Neya Systems, LLC announces the release of its Mission Planning and Management System (MPMS), a cross-platform solution for coordination and orchestration of behaviors on multiple unmanned platforms.

Wexford, PA August 09, 2013

Neya Systems, LLC, has developed and is ready to announce the commercial availability of its Mission Planning and Management System (MPMS). MPMS is a framework and software development kit to allow integration of unmanned systems within squad teams using command control techniques that are low-workload and heads-up.

MPMS includes a pre-mission planner that is used to develop mission templates that allow for a-priori knowledge to be encoded in a mission plan. It also includes a hand-held controller, based on Android, that allows a soldier in the field to load a mission template, assign unmanned assets to that mission, modify critical parameters (e.g., mission start time, allowable duration, specific routes and OPs), and execute and monitor the mission. MPMS also includes a Mission Management Service, which is a lightweight Linux-based process that executes on the platform. It is responsible for executing mission plans, orchestrating on-board available autonomy behaviors, coordinating with other platforms, and handling emergency and contingency planning.

A key advantage of using MPMS as a platform coordinator and planner is its unique combination of off-line and on-line planning. This allows rapid mission template generation (using a drag-and-drop behavior interface), transfer of those mission-templates to available assets, and modification of key parameters at mission execution time, based on the current tactical situation.

Mission templates have been developed for a variety of early-win UGV missions such as reconnaissance, route clearance, convoy operations, and assisted CASEVAC. They also have been tested on UGV and UAV platforms. Furthermore, MPMS was used as the core architecture behind Neya Systems' 2nd place finish in the CANINE competition effort, which was conducted at the 2012 Robotics Rodeo at Fort Benning, GA.

MPMS supports ROS and SAE/JAUS for behavior interfaces and provides tools for rapid behavior generation. Migrating legacy systems to MPMS is straightforward using the service interface mediation tools included with the SDK. New behavior development in ROS and SAE/JAUS is also supported through automatic ROS-compliant interface generation.

Commercial applications for MPMS include coordination of multiple vehicles in agriculture, construction, and mining. MPMS allows one person to task, monitor, and execute complex unmanned systems missions that take advantage of the latest in autonomy capabilities.

Neya Systems, a leader in the unmanned systems community, was founded in 2009 by Dr. Parag Batavia. The company focuses on the hard problems related to unmanned systems capability development and deployment. Neya's expertise includes perception in difficult visual conditions, navigation in highly complex terrain, and planning and coordination of multiple unmanned systems. In addition, Neya is currently developing and commercializing a product line resulting from prior and ongoing R&D activities. This product line is intended to reduce development cycle costs for unmanned systems. Neya also focuses heavily on developing unmanned systems capabilities that are compliant with open architecture principles and open standards implementations, including JAUS, ROS, and UCS.