Unmanned Aerial Systems

Transcription

1 DHS SCIENCE AND TECHNOLOGY Unmanned Aerial Systems Considerations for First Responder Organizations February 28, 2017 Stephen Hancock Director of Special Projects First Responders Group Science and Technology Directorate

2 Small UAS vs Manned for First Responders Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (suas) are rising in popularity as supplement to or replacement for conventional manned aerial photography/reconnaissance for a variety of purposes Benefits Less expensive Better (in some cases) Faster (to operationally deploy at an incident, not in actual speed) DIFFERENT: can do things manned aircraft cannot Fly really close to buildings, persons of interest, etc. Potential to fly inside structures to assist First Responders (FR) DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 2

3 Section 107 Went into effect August 29, 2016 First step to bringing UAS into the National Airspace System Greatly eases administrative and operational burdens RESULT: EXPECT THE DRONE BOOM TO REALLY EXPLODE! More and more FR agencies will be looking to use UASs Hobby use will grow geometrically FR agencies will have to contend with: Privately used UASs getting in the way Nefarious use of UASs by bad actors Public distrust of government use of UAS DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 3

4 Typical FR Missions SWAT and other LE support A few localities are experimenting using quadcopter for surveillance and responder location tracking Fire (structures and wildfires) Structures: quadcopters for fire surveillance and responder location Wildfire: fixed wing for surveillance, IR packages to detect fire under canopy Bomb Robot Support Small quadcopters to aid operators guiding robots to target SAR Urban: quadcopters for surveillance of buildings Other sensors: FRG piloting FINDER and cell phone signal detection Wilderness: IR cameras for detecting body heat; video for open areas Damage reports High resolution cameras required Quadcopters may be preferred for close-up work Traffic Forensics A potential high-payoff use: aerial cameras can clear a scene in 20-30min, versus typical 2-3 hours with conventional methods Camera resolution is a major stumbling block DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 4

5 Legal Issues Warrants for use: Some states require a warrant for UAS law enforcement operations Overflights: Some states prohibit flying over private property that is not connected to the mission PII and privacy Some jurisdictions allow only live viewing -- no storage of any video/still files Others have varying restrictions on length of retention, access, chain of custody Ground station versus drone capture Requirements may vary on whether images may be captured on the drone or on the ground DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 5

6 suas vs Manned Video Package High end professional packages compared: 9 ounces Power consumption 4W 2-axis stabilization IR, visible light, laser pointer Much less expensive 35 lbs Power consumption 120W Better stabilization, vibration reduction etc. IR, visible light, laser pointer, laser rangefinder $300K range DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 6

7 Fixed versus Rotary Wing Rotary wing Fixed wing Hand Launchable Tethered Hover Military Grade Recreational Grade Fuel Cell Powered Experimental DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 7

8 Fixed versus Rotary Wing Fixed wing Endurance up to 8 hours + Distance (but limited by line of sight) Relatively silent Often larger payloads Suitable for higher altitude work Video Implications: Rural SAR, wildfires, high level reconnaissance Both Typically proprietary with limited interchangeability of payloads Thus difficult to customize systems to use case Video Implications Available equipment may not be useable for some applications Rotary wing Less range and endurance (typically < 45 minutes) Maneuverable in close urban quarters Can operate indoors Typically for low altitude work Video Implications Close in tactical operations, urban SAR, any indoor need, person of interest identification/tracking DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 8

9 Robotic Aircraft for Public Safety (RAPS) The RAPS Program * Essentially Consumer Reports for suas standardized testing of suas packages to carry out common public safety missions Reports are LE Sensitive, available to qualified users Interpret results based on your specific needs RAPS Guidance on Needs No company is your suas solution until you really understand your needs. Too vague: Better: We need to have air support and cannot afford manned aircraft. We serviced 37 high-risk search warrants last year in unsafe tactical environments where pre-service aerial observation would have enhanced our officers safety. * RAPS tests primarily crafted to test suas against CBP scenarios RAPS has a community of practice on communities.firstresponder.gov. Apply for membership there. DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 9

10 System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Purpose To conduct objective, relevant, operationally oriented assessments and validations of commercially available emergency responder technologies. Results available to FR communities. Products Tech Notes Assessment Reports Focus Group Reports Handbooks Market Survey Reports Application Notes DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 10

11 SAVER suas Testing Status Test Agent National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) Participating with team of DHS offices to evaluate sites for potential suas testing FRG scenarios are extremely broad and challenging Test Requirements Developing FR specific scenarios Working with inputs from FR agencies Looking to the First Responder Resource Group (FRRG) for help in validation Need to develop measurable performance specifications/criteria DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 11

12 Use Case vs Resolution Needed Homicide case Needed to identify 2 cm drops of blood on a driveway Phantom 3 would have to be 15 off ground with limited area of view Even this degree of resolution may not be good enough for evidence in court 230 feet Sees 425 x 320 area SWAT and LE operations May need less than one foot resolution Same aircraft could be at 230 altitude and see more than 400 x 300 area Implication: Resolution needs for use cases determine equipment, available flight plans, logistics Sees 24 x 18 area 2 cm Drops of blood on the ground 15 feet 1 ft Fugitive DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 12

13 Video Mission Tradeoffs Endurance Rotary wing vehicles severely limited compared with fixed wing Altitude (tradeoff with resolution) Doubling the altitude increases the coverage by factor of 4, but resolution is cut in half Speed Sometimes high speed is a mission priority (wildfires, wilderness SAR) Sometimes completely stationary tethered surveillance is necessary Line of sight requirements Relaxation of line-of-sight requirements will take some time For immediate future, count on continued line-of-sight restrictions DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 13

14 Final Thoughts UAV today is growing fast, with incredible competition If you can clearly define your requirements, you can often work with manufacturers to customize products to suit your needs CAUTION: Be sure you are complying with fairness requirements in acquisition requirements Collaborate: share lessons learned Experienced videographers find that perspective from air makes them change some approaches use wider angles, different perspectives This is only learned from experience FRG established a suas community of practice for first responders using UAVs to share tips, experiences, approaches Join and share your thoughts on how to make it more useful! DHS Science and Technology Directorate MOBILIZING INNOVATION FOR A SECURE WORLD 14