Military systems are the motivational driver for much of the technology development conducted at applied research laboratories around the world. As the needs of the world's militaries change, so does the focus of this research and development. In this paper, we discuss how the fundamental characteristics of military operations in urban terrain (MOUT) impose requirements and constraints on sensing and reconnaissance. We highlight the importance of a new class of small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) for network-centric military urban operations. We review some of the UAVs that have been developed in recent years, and that are under development, with particular attention to their endurance, portability, performance, payload, and communication capabilities. Selected university testbeds are also briefly noted. Over the last few years there has been considerable research focused on how these small UAVs, both individually and collectively, can operate autonomously in urban environments and help capture and communicate needed information. We discuss some of this research; specific topics covered include guidance and control for autonomous operation, multi-UAV coordination and route optimization, and ad-hoc networking with UAV nodes. A new concept of operations is described that relies on coordination and control of a heterogeneous suite of small UAVs for surveillance and reconnaissance operations in urban terrain

We present a wavelet-based multi-resolution dynamic maneuver optimization method for UAV route planning. We use a combination of evolutionary computing and interior point based dynamic optimization algorithm to satisfy constraints imposed by vehicle dynamics as well as obstacle avoidance.

Adaptive cruise control (ACC) systems are driver-assisting devices controlling the headway with respect to the vehicle in front. Since they can implement very different technologies, it is of interest to compare their properties and their effect on traffic. In order to do so microsimulation can be used. To reduce software complexity we propose a methodology to develop simulations, which is based on object orientation and on hybrid systems. This methodology allows to easily plug in new components (e.g. a new ACC) without changing the rest of the software, which is very useful in a comparative study. The SHIFT programming language and the Smart-AHS simulation framework are used as building blocks for the methodology.