Networked Unattended Ground Sensor Fields: Tradeoff Study and Configuration Rules Methodology

摘要

As the Army transforms itself into the 21st century, a number of new requirements arise in response to the need for a lighter force that is more rapidly deployed. The concept of trading heavy forces for information requires a substantial increase in the need for situational awareness and use of sensor technologies for remote reconnaissance collection on the battlefield. High quality situation awareness can be achieved using various types of networked sensors to flow information to a common operating picture console at the battlefield commander's disposal. Networked unattended ground microsensors (UGS) represent an integral part of the U.S. Army's capabilities for covering Beyond Line of Sight (BLOS) and Non-line of Sight (NLOS) areas. This report presents a methodology for understanding the relationships that exist between critical performance measures associated with UGS sensor clusters and the levels of sensor density in such a cluster. Using the concept of diminishing marginal output productivity in the face of constrained operating environment, this methodology can help Objective Force designers make informed decisions concerning the UGS base unit TOE package. Following a detailed discussion of related work and technical information pertinent to this study, we present an in-depth systems engineering functional decomposition and functional flow analysis that illuminates many of the functional interdependencies affecting cluster design. Based on this analysis, we next introduce both the new methodology along with estimated functional tradeoff relationships and marginal output functions for various cluster performance measures. Finally, we introduce a process for validating the proposed tradeoff relationships in concert with several key information requirements for a human-in-the-loop simulation designed for such a purpose.