular, we show that interference can still be effectively mitigated even without knowing its channel information. We then discuss novel approaches to scale the algorithms with linear/sublinear complexity and decentralize them using multi-agent reinforcement learning. By harnessing interference, the proposed solutions enable the continued growth of civilian UAVs.

This workshop paper presents the challenges we encountered when simulating fully-actuated Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) for our research and the solutions we developed to overcome the challenges. We describe the ARCAD simulator that has helped us rapidly implement and test different controllers ranging from Hybrid Force-Position Controllers to advanced Model Predictive Path Integrals and has allowed us to analyze the design and behavior of different fully-actuated UAVs. We used the simulator to enable real-world deployments of our fully-actuated UAV fleet for different applications. The simulator is further extended to support the physical interaction of UAVs with their environment and allow more UAV designs, such as hybrid VTOLs. The code for the simulator can be accessed from https://github.com/keipour/aircraft-simulator-matlab.

There are many benefits for exploring and exploiting underground mines, but there are also significant risks and challenges. One such risk is the potential for accidents caused by the collapse of the pillars, and roofs which can be mitigated through inspections. However, these inspections can be costly and may put the safety of the inspectors at risk. To address this issue, this work presents Rhino, an autonomous robot that can navigate underground mine environments and generate 3D maps. These generated maps will allow mine workers to proactively respond to potential hazards and prevent accidents. The system being developed is a skid-steer, four-wheeled unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) that uses a LiDAR and IMU to perform long-duration autonomous navigation and generation of maps through a LIO-SAM framework. The system has been tested in different environments and terrains to ensure its robustness and ability to operate for extended periods of time while also generating 3D maps.

This letter addresses the problem of trajectory planning in a marsupial robotic system consisting of an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) linked to an unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) through a non-taut tether withcontrollable length. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first method that addresses the trajectory planning of a marsupial UGV-UAV with a non-taut tether. The objective is to determine a synchronized collision-free trajectory for the three marsupial system agents: UAV, UGV, and tether. First, we present a path planning solution based on optimal Rapidly-exploring Random Trees (RRT*) with novel sampling and steering techniques to speed-up the computation. This algorithm is able to obtain collision-free paths for the UAV and the UGV, taking into account the 3D environment and the tether. Then, the paper presents a trajectory planner based on non-linear least squares. The optimizer takes into account aspects not considered in the path planning, like temporal constraints of the motion imposed by limits on the velocities and accelerations of the robots , or raising the tether's clearance. Simulated and field test results demonstrate that the approach generates obstacle-free, smooth, and feasible trajectories for the marsupial system.

Kurt "The Cyberguy" Knutsson explains how scientists managed to turn dead birds into drones that can potentially spy on people. Remember the satirical "Birds Aren't Real" conspiracy theory that took the internet by storm, claiming that birds were not real animals – instead, government surveillance drones? Well, you might want to hold onto your feathers because it seems researchers have accidentally turned this seemingly outlandish concept into a reality. What are these "Bird Drones"? In a groundbreaking project published by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, a group of scientists explain how they managed to turn dead birds into drones that can potentially spy on people.

The United States has announced a new $1.2bn military aid package for Ukraine that will include air defence systems, conventional artillery and counter-drone ammunition, satellite imagery services, as well as funding for military training. In the package announced on Tuesday, Ukraine will also receive technology to allow the integration of Western air defence launchers, missiles and radars with Ukraine's native air defence systems. "The Russians have launched waves of missiles into Ukraine, whose military has been adept at knocking them down. The package also contains ammunition to shoot down unmanned aerial systems," the US Department of Defense said in a statement. Ukrainian cities have come under renewed aerial attacks in the past week with scores of Russian missiles and drones targeting the capital Kyiv and other key cities.

Drones have become essential tools in a wide range of industries, including agriculture, surveying, and transportation. However, tracking unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in challenging environments, such cluttered or GNSS-denied environments, remains a critical issue. Additionally, UAVs are being deployed as part of multi-robot systems, where tracking their position can be essential for relative state estimation. In this paper, we evaluate the performance of a multi-scan integration method for tracking UAVs in GNSS-denied environments using a solid-state LiDAR and a Kalman Filter (KF). We evaluate the algorithm's ability to track a UAV in a large open area at various distances and speeds. Our quantitative analysis shows that while "tracking by detection" using a Constant Velocity model is the only method that consistently tracks the target, integrating multiple scan frequencies using a KF achieves lower position errors and represents a viable option for tracking UAVs in similar scenarios.

The paper describes of the Ryze Tello drone to move autonomously using a basic vision system. The drone's position is determined by identifying AprilTags' position relative to the drone's built-in camera. The accuracy of the drone's position readings and distance calculations was tested under controlled conditions, and errors were analysed. The study showed a decrease in absolute error with decreasing drone distance from the marker, a little change in the relative error for large distances, and a sharp decrease in the relative error for small distances. The method is satisfactory for determining the drone's position relative to a marker.

Former national security adviser Robert O'Brien explains that the attack is'inconsistent' with Ukrainian military tactics and says a small drone would not be a feasible way to attack Vladimir Putin. The United States is planning to send Ukraine around $1.2 billion in long-term military aid to help the country defend itself against a barrage of drone, rocket, and surface-to-air missile attacks from Russia, according to U.S. officials. The officials, who spoke anonymously, told The Associated Press that the aid package will likely be announced on Tuesday and the money will be provided under the Ukraine Security Assistance Initiative. In this photo taken on Thursday, May 4, 2023, a Ukrainian air force pilot stands near his Su-25 ground attack jet on his base in Eastern Ukraine. With this latest package, the U.S. will have provided Ukraine with nearly $37 billion in military aid since Russia invaded in late February 2022.