UAV Applications Challenge the Limits of Embedded Computing Technologies

Unmanned Vehicles (UAV/UAS) have proven to be vital, strategic new weapons in the military’s arsenal by providing needed critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capabilities as well as the ability to strike enemy forces. The complexity and diversity of UAV applications and their underlying computing systems present some of the most difficult design challenges for developers. Military designers have to contend with a long and multifaceted list of requirements that challenge the limits of embedded computing technologies. For instance, UAV systems need the highest performance computing for sensor, data collection/distribution and image processing that must fit within strict size, weight and power (SWaP) constraints. Plus, these systems must also be highly ruggedized to survive and perform reliably in the most demanding and harsh operational environments.