JAUS ArchitectureOverview

Why did we need JAUS?

“Stove-Pipe” Design• Subsystems common to all Unmanned Systems

(US) were previously built from scratch for each unique system

System Dependency• Performance gains made by one system could not

be easily leveraged by a different system with a similar requirement

Vendor Dependency• Technology transfer efforts provided “technology

nuggets” that could not be rapidly incorporated into existing systems

Why use a “Joint Architecture?” Reduce Vendor Dependency

• To avoid being “locked into” a vendor’s solution• To avoid being “locked out” of technology

advancements

Reduce Life Cycle Costs• Lower maintenance (e.g. software) costs• Lower training requirements

Reduce development time• Rapid prototype development• Rapid system engineering by focusing on new

requirements

Expand existing systems with new capabilities

Enable Joint Development• Robotic system interoperability

What are the JAUS pillars? Vehicle Platform

Independence

Mission Isolation

Computer Hardware Independence

Technology Independence

JAUS Timeline October 1995

• Joint Architecture for Unmanned Ground Systems (JAUGS) formed by the Unmanned Ground Vehicles/Systems Joint Project Office

February 1998• The Office of Secretary of Defense (OSD) Joint Robotics Program

(JRP) officially issued a charter for the JAUGS Working Group (JAUGS WG)

• The JRP issued a mandate requiring that all of the programs it managed must comply with JAUGS

August 2002• The OSD expanded the charter to make the standard compatible

with all classes of unmanned systems• Renamed Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS)• The new charter specifically called for the working group to

transition JAUS to a commercial, international standard April 2004

• The JAUS WG achieved adoption by the SAE Aerospace Avionics Systems Division (ASD) as the Unmanned Systems Committee (AS-4)

Spring 2005• Navy mandates JAUS for all UUV and USV systems

See Supplemental Document on Website • AIR 5664-0D3 - JAUS History

JAUS Working Group Domain Model Reference Architecture

• Part I – Architecture Framework• Part II – Message Definition• Part III – Message Set

Sub-Committees• OCU and Payloads (OPC)• Transport (Ethernet / RS-232)• World Modeling• Mission Planning• …

SAE AS-4 Working Group

Sub-Committees• Architecture Framework (AS-4A)• Network Environment (AS-4B)• Information Modeling and Definition (AS-

4C)

Task Groups• Experimentation• Weapons• Mission Planning• World Modeling• …

JAUS System Topology

SYSTEM

Subsystem 1 Subsystem 2 Subsystem N

Node 1 Node 2 Node 3 Node N

Component 1 Component 2 Component 3 Component N

JAUS System Topology

System• Logical grouping of one or more

Subsystems• Typically grouped to gain some

cooperative advantage between the constituent Subsystems

Example system might group the following subsystems• One or more operator control units (OCU)• One or more static sensor installations• One or more vehicle Subsystems working

towards a common goal

JAUS System Topology

Subsystem• Independent and distinct unit

within a System• Address is a value from 1 to 254

Uniquely identifies the Subsystem

A System is comprised of Subsystems• A robotic vehicle• An OCU

JAUS System Topology

Node• Independent and distinct computing

resource within a Subsystem• Contains at least one CPU• Has exactly one Node Manager

Component• Address is a value from 1 to 254• Examples include:

Actuator Controller Motion Feedback and Control World Model Knowledge Store

A Subsystem is comprised of one or more Nodes

JAUS System Topology

Component• Lowest level of decomposition in

architectural hierarchy• Cohesive software unit that

provides a well-defined service or set of services

• Generally speaking, a component is an executable task or process

• Address is a value from 1 to 254 1 is reserved for the Node Manager

A Node is comprised of two or more Components

JAUS Notation and Conventions Joint Technical Architecture (JTA)

• Department of Defense Joint Technical Architecture, Version 3.1, March 2000

The International System of Units (SI)• NIST Special Publication 330, 1991 Edition, The International System of

Units (SI).

Conventional Terrestrial Reference System• World Geodetic System (WGS84), MIL-STD 2401, 11 January, 1994• The National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) Technical Report

8350.2, Third Edition• DoD World Geodetic System 1984, Its Definitions and Relationships

with Local Geodetic Systems, 4 July 1997

Vehicle Coordinate Systems• Consistent with ANSI/AIAA R-004-1992, Recommended practice for

Atmosphere and Space Flight Vehicle Coordinate Systems• Selected portions adapted for ground vehicles• Figure 2.1, Part II

Manipulator Link Notation• Figures 2.2 – 2.4, Part II

Other Architectures National Institute of Standards and

Technology (NIST) 4D/RCS• Temporal, Hierarchical Architecture

NATO STANAG 4586• Primarily UAV interoperability

NIST Autonomy Levels for Unmanned Systems (ALFUS)• Establishes standard definitions for the

levels of autonomy for unmanned systems

Evolution Robotics’ ERSP• Proprietary Robotic Development Platform