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Advances in Soft-Computing Technologies

and
Application in Mission Systems

U. Krogmann
Bodenseewerk Gertitetechni k Gm bH
Postfach 10 11 55
D-88641 uberlingen

The objective of this paper is to give a short report about the AGARD Lecture Series 210 with the
above title.
Tactical systems are implemented as Integrated Mission Systems (IMS) such as air and space
defence systems. As shown in the lower part of Fig. 1, the key elements of an IMS are platforms
with sensors and effecters, ground based components with communication, command and control
etc.. Mission management constitutes the functional process within and among Integrated Mission
Systems (Fig. I). It will provide the capability for rapidly gathering, distributing and integrating large
quantities of available information and will allow rapid strategic and tactical decision-making on the
missions as well as carrying out the resulting actions from what has been decided and what is
required for dealing effectively with these missions, in order to perform the functionalities
appropriately in unpredictable and uncertain scenarios.

Figure 1: Mission sysfem and mission management structure

Paper presented at the RTO SC1 Symposium on “The Application of Information Technologies
(Computer Science) to Mission Systems”, held in Monterey, California, USA,
20-22 April 1998, and published in RTO MP-3.
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Taking for example an air-vehicle as a mission system element, Fig. 2 depicts how mission control
interacts with the functional levels of the guidance and control (G.a.C.) process of the airvehicle. It
can be seen that G.a.C. problems extend over several hierarchically structured levels and the
communication functions between these levels. The represented interconnection of the different
functional levels (scenario, mission, trajectory, airvehicle state) can be conceived of as a hierarchi-
cally structured control system. The objects on which G.a.C. functions are performed on the men-
tioned levels represent the control plants. Information processing by which actuation is generated
from sensor information on all levels represents the controller functions which are often also called
the recognize-act-cycle functions.
It requires functions such as recognizing and assessing the situation, defining action goals, gene-
rating optimum or favorable solutions, decision-making, planning and finally performing as well as
monitoring of actions. Hence, behavior levels of mental capabilities such as skill, rule, knowledge
based functions can be assigned to the functional levels.

DEGREE OF
MENTAL. EFFORT

SCENARIO 4
CONTROL
REQUIRED
MlSSlON
- GROUND BASED
CONTROL b

FLIGHT

7
PLAN
RULE

FLIGHT
PATH

7
AIRVEHICLE
STATE SKILL

Figure 2: Cascaded airvehicle G.a.C. structure

For reasons of human limitations in more demanding dynamic scenarios and in the operation of
complex, highly integrated systems, there is the neccessity for extended automation of these
functions on higher levels such as trajectory control as well as mission management and control.
Furthermore, the implementation of intelligent functions on lower levels such as the fusion and
interpretation of sensor data, multifunctional use of sensor information and advanced nonlinear
learning control becomes inevitable.
This is accomplished through the introduction of new computational and machine intelligence
techniques (CMI). Moreover, CMI will be the most important prerequisite for less manned air ope-
rations extending as far as fully autonomous tactical platforms.
Although the development of hardware and software for computers of conventional v. Neumann
architecture has continued for more than 20 years and the performance of today’s processors is
25.000 times better than in the 1970s the dynamics of this development is going on as well.
However, there is a complementary shift from conventional computing techniques, including sym-
bolic AVKB techniques, to so-called soft computing technologies. The new paradigm is based on
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modelling the unconscious, cognitive and reflexive function of the biological brain. This is accom-
plished by massively parallel implementation in networks as compared to program/software based
information processing in conventional sequential architectures.
In contrast to the conventional method, soft computing addresses the pervasive imprecision of the
real world. This is obtained by consideration of the tolerances for imprecision, uncertainty and par-
tial truth to achieve tractable, robust and low-cost solutions for complex problems.
Important related computing methodologies and technologies include among others fuzzy logic,
neuro-computing, as well as evolutionary and genetic algorithms. With those a viable step towards
intelligent machines can be expected that offer autonomous knowledge acquisition and proces-
sing, self-organization and structuring as well as associative rule generation for goal-oriented
behavior in rarely predictable scenarios. The new techniques will yield computational and machine
intelligence which offers the user the opportunity for cognitive automation of typical ,,recognition-
act cycle“ activities on various functional and operational levels.
The last two decades have witnessed a very strong growth of CMI techniques. These techniques
have already been applied to a variety of problems to deliver efficient solutions to the benefits of
the user. Certainly there are relationships between CMI and other fields such as those shown on
top of Fig. 3. Moreover, numerous disciplines have contributed to the area of soft computing where
some are mentioned at the bottom of Fig. 3.

