Distributed Awareness: Portable Unmanned Maritime Systems Bruce Hanson Maritime Tactical Systems May 4, 2015
Introduction This unmanned conference exists because of the ratio of computing power to the price and size available to us, often embodied in the idea of Moore s Law. Gordon Moore
Technology Drives Change Paradigm Shift Disruptive Innovation These disruptive innovations have resulted in multiple Paradigm shifts. Computing Power The continuing advance of computing power has fueled a number of disruptive innovations.
Part I: Paradigm Shift
Paradigm Shift Paradigm Shift A fundamental change in approach or underlying assumptions.
Disruptive Innovation Disruptive Innovation An innovation that creates a new market, causes an existing market to change and displaces an earlier technology. Let s look at two classic disruptive innovations some of us will remember first hand
Mainframe -> PC -> If it's big enough to be used as an apartment, it might be a mainframe If Michael Jordan needs his annual salary to buy one, it might be a mainframe.
Network TV - > Camcorder Camcorders revolutionized video by allowing the average person to film quality home movies
Why disruptive innovation forces a paradigm shift Before the paradigm shift Why didn t people have mainframe computers in their living room? Too big, too expensive, wouldn t have fit their needs (not an app for that) Why didn t people carry pc s around wherever they went? Too big, too expensive, wouldn t have fit their needs (not an app for that) Why didn t people have video recording studios in their homes? Too big, too expensive, wouldn t have fit their needs (not an app for that) Why didn t people carry camcorders wherever they went? Too big, too expensive, wouldn t have fit their needs (not an app for that)
Each new generation of computing technology has resulted in disruptive innovations that have provided smaller, less expensive, more powerful and more abundant products Mainframes in 1980 Room Size, 23,000 watts power 10,000 units IBM $5,000,000 cost in 1980 1 processor, up to 32 MB RAM PC s in 1995 Desktop Size, 700 watts power 38 million units Average $2,200 cost in 1995 33 MHz 486 up, up to 24 MB RAM Network TV studios in 1980 Room Size, Dedicated Power 180 locations > $1,000,000 in 1980 Tape Reel - $300 per 90 minutes Camcorders in 1990 Shoulder Size, Portable Battery Pack 1 million units Cost of a Camcorder in 1995 420 Kpixel, VHS Tape 300 lines analog in SP
It is difficult to recognize the start of a paradigm shift Paradigm shifts are different they change things. Grasping the differences a paradigm shift brings is difficult early on, but obvious in hindsight. (Good example: the ipad ) Early on, it is not clear whether it is a paradigm shift or a passing fad. Signs of a paradigm shift Paradigm shifts result from disruptive innovations. Disruption offers leading technology to an expanded market in a cheaper, more flexible form. When a disruption is first introduced, it is met by resistance and lack of understanding from the existing market..
When a new disruptive technology first comes out, you hear When the PC/Apple II first came out (1980) you heard It s a toy it s not serious It doesn t do what a mainframe does It will never do what a mainframe does What would you do with it? When we introduced portable unmanned maritime systems concepts (2010) we heard: It s a toy it s not serious It doesn t do what the a current manned vessels does It will never do what a current manned vessel does What would you do with it?
When a new disruptive technology has been out for a while, you hear When the PC was out for awhile (1985) you heard It is pretty interesting, I use it instead of my typewriter It saves me a lot of time on my budget I can afford to have a computer at home! After we introduced portable unmanned maritime systems concepts for a couple of years (2012) we heard: It is pretty interesting, we want to use it to keep people out of harm s way It will save us a lot of time as a force multiplier We can afford to have these on our ships!
And ultimately PC s In 1990 Home computers in 38 million US homes 1000 s of Applications Markets created/disrupted internet, email, home office, desktop publishing, personal accounting, gaming I take it with me.(laptops) Portable unmanned maritime systems in 2020 On % of ISR maritime missions 1000 s of Applications Uses/Missions created/changed the art of the possible We take them everywhere miniaturization, multiple forms
Disruptive Innovation Current Mainframe PC/Apple Network TV Studio Camcorder Smartphone Land line Cellular Phone + Portable Unmanned Maritime Systems Manned Unmanned Autonomous
Computing power has brought us to the age of Smartphones Smartphones in 2015 Pocket Size,.43 watts Power 2.75 billion Smartphones in 2015 Average $549 cost in 2015 16 processors, 128GB RAM usd 21 MPixel Camera, 1080p video Maritime distributed awareness is experiencing a paradigm shift - similar to the paradigm shift of mainframes to pc s to smartphones We are at the very beginning of this paradigm shift in the Maritime domain. The paradigm shift is from large blue water boats providing concentrated awareness to distributed awareness (smartphones in maritime wrappers) where autonomous unmanned maritime vessels become large scale force multipliers.
