Cargo transportation on US Navy and Marine Corps aircraft is complex due to the unique limitations related to aircraft, including the loading space dimensions, the aircraft center of gravity, and restraint requirements. Cougaar Software, Inc. (CSI) proposes developing a Mobile Configured Airlift Load Calculator (MCALC) application an Artificial Intelligence enhanced software capability has the ability to automate cargo handling operations to obtain dimensional cargo data and generate optimal cargo configurations with tie-down patterns. CSIs aim is to develop a tool that has (1) a high-performance optimization engine for determining an optimized load configuration, meeting a user-configurable set of constraints and requirements; (2) an innovative image processing algorithm to convert images from a camera into dimensional data measurements of cargo and 3D space; (3) intuitive and simple, lightweight user interfaces designed to allow users to leverage the planning, and execution support of the plan, with little or no training or support; and (4) an open API allowing other programs or systems to access the loading optimization as part of a larger business process, mobile apps, or external planning/support systems. Providing an automated mobile means to evaluate and design cargo configurations will improve the safety of crew members and cargo while expediting the cargo transportation process. Specific features of MCALC will include the ability to: Measure, input, and store unique cargo dimensions using a handheld devices camera; Determine the location of tie-down rings and tie-down using innovative image processing; Generate optimal cargo configurations and tie-down patterns across different cargo loading zones and aircraft requirements using optimization algorithms; Calculate restraint provided by specific tie-down patterns; Evaluate cargo configurations based on user-selected preferences; View load configurations on an interactive 3D visualization that allows users to view each loading step; Save and display known and newly developed cargo configurations based on the aircraft selected; Generate machine-readable and human-readable (e.g., on the UI and/or as PDFs) load steps aircraft cargo loading; Add and save notes/remarks to the application as needed; View CLG publications and other documents necessary to support duties; Make calculations needed to support airmen;Integrate of capability into MAGTAB The optimization algorithms will include consideration of compliance, constraints, and limitation factors to generate a cargo configuration and tie-down pattern. The MCALC capability will utilize Government-provided cargo and aircraft/container characteristics and restraint restrictions that can be used for planning and optimization reasoners and have the ability to load, unload, and edit the data as appropriate.
Benefit: The Mobile Configured Airlift Load Calculator (MCALC) application will provide the US Navy and Marine Corps with an automated AI-enhanced application that supports the complex needs of cargo handling operations. Complexity arises from the unique limitations related to aircraft, including the loading space dimensions, the aircraft center of gravity, and restraint requirements. The cargo needs to be configured for the specific aircraft that will transport the cargo in a manner that maximizes cargo configuration fill volume, minimizes the number of configurations (e.g., on pallets), minimizes center of gravity deviance, and observes constraints such as maximum weight and cargo restraint requirements. Space within an aircraft is a prized resource, and the efficient use of cargo space can make a significant impact on the cost and effort required to perform airlift sustainment, especially on highly constrained missions. Efficient use of cargo space can result in fewer air transports or containers being required, which means less of everything required to support those resources people, fuel, equipment wear, etc. Providing an automated mobile means to evaluate and design cargo configurations will improve the safety of crew members and cargo while expediting the cargo transportation process. MCALC will take a diverse set of air cargo elements that must be packed individually; a set of aircraft options containers and aircraft cargo areas; and a set of user-specified preferences or priorities and produce optimal loading configurations. This capability would also allow for new cargo and aircraft to be defined and used within the prototype application. The following anticipated benefits are expected: Automation of diverse set of air cargo elements that must be packed individually; Improved safety of crew members and cargo while expediting the cargo transportation process, which can then be analyzed quickly through automation and technology to ensure transportation regulation and load balance compliance; Improvement of cargo handling efficiency by reducing the time it takes to assemble and restraining cargo configurations; Reducing the cost of shipping air cargo across the world at a moments notice; Advancing the state of the art for cargo planning by improving on current novel metaheuristics for developing optimal load plans on handheld devices. The MCALC capability will benefit a wide variety of government organizations that need to manage complex receipt and packing/shipping activities, optimize space, and reduce cost and time of packing, unpacking, and store commodities. Upon completion of this effort and the previous work, CSI will have created a common core capability in load planning across the Army, Air Force, and Navy. This capability could then be leveraged into commercial logistics as well.
Keywords: restraint, restraint, multi-agent systems, handling, Bin Packing Problem, Cargo, Artificial Intelligence, tie-down, Automated Load Planning
