AT 309 Lab 2: Digital Transformation

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Introduction

The year is 1492 and Columbus finds North America. We basically know this story and how it essentially turns into the U.S. we have today. Through the span of until now, 2020, technology has drastically evolved. Along with this transformation of various technologies, we have been performing something called digital transformation in more recent years. Digital Transformation is the process of transforming hardware or outdated technology into digital applications and digital hardware. The main components of this type of change consist of the Internet of Things (IoT), big data, cloud computing, and Artificial Intelligence (AI). Below, I dive a little deeper into each component.

Discussion

Going a little deeper into the web of digital transformation, IoT is the network of smart devices. This can be used for sharing data that would otherwise be stagnant without the assistance of being connected to this network. IoT has helped drive UAS in a way that allows for various applications to be used for data analysis or for programming, but there are many other ways this network can be utilized. UAS can be used for various industries such as agriculture, construction, etc; fumigation surveillance; or simply using other smart devices for the drone to utilize. Using UAS with IoT allows for drones to use the preexisting landscape and to also shape it too. As we can see in the fumigation surveillance link, we can see that UAS could not really replace surveyors but rather streamline the process. If GHMC continually used this system, they would be able to figure out that using the drones to inspect sites and collect data on whether or not it is working efficiently or if any hazards came up after the initial startup. 

Big Data is large data sets that are typically analyzed for certain types of information, but they can be extensive and very large, which makes it impractical to analyze manually. UAS is another platform that can be used to collect this type of data. Typically, you would see geographical big data being collected from UAS. A way that big data is driving UAS is by using integrated IoT devices to help analyze the data that is being generated to make the system autonomous. In my UAS career so far, I have used ArcGIS Pro, which is an application to process geographical images for certain color ranges and to also use multispectral sensors for other analyses. UAS has utilized big data by becoming sensors and a medium for collecting that type of data. Simulyze uses an application called Mission Insight which ties multiple big data sets to generate situational awareness for UAVs. By joining the big data arena, UAS has developed because of it and has helped to shape that industry to find new ways to collect that data.

Everyone has heard of "the cloud" before. That is simply one component of cloud computing, it is the process of making applications accessible over the internet. Storage so happens to be a piece over the different applications available. A good portion of the points I have made included UAS being a data collection platform, rather than carrying the processing power and computations themselves. The sole purpose of using cloud computing is to create web-based applications to make the computations for the drones themselves, which would make simpler drones still suitable for a broader span of jobs. One example of using cloud-based computing was creating a surveillance system with UAS by grouping 3G and Google Maps. The 3G enables continuous internet access, and Google Maps provides a geographical reference for the system and to become aware of its surroundings. Within this system, it moves all computations within "the cloud" to continue the concept of using UAS just for data collection.

Artificial Intelligence is the concept of allowing machines to learn and process the natural world, just like humans. A lot of people when they hear about AI have their minds wander to the worse and think we will be overrun eventually by these machines. What people don't take into account is that the AI must learn before it can properly function. Humans have become obsessed to create smart systems and to test them against humans. An example of this would relate to the Drone Racing League (DRL). The DRL is an international racing league for drones to test pilots. The keyword in that previous sentence is pilots; DRL is not outfitted for AI competitions. Nevertheless, researchers created a Racer3 with an AI system functioning it. They found that creating a sophisticated system requires the system to gain experience and learn from mistakes. After a few years, they believed the system was suited for competition and was ready to test some of the best pilots. Back in 2019 after this venture, DRL expressed interest in testing its league teams with creating AI-based drones. Now, that is one example of how UAS drives AI, but let's look into how AI has shaped UAS. The main use of AI within UAS relates to controlling the drone. The military is no stranger to UAS or AI. They have been working in ways to create a smarter system, using it for various missions, and even using it to detect other UAVs. Citadel Defense created an AI system that can identify, detect, and even take out adversary UAVs. The reasoning behind creating this type of system is that if the U.S. happens to be using this type of technology, the adversary is more than likely to follow suit. With the use of all these smarter systems, and even the other components of Digital Transformation, it helps to drive the UAS industry and for the UAS industry to help shape the transformation.

Conclusion

Digital Transformation is the newest type of technological revolution that the world is experiencing. By using IoT, big data, cloud computing, and AI, it helps to advance and create greater efficiency for various industries. Although the transformation has helped to drive the UAS industry forward, that industry has done the same to continually grow the transformation. The transformation has caused the UAS industry to grow into being more efficient by switching to web-based computations and applications that streamline the process across multiple smart devices while being able to handle large data sets, all the while being controlled by an AI system that allows the pilot to focus on other systems and allows them to focus on other safety factors that potentially could be overlooked. The UAS industry has grown the Digital Transformation by being tools for data collection for various data sets that could have been not possible or impractical to collect. The Digital Transformation will continue to strive within the UAS industry as we continue to grow it.

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