INMARA II = Intelligent Machine Reasoning and Action

This Proof of Concept Application is a follow on from our successful INMARA Feasibility
Study 130597. We are developing small unmanned aircraft for use throughout the world in
scientific (ash cloud monitoring), commercial (oil and mineral exploration and production)
and state (land and maritime border patrol) applications.
Our aim is to provide each unmanned aircraft with some of the intelligence of a bird, so that it
flies predictably and safely, avoiding other aircraft. It then either returns to base, or lands in a
suitable location, if the early onset of system failure is detected, so avoiding a costly crash and
its detrimental impact on the business case. In geophysical survey work, the cost of the
sensors and the satellite communications unit on the aircraft can exceed $200,000.
We propose to build and test prototype hardware and software that will perform Intelligent
Machine Reasoning and Action and adaptive flight control, on our existing InView unmanned
aircraft, in real time, to prove our concept. The system will continuously monitor the state of
the aircraft and the external environment and detect and diagnose performance degradation
and faults. It will decide on the action to take to ensure predictable behaviour and the best
execution of the mission objectives, in the face of changing system status and a dynamic
external environment.
This Proof of Concept work will help us to build a world leading aerospace business in the
U.K. based on the design, manufacture and export of unmanned aircraft systems and related
services to oil and mineral rich countries.
The societal benefits of this work include the prospect of increased safety of small unmanned
aircraft and the reduced environmental impact associated with their operation, since small
unmanned aircraft use less fuel per km flown than their manned counterparts.
This demanding and dramatic Proof of Concept will be generally applicable to a wide variety
of ground, sea and air based robotic vehicles.