Screening Level Mission Modeling and Simulation of Micro Autonomous Systems and Technologies

Micro Autonomous Systems and Technologies project, sponsored by Army Research Laboratory sponsored project, aims to develop novel technologies to enhance tactical situational awareness in complex terrain of a small military unit. The vision is to enable multifunctional, autonomous, and collaborative ensemble of microsystems to conduct intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance. The paper presents a methodology to model and simulate MAST integrated systems for specific mission scenarios for screening purposes. The intent is to be able to evaluate mission performance of thousands of different alternative microsystems rapidly. Requirements for a generalized mission-level modeling and simulation methodology are presented and a framework, along with evaluation metrics, is built upon them. For purpose of this research, NetLogo platform is utilized to develop the modeling and simulation environment. A test case of convoy assistance mission is used for proof of concept implementation. Results present evaluation of mission Measures of Effectiveness in terms of vehicle level Measures of Performance, providing insight into how physical system attributes influence vehicle performance and mission success.