Operations Research Computer Science

Decision Theory

Figure 3: Relationships to and contributions from other areas and soft computing/CM/
The Mission Systems Panel (MSP) of AGARD felt it particularly important and timely to facilitate,
foster and strengthen communication and cooperation between scientists, practitioners and deci-
sion-makers in various disciplines.
In this context a Lecture Series was seen as a valuable step where the objective was to introduce
soft computing as the basis for CMI and to briefly familiarize the participants with important related
technologies and techniques as well as applications. Under the sponsorship of the MSP and the
Consultant and Exchange Programme of AGARD the Lecture Series was organized and
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presented during September and October 1997 in Canada, The Netherlands, Spain and Turkey.
The material is published in the document AGARD LS-210. A short survey regarding the contents
of the lectures is given as follows.
The first lecture introduces and overviews the soft computing techniques enabling CMI. Based on
brainlike structures the most important techniques of soft computing such as fuzzy logic, artificial
neural networks and genetic algorithms are briefly described. The treated approaches form the
basis for adaptive, learning control, as well as advanced automation and artificially intelligent
machines.
The series continues with an introduction and review of neural networks, their basic theory and
important network models. It also looks at the application potential for mission systems.
Fundamentals of fuzzy logic, fuzzy inference and fuzzy control are treated in the third lecture,
which is followed by a presentation of the basics of genetic algorithms and evolutionary computing.
A paper on hybrid architectures for intelligent systems concludes the part which is dealing with
fundamental aspects. Various ways of combining fuzzy and neural elements for classification and
control applications are presented.

The second part of the lecture series is devoted to applications of soft computing technologies in
mission systems. Contributions address sensor signal processing, guidance and control problems,
mission management and simulation issues as well as autonomous systems.
The first lecture demonstrates a combination of Kalman filter and maximum likelyhood techniques
with neural networks for acquiring and tracking targets.
It is followed by a paper dealing with the application of neural networks and fuzzy techniques in the
area of guidance and control. The emphasis is on reconfiguration of damaged aircraft.
The last paper but one considers the application of genetic algorithms and evolutionary strategies
for mission management, simulation and autonomous systems.
Finally, the last paper summarizes important enabling techniques and technologies for the imple-
mentation of future autonomous systems. Main emphasis is placed on information technology with
its soft computing techniques.
During the round table discussion at the end of the series the following aspects were addressed.
Where are we now?
0 Proven paradigms and techniques.
a What systems have been fielded?
l Proven applications?
0 Hardware capabilities: What will current hardware systems yield in functionality and perfor-
mance?
0 Neural, fuzzy and genetic engineering: How to design, develop, manage, document, maintain
successful systems?
0 Hybrid systems design; integration issues; systems with algorithmic software, expert systems,
ANNs and fuzzy calculus (software and hardware)
Where are we going?
l Future trends:
l Where are we likely to be going at the end of the century and what is required to exploit the
new technological potential?
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How do we get there?

0 More R&D, project design methodology, from knowledge to behavior engineering; QA and
documentation, standards, needed tools.
How long does it take?
. 10 years? Things that are rather well developed.
l 20 years? Activities that are still in universities, but are highly developed.
0 30 years? Work that is just beginning in university research.

An excerp from the application potential covers among other things

Data compression
Pattern recognition and classification
Image processing
System identification
Intelligent control
Signal processing
Real-time optimization
Feature extraction
Time series prediction
Function approximation
Memory recall
Various cognitive tasks
Finally the Lecture Series concluded with the following main remarks:

Fuzzy and artificial neural network techniques enable the endomorphic modelling of real world
objects and scenarios. Together with conventional algorithmic processing, classical expert
systems, probabilistic reasoning techniques and evolving chaos-theoretic approaches, they enable
the implementation of recognize-act cycle functions.

Genetic and evolutionary algorithms can be applied to generate and optimize appropriate structu-
res and/or parameters to acquire, encode, represent, store, process and recall knowledge.
This yields self-learning control structures for dynamic scenarios that evolve, learn from experi-
ence and improve automatically in uncertain environment. Ideally, they can be mechanized by a
synergetic, complementary integration of fuzzy, neuro- and genetic techniques.
Thus soft-computing techniques support the move towards adaptive knowledge based systems
which rely heavily on experience rather than on the ability of experts to describe the dynamic,
uncertain world perfectly.