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5.2 Writing Assignment: Analysis of UAS Detect and Avoid Approaches

For this activity, you will examine UAS detect and avoid systems from three perspectives: detection and tracking, avoidance, and system architecture.

The following five essay prompts will require you to reflect upon your reading, do a bit of conceptual analysis, and in some cases, conduct some research using resources from the reading, library, and online tools. Each essay should be 300-500 words each, roughly. Your final written deliverable must conform to APA formatting requirements and include all references used.

1. Explain the difference between separation assurance, self-separation, and collision avoidance with respect to UAS DAA and their relationship (if any) to the definition of well clear.
2. DAA architecture influences where the functions of sensing, conflict detection, and avoidance maneuvering are performed and/or commanded, which have implications on performance and safety. For each of these functions,
   1. Describe how the function could be achieved onboard the unmanned aircraft. Specify the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
   2. Describe how the function could be achieved at the control station by automation and/or remote pilot. Specify the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
   3. Describe how the function could be shared between systems onboard the unmanned aircraft and system elements of the control station. Specify the advantages and disadvantages of this approach.
3. From the required reading, cooperative sensing technologies are discussed. Select one cooperative sensing technology and do the following:
   1. Describe the sensing modality selected in terms of:
      1. Information provided
      2. Typical field of regard
      3. Whether or not the technique is active or passive
      4. Whether it is ground-based, airborne, or both
      5. Advantages and disadvantages of using the technology
   2. Write a brief summary of a specific sensor for UAS applications of the selected sensing modality, which may be a commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) product or an experimental prototype.
4. From the required reading, non-cooperative sensing technologies are discussed. Select one non-cooperative sensing technology and do the following:
   1. Describe the sensing modality selected in terms of:
      1. Information provided
      2. Typical field of regard
      3. Whether or not the technique is active or passive
      4. Whether it is ground-based, airborne, or both
      5. Advantages and disadvantages of using the technology
   2. Write a brief summary of a specific sensor for UAS applications of the selected sensing modality, which may be a COTS or experimental prototype.
5. In the supplemental reading, the article, “Sense and avoid technologies with applications to unmanned aircraft systems: Review and prospects” summarizes several algorithms for UAS path planning in support of safe separation and collision avoidance.
   1. Select one algorithm discussed within the paper and locate a conference or journal article discussing the algorithm’s application to UAS DAA (you may use the references provided in the article)
   2. Summarize the approach, addressing:
      1. What problem(s) were the authorizes trying to solve using the algorithm?
      2. Briefly describe the algorithm’s approach.
      3. Does the algorithm guarantee optimality of the resultant maneuver(s)?
      4. How was the algorithm evaluated?
      5. What conclusions/lessons learned did the author share regarding the suitability of the algorithm in addressing the problem(s) stated in the article?

Save your assignment using a naming convention that includes your first and last name and the activity number (or description). Do not add punctuation or special characters.

Your paper will automatically be evaluated through Turnitin when you submit your assignment in this activity. Turnitin is a service that checks your work for improper citation or potential plagiarism by comparing it against a database of web pages, student papers, and articles from academic books and publications. Ensure that your work is entirely your own and that you have not plagiarized any material!

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