Title:

Sandia National Labs Autonomy for Hypersonics

Speaker:

Dr. Anton Sumali

Affiliation:

Sandia National Laboratories

When:

Thursday, June 23, 2022 at 2:00:00 PM   Add to Calendar

Where:

MRDC Building, Room 4211

Host:

Ellen Mazumdar
ellen.mazumdar@gatech.edu

Abstract

Sandia National Laboratories is a Federally Funded, Research and Development Center (FFRDC). Through the Autonomy for Hypersonics (A4H) Mission Campaign, Sandia National Laboratories is investing internal funds to explore autonomous systems technologies to increase the warfighting utility of hypersonic weapon systems. A4H is a 6.5 year long strategic initiative that will enable rapid mission planning for response to time sensitive threats and develop technologies for highly adaptive vehicles that intelligently sense their environment, determine a course of action in real time, and then robustly navigate, guide, and control to intended targets. Autonomous systems are typically characterized using the “SENSE THINK ACT” loop for enabling for autonomous operations. While today’s hypersonic flight systems are already autonomous, their operational relevance is significantly limited by their current abilities to perceive and adapt to their environment. A4H is working to enhance the SENSE THINK ACT loop to facilitate onboard intelligence, perception, and reasoning in hypersonic systems. Research within the A4H portfolio has already begun to transition from proof-of-concept demonstrations to higher level tech maturation. As the A4H team enters the second half of the Mission Campaign, we have successfully transitioned research projects to customer funded test flights including an autonomous mission planning solution and robust, optimized vehicle control algorithms. This presentation provides a general overview of Sandia National Laboratories, and more specifically a vision for the future of autonomous hypersonics as well as how A4H is advancing key capabilities in support of this vision. The presentation will spotlight projects from the portfolio as well as highlight efforts for risk reduction and tech transition of next-generation algorithms, techniques, and tools to Sandia's hypersonic mission space.

Biography

Dr. Hartono (Anton) Sumali manages the Autonomous Sensing And Controls Department at Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, USA. He received his PhD in Mechanical Engineering in 1997 from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University in Blacksburg, Virginia, USA. From 1997 to 2002 he was an Assistant Professor at Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana, USA. He has authored or co-authored over 100 technical publications, mostly in MEMS and structural dynamics.

Notes

Refreshments will be served.