Network of unmanned vehicles

An unmanned vehicle capable of use in a co-operative network of unmanned vehicles, comprising a computer system programmed to allow autonomous operation of the unmanned vehicle, wherein the computer system comprises:

• an executive level configured to send control signals for controlling propulsion and steering of the unmanned vehicle, and to receive a status signal regarding a status of the unmanned vehicle;
• and
• an automatic decision level configured to communicate with a ground control station and other unmanned vehicles, to receive task descriptions, to participate in task allocation, and to provide descriptions of tasks to be performed to the executive level for execution, wherein the automatic decision level comprises a task refining module and a task manager module;
• wherein the task refining module is configured to receive an unallocated task description describing a task to be undertaken by one of the unmanned vehicle in the co-operative network, to determine if the unmanned vehicle is able to perform the task, and to calculate an execution cost for the unmanned vehicle to execute that task;
• and
• wherein the task manager module is configured to receive elementary task descriptions, store the elementary task descriptions and forward the elementary task descriptions in a format suitable for the executive level to execute.

A method of operating a network of unmanned vehicles, each unmanned vehicle comprising a computer system programmed to allow autonomous operation of the unmanned vehicle that is divided into an executive level configured to control motion of the unmanned vehicle and an automatic decision level configured to communicate with a ground control station and other unmanned vehicles and to provide descriptions of tasks to be performed to the executive level for execution, the method comprising:

• transmitting a set of task descriptions to the unmanned vehicles;
• each unmanned vehicle determining if the unmanned vehicle is able to perform a task, and calculating an execution cost for the unmanned vehicle to execute the task;
• allocating the tasks by holding an auction to allocate each task in which each bid corresponds to the execution cost of the unmanned vehicle to perform the task, the bid with a lowest execution cost is selected, and a winning unmanned vehicle is notified of their successful bid;
• each unmanned vehicle building a task plan comprising an ordered list of tasks allocated to the unmanned vehicle according to a planned order of execution, decomposing the task descriptions associated with the allocated tasks into elementary task descriptions for the executive level, and providing the elementary task descriptions to the executive level in a format suitable for the executive level to execute the task;
• and
• each unmanned vehicle executing the tasks it has been allocated.