AUTOMATED CONTROL OF MULTIPLE GROUND VEHICLES

Abstract

The Drone Formation Control System (DFCS) was developed by IBM, Federal Systems Division in 1976 under contract to the US Army White Sands Missile Range (WSMR) to provide precise automatic closed-loop control for multiple target aircraft. The unique DFCS distance measuring equipment (DME) data link allows for both range measurement and the transmission of both command and telemetry data on a single frequency (915 MHz). The DFCS is controlled by a federated chain of microprocessors linked to a large scale IBM System 360 Model 75. The unique data link embedded in a system totally driven by software allowed the DFCS to be modified for automatic control of multiple ground targets as well as aerial targets. This paper briefly describes the DFCS and the modifications performed for ground target control. The DFCS RF modulation/demodulation technique is emphasized.