Part 2: Smartphone in a Maritime Wrapper
Think of portable unmanned systems as Smartphones in a Maritime Wrapper Smartphones: Small, inexpensive, multi-channel, networked, audio/visual, flexible + everywhere Portable unmanned systems: Small, inexpensive, multi-channel, networked, audio/visual, flexible platforms, ability to engage + everywhere
The Smartphone in a maritime wrapper approach is disruptive innovation Smartphone size technology bundles key technologies with low cost (COTS) - Computing power that enables autonomous control of small portable vessels. - Multi-channel communications: 3G/4G/Iridium/Inmarsat/LOS/Fiber Optic - Networked IP points - Sensors: visual, IR, EW,ECM, CAS, CBNRE, Sonar, etc.. - COTS OS development for application development Small Portable unmanned maritime systems support low cost This low cost enables distribution of many sensor points Small Portable unmanned maritime systems support the added ability to engage This is disruptive innovation
Maritime Paradigm Shift The Maritime Paradigm Shift Think about the paradigm shift smart phones have brought about and apply that to how you think about portable unmanned systems in the maritime domain. The same kind of paradigm shift in the maritime domain will result in great solutions for distributed awareness.
What do you do with it? Because we are at the beginning of a paradigm shift, a big problem is how to think about using this disruptive innovation. This brings up the What do you do with it? question. Historically if the innovation is cost effective, available and flexible, end users and innovators will generate uses, applications and missions that shift the paradigm. When we first introduced portable unmanned maritime concepts we ran into looks interesting, but how will we use this?. After exposure, potential end users were coming back to us with many ideas for use, often surprising.
Problems in the Maritime Domain Coverage Area Large maritime areas need coverage - oceans, rivers, lakes Inland maritime areas need coverage too - landlocked waterways pose access issues Much of the coverage is remote or hostile Tasked with patrolling largest collection of Economic Exclusion Zones - 4,723,729 sq mi Cost - Same huge expanses of water to cover, less funding for coverage Motivations - Increased threats and risks - Increased activity and capability of adversaries - More opportunities There is a need for distributed awareness solutions that are practical and affordable
There s a lot of water out there US Exclusive Economic Zones (EEZs)
Part 3: There is an App for That
App/Mission Search & Rescue/Distributed Awareness Scenario Portable unmanned systems are deployed to cover an area for a Search and Rescue mission. They are transportable by ship, plane, helo, UAV, other surface vessels, subsurface vessels, ground or by hand The portable unmanned vessels navigate to form a mobile coverage grid Each unmanned system patrols a specified area on a specified schedule 50 portable unmanned vessels can provide 10,000 square miles of visual coverage over 10 hours These networks can be deployed, up and running in hours to days world wide
App/Mission - Mobile Network//Distributed Awareness Scenario A strike group deploys to a location Portable unmanned vessels with 4G repeaters are deployed from a ship, multiple ships or air dropped from the strike group. The portable unmanned vessels navigate to form a grid network of 4G repeating stations (or any other communication protocol) 25 portable unmanned vessels can rapidly create a 1500 square mile adaptive, moveable, mobile 4G network For example, situational awareness could be provided in the Straits of Hormuz with a mobile network so small and unobtrusive that it does not create tensions associated with the presence of large blue water ships
App/Mission - Inland Waterways A mainframe wouldn t be in a living room.a battleship wouldn t be in a pond Man-Portable unmanned systems can access urban waterways - coastal or inland this expands the reach of Distributed Awareness Multiple deployment options: Carry in at night, thrown in a waterway Drop off a boat/rhib Covert air drop Uses may be surprising! Fire fighting Police surveillance Illegal waste dumping A lot happens by the docks and rivers human and drug trafficking
App/Mission - Fisheries Monitoring Scenario Fishing boat heads toward Exclusive Economic Zone Portable unmanned vessel trails undetected Fishing boat goes into fishing zone and appears to fish MANTAS snaps pictures and video and uploads to internet or social media sites Boat and authorities are notified The never knew Stealthy surveillance Optionally the unmanned vessel could transmit audible hail and notify the fishing boat Large areas can be covered with portable unmanned vessel networks These networks can work in concert with unmanned aerial support
App/Mission - Fisheries Monitoring
App/Mission Selected List Distributed Awareness: Search and Rescue Mobile Communications Network TTL Missions Tag, Track and Locate (ships, fishing boats, subs) Port/Coastal/Harbor security patrol Maritime interdiction operations (MIO) support CBRNE Detection sniffers Special Operations Forces round the bend ISR Force-multiplier for ships as helicopter or other air ISR platforms become scarce for support Anti-swarm & fast boat swarm Fast deploy air-drop (helo drop) Organic Performance Target practice Mine counter measures Anti-submarine warfare
Takeaways We are at the beginning of a paradigm shift where we have the technology, and are just starting to answer the question what do you do with it? Computing power and communications technology have brought us to the age of smartphones. When merged with portable unmanned maritime vessels it gives us expanded distributed awareness capabilities coupled with the ability to engage
Moving Forward Disruptive innovations create more and different applications The new applications are different because the enabling technology is different There will be many applications for portable Unmanned Maritime Systems that solve existing problems in new ways
The World Innovates Customers have come to us with many ideas for applications that solve their existing mission problems using this enabling technology. As the Paradigm Shift occurs the customers will provide the vast majority of new applications As the Paradigm Shift occurs Portable Unmanned Maritime Systems will be written into many Concepts of Operations (CONOPS) This maritime smartphone on steroids with the ability to engage provides organic capabilities to support previously unheard of missions
The Future Think of how widespread texting is now on smartphones and that it did not exist a decade ago. Think of where we will be with our smart boats a decade from now
Closing Statement If there is one thing I would like you to remember. 7 Oceans 24 Hours a day 7 Days a week 365 Days a year THAT is Distributed Awareness
Thank You