Maximizing resources: Building a competitive Outdoor Autonomy Lab environment

Maximizing resources: Building a competitive Outdoor Autonomy Lab environment

By Dorina Watermolen, NSWCDD Corporate Communications

Recognizing the need for improved access to basic testing and assessments for autonomous systems, Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division (NSWCDD) initiated the Outdoor Autonomy Lab (OAL) in October 2022. These systems are of growing importance to the Navy and the NSWCDD mission. The complexity and time required to test and assess these technologies are substantial. The OAL seeks to alleviate this by providing an early development stage and prototyping space for testing autonomous systems, catering to the needs of scientists and engineers.

The OAL accommodates the testing of unmanned ground, surface and underwater vehicles, radio frequency system checkouts and other low-risk autonomy activities without paying usage fees. The facility offers diverse testing environments open and wooded terrain and a pond. NSWCDD is transforming an adjacent building on the range into an operations center for autonomy and artificial intelligence (AI) and it is aiming for completion by the 2024 fiscal year's (FY24) end.

The lab was designed to offer a user-friendly testing environment with minimal risk, significantly reducing the extensive approval processes otherwise required. Following OAL training, government personnel can lead projects, and with government sponsorship, contractors, academia and industry partners can also utilize the lab for their testing requirements.

Supported by the Naval Innovative Science and Engineering program, this initiative is a key element in the revitalization and recapitalization efforts designed to promote high-value research and development. The goal is to advance NSWCDD's strategic direction, focusing on the integrated combat power thrust to ensure sustained progress. "The OAL project is aimed at enhancing our facility's infrastructure to improve mission efficiency," said lead engineer Ben Goldman.

Success for the OAL is measured by user engagement, frequency of use, cost savings and expedited deliveries. An additional objective for FY24 is to leverage the lab's experiences to benefit other range areas, prioritizing product improvement over infrastructure costs and complicated approval processes via reducing approval times from months to days.

"A pivotal aspect of this endeavor is the establishment of a cost-free test range for specific system types to facilitate rapid prototyping and the development of early-stage capabilities, especially for those at a lower technology readiness level, setting the stage for more comprehensive and large-scale evaluations," emphasized Goldman. "We want to be able to respond more quickly to requests from customers and have that efficiency to grow the capability that we are looking to deliver."