Thie ultimate goal of the Adaptive Trajectory Reshaping and Control System (ATRC) project is to develop technology that allows an autonomous RLV, when subjected to performance restricting damage and equipment shutdown, to avoid catastrophic failure. KBSI is developing specific requirements for the design, development and demonstration of algorithms and real time solution techniques for an adaptable and reconfigurable RLV command, control, and guidance system.

ATRC Phase I

The Phase I project established a detailed ATRC architecture and defined an overall methodology for responding to the uncertainty caused by damage or equipment failure. KBSI identified the crucial components of the required technology, and explored viable approaches to providing a successful solution of the larger problem. The Phase I research developed innovative algorithms and successfully demonstrated critical pieces of the technology through limited simulation events.

ATRC Phase II

The central focus of the ATRC Phase II project is to develop real time solution techniques and algorithms for a reconfigurable control and guidance system RLVs, This system includes on-line parameter learning and real time reshaping of vehicle trajectories under uncertain damage/failure scenarios.

Technological advancements and ever-increasing computing power offer the likelihood of solving complex algorithms in real time. This enhances the scope of various autonomous operations that, only a few years prior, were inconceivable. One such operation is real time online trajectory computation. The ATRC system will continuously retarget a feasible optimal trajectory for an air vehicle and use an adaptive tracking control algorithm for trajectory tracking. In Phase II, KBSI will develop, validate, and demonstrate the functionality of the various online algorithms for different components of the ATRC system, and demonstrate the concepts and capabilities of ATRC technology through high fidelity simulation.

The ATRC technology has considerable commercialization potential. The ATRC system technology will be applicable to a wide variety of autonomous vehicles including unihabited air, space, ground, and sea vehicles. Unihabited arial vehicles (UAV) are beginning to grow in popularity for military and commercial applications. The role of UAVs will, in the future, encompass various new complex tactical operations such as reconnaissance, surveillance, tracking, cooperative search and attack, relay communications, target identification, navigational guidance, and more. The ATRC system technology will be applicable for most of these uses.