An Architecture for Intelligent Management of Aerial Observation Missions

Apex, an elaboration of the three-tier type architecture used successfully in many autonomy applications, is designed around the concept of modular reasoning and control services (RCSs) with response-time characteristics as a primary factor in module delineation. We believe this approach reflects a valuable synthesis of requirements from diverse missions types and systems, and avoids pitfalls commonly seen in autonomy architecture design. The paper presents an overview of the architecture, its design rationale and its deployment in Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs).