CRA to Continue Developing AI-Powered Threat Avoidance System for Navy USVs

The U.S. Navy has awarded Charles River Analytics a $600,000 contract to continue developing an onboard artificial intelligence-based threat avoidance system for uncrewed surface vehicles. The award was issued after CRA demonstrated a prototype system.

The company’s Management of Intelligent Navigation for Condition-based Ocean Safe Transit is an AI system for USVs that can automatically determine the risks of exposure and adapt behavior in response to the vehicle’s surroundings. A human operator would enter mission goals, plans and operating parameters into MIN-COST, and once the USV enters into its mission, MIN-COST uses real-time data and forecasting models to support the vehicle, CRA said.

When a threat is encountered the AI system would select the best tactic based on parameters, the severity of the threat and the behavior tables that it develops. It also uses algorithms to select the best course of action whenever there is a conflict in tactics.

Drew Housten, senior software engineer at the intelligent systems company, said systems like MIN-COST will help Navy and commercial vessels navigate and make decisions autonomously when communication with human operators is not possible. He added that CRA’s solution has the adaptability and versatility that are needed for uncrewed marine vessels.

Housten believes that AI-based threat mitigation systems will be available on other vessels such as recreational boats, and MIN-COST could be a viable solution that would support such boats in collision avoidance.

Charles River Analytics offers research and development, marine systems and technical expertise. It is headquartered in Cambridge, Massachusetts.