Integrating autonomy: MAPLE information architecture evolves

摘要

The Maritime Autonomous Platform Exploitation (MAPLE) project, led by the Dstl, has iteratively evolved an open information architecture over the last five years to enable the effective and efficient mission planning, integration and control of unmanned vehicles, and exploitation of their capability into the chain of command. The central premise of the MAPLE programme is to ensure that the operation of multiple maritime autonomous systems in a squad or swarm does not generate the attendant need for multiple operators per vehicle (which would be impractical and unsustainable for anything other than short-term operations). Accordingly, the MAPLE information architecture has been developed to address the need for increased integration and autonomy, such that a single operator situated within an RN operations room, can plan, task, and manage missions involving multiple vehicles.