Deployment of multi-agent algorithms for tactical operations on UAV hardware

Small Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are becoming increasingly popular for tasks such as surveillance or target tracking in various types of tactical missions. Traditionally, each UAV in a mission is controlled by one or more operators. In our previous work we have developed a collection of distributed algorithms that allow one operator to control a whole team of small UAVs. Here, we report on our successful effort to deploy the developed multi-agent control algorithms to a team of hardware UAVs. To reduce costs and risk, we first developed the multi-agent control algorithms using simulated approximation of the target environment. Then, we gradually refined the model of the target environment by adding higher-fidelity models of the assets and hardwarein-the loop assets. In the final step, the algorithms were deployed and field tested in a full hardware setting and in a mixed-reality setting, where hardware UAVs are accompanied by a a number of simulated UAVs.