Open Access Article

Title: Demonstrating interoperability between unmanned ground systems and command and control systems

Authors: Kim Mathiassen; Frank E. Schneider; Paul Bounker; Alexander Tiderko; Geert De Cubber; Magnus Baksaas; Jakub Główka; Rafał Kozik; Thomas Nussbaumer; Juha Röning; Johannes Pellenz; André Volk

Addresses: Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Postboks 25, 2027 Kjeller, Norway ' Fraunhofer FKIE, Fraunhoferstraße 20, 53343 Wachtberg, Germany ' US Army CCDC-GVSC, FCDD-GVR-TI/MS 264, 6501 E. 11 Mile Rd. Warren, MI 48397-5000, USA ' Fraunhofer FKIE, Fraunhoferstraße 20, 53343 Wachtberg, Germany ' Royal Military Academy (RMA), Av. De La Renaissance 30, 1000 Brussels, Belgium ' Norwegian Defence Research Establishment (FFI), Postboks 25, 2027 Kjeller, Norway ' Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements PIAP, Al. Jerozolimskie 202, 02-486 Warsaw, Poland ' Łukasiewicz Research Network – Industrial Research Institute for Automation and Measurements PIAP, Al. Jerozolimskie 202, 02-486 Warsaw, Poland ' RUAG AG, Thunstrasse 29, 3770 Zweisimmen, Switzerland ' Biomimetics and Intelligent Systems Group (BISG), University of Oulu, P.O. Box 4500, 90014 University of Oulu, Finland ' Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße 1, 56073 Koblenz, Germany ' Federal Office of Bundeswehr Equipment, Information Technology and In-Service Support (BAAINBw), Ferdinand-Sauerbruch-Straße 1, 56073 Koblenz, Germany

Abstract: This paper describes the research and experiment efforts of the NATO STO group IST-149-RTG capability concept demonstrator for interoperability within unmanned ground systems and C2 and the NAAG team of experts on UGV. The main purpose of the group was to investigate possible standards for controlling UGVs and tests them in a real world scenario. The efforts have been two folded, where the first effort was two NATO groups having an experiment demonstrating interoperability between the UGVs and OCUs available within the group. The Belgium contribution is done in the EU project ICARUS. Both efforts used the Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) with the interoperability profile (IOP) to successfully enable interoperability between the systems. The trials showed that it is possible to extend the systems quite easily and achieve compliance with parts of the standard in a relatively short time.

Keywords: interoperability; interoperability profile; IOP; unmanned ground system; UGS; unmanned ground vehicle; UGV; command and control systems; Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems; JAUS; robotic operating system; ROS.

DOI: 10.1504/IJIDSS.2021.115236

International Journal of Intelligent Defence Support Systems, 2021 Vol.6 No.2, pp.100 - 129

Received: 03 Jul 2020
Accepted: 08 Feb 2021

Published online: 24 May 2021 *