Colonel (US Army) Timothy Wright

The requirement to introduce Robotic and Autonomous Systems at scale has been validated, and while uncrewed Systems are rapidly developing and improving, the first focus is rightly on the networks they will integrate into. Future systems will need to be designed to integrate, and will be expected to integrate, into the network in the most user friendly way. This workshop will examine the trade-offs and the challenges in achieving this and share different perspectives across the following areas:

• Network architecture and design; from open source to bespoke and sovereign code
• Processing; in the cloud, on the edge, platform, command unit, or elsewhere? What are the bandwidth, power, and security implications?
• Quality versus quantity, the benefits of exquisite versus low-cost, and applique systems.
• Commonality drives down barriers and costs but may constrain capability. What elements need to be unique and what should be commons?

Uncrewed systems, especially those that are remote-controlled, require the ability to exchange data over a network. For applications such as surveillance and reconnaissance, the ability of uncrewed systems to stream data is critical for enhancing the situational awareness of the human component. All of this will need to take place at the edge with constrained bandwidths and in environments where adversaries will try to jam and deny access to the network.

• The Internet of Battlefield Things? How do we view the Future digital Operating Environment? What will characterise it?
• Do we need to assure network access? What is the role of reversionary modes or preprogrammes action when access to the network is gone? Is that a suitable solution or is assured access critical?
• How to minimize latency? What can be done to reduce latency? What is the optimal package size to transmit data? Where should processing take place to reduce lag? Does existing technology meet the requirement?

• Applications of unmanned aerial Vehicles on the future battlefield
• Identifying mission sets for Robotic combat vehicles
• Operationalising combat Unmanned ground vehicles
• The optimal construct of a Human-machine team
• Maturing concepts into capability: iterative concept development and experimentation