text:
Collaborative system for a team of unmanned vehicles
55Forward
1. A system for collaboratively and autonomously planning and controlling a team of unmanned vehicles within an environment, said system comprising:
a mission planning component for creating a mission plan for a plurality of members of the team of unmanned vehicles, said mission planning component creating a task plan for an each said member based on the mission plan, said mission planning component deconflicting the task plans based on a changing situation of the environment, said mission planning component updating the mission plan and the task plans based on the changing situation of the environment;
a collaboration component for assigning members to the team and roles for the assigned members, said collaboration component updating membership and roles of the members based on the changing situation of the environment;
a situational awareness component for evaluating the changing situation of the environment based on information from the assigned members of the team;
a contingency management component for monitoring the changing situation of the environment, changes of capabilities of the assigned members of the team, and execution of the mission plan and task plans, said contingency management component determining whether to update any of the group consisting of the mission plan and the task plans; and
a vehicle management component for controlling movement of each assigned member based on the task plan of each assigned member.
2 Assignments
A system collaboratively and autonomously plans and controls a team of unmanned vehicles within an environment. A mission planning component creates a mission plan for a plurality of members of the team of unmanned vehicles. The mission planning component creates a task plan for each member based on the mission plan. A collaboration component assigns members to the team and roles for the assigned members. The collaboration component updates membership and roles of the members based on the changing situation of the environment. A situational awareness component evaluates the changing situation of the environment based on information from the assigned members of the team. A contingency management component monitors the changing situation of the environment. The contingency management component monitors changes of capabilities of the assigned members of the team and execution of the mission plan and task plans. The contingency management component determines whether to update any of the group consisting of the mission plan and the task plans. A vehicle management component controls movement of each assigned member based on the task plan of each assigned member.
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View Dependent Claims (2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9)
2. The system as set forth in claim 1 further including a resource meta-control component for providing processing and memory resources for each assigned member of the team.
3. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said system collaboratively and autonomously plans and controls a plurality of teams of unmanned vehicles within the environment.
4. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mission planning component is located onboard a member of the team of vehicles.
5. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mission planning component develops a collaborative synchronized plan for the team of vehicles, said plan governing sensor deployment, flight paths, communication, and engagements.
6. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said mission plan further governs information dissemination to the members of the team of vehicles.
7. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said contingency management component detects a contingency, assessing an impact of the contingency, and identifying the contingency as a mission plan violation.
8. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said contingency management component issues alerts to the assigned members that the mission plan no longer satisfies objectives and constraints.
9. The system as set forth in claim 1 wherein said collaboration component dynamically re-teams the assigned members and other members for executing another mission plan.
10. A computer program product for collaboratively and autonomously planning and controlling a team of unmanned vehicles within an environment, said computer program product comprising:
a first instruction for creating a mission plan for a plurality of members of the team of unmanned vehicles;
a second instruction for creating a task plan for an each member based on the mission plan;
a third instruction for deconflicting the task plans based on a changing situation of the environment;
a fourth instruction for updating the mission plan and the task plans based on the changing situation of the environment;
a fifth instruction for assigning members to the team and roles for the assigned members;
a sixth instruction for updating membership and roles of the members based on the changing situation of the environment;
a seventh instruction for evaluating the changing situation of the environment based on information from the assigned members of the team;
an eighth instruction for monitoring the changing situation of the environment, changes of capabilities of the assigned members of the team, and execution of the mission plan and task plans;
a ninth instruction for determining whether to update any of the group consisting of the mission plan and the task plans; and
a tenth instruction for controlling movement of each assigned member based on the task plan of each assigned member.
View Dependent Claims (11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16, 17, 18, 19)
11. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for distinguishing disciplines of each assigned member.
12. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for collaborating control of each assigned member with assets external to the team of vehicles.
13. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for performing a re-plan of the mission plan due to a contingency encountered by one of the assigned members.
14. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for detecting, identifying, and geo-locating each assigned member.
15. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for utilizing geographic information for performing said first instruction.
16. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for reallocating tasks of the assigned.
17. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for recreating another mission plan utilizing objectives, constraints, targets, and team capabilities.
18. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for routing messages to appropriate members of the assigned members.
19. The computer program product as set forth in claim 10 further including an eleventh instruction for gathering tactical and environmental information.
20. A method for collaboratively and autonomously planning and controlling a team of unmanned vehicles within an environment, said method comprising the steps of:
creating a mission plan for a plurality of members of the team of unmanned vehicles;
creating a task plan for an each member based on the mission plan;
deconflicting the task plans based on a changing situation of the environment;
updating the mission plan and the task plans based on the changing situation of the environment;
assigning members to the team and roles for the assigned members;
updating membership and roles of the members based on the changing situation of the environment;
evaluating the changing situation of the environment based on information from the assigned members of the team;
monitoring the changing situation of the environment, changes of capabilities of the assigned members of the team, and execution of the mission plan and task plans;
determining whether to update any of the group consisting of the mission plan and the task plans; and
controlling movement of each assigned member based on the task plan of each assigned member.
FIELD OF INVENTION
The present invention relates to a system for collaborating operation of vehicles, and more specifically, to a system for autonomously collaborating teams of unmanned vehicles.
Conventional Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) operate in various environments and terrains. Future UAV teams are envisioned to be highly autonomous, not requiring constant attention from a control station. These autonomous UAV teams will likely communicate over a radio frequency link with the control base station. If several autonomous UAVs are operating as part of a team, these UAV team members will likely communicate with each other over a communication network as well. These UAV members will likely be required to inform each other of their respective and absolute positions and flight plans so that they operate in a coordinated manner and, since these UAV members are operating autonomously, to continually adjust flight plans to react to the environment, the terrain, and to enemy threats. Each UAV member in the team would communicate at unpredictable times with other members of the team asynchronously.
Sometimes a UAV using the most available data rate may not be the UAV with the highest priority, or critical mission need. At worst, the degradation of communications may persist for a period that may degrade the UAV team'"'"'s critical mission effectiveness.
Autonomous systems also may be desired to be aware of their environment and adapt plans based on changes in their understanding of their environment. Control, therefore, must be flexible, both in development and in execution. A autonomous system may be given objectives to achieve. These objectives may be as simple as monitor state and report problems, or complex, for example, assault and capture a target area.
Additionally, the system may be given constraints such as flight corridors, acceptable risk, or authorized targets. A challenge may be to meld these objectives and constraints with the environmental state and the system state to plan and execute a mission plan in order to achieve the given objectives without violating the constraints.
Furthermore, an autonomous system may itself consist of autonomous subsystems. Thus, the autonomy may also be collaborative, coordinating multiple autonomous subsystems (i.e., vehicles, etc.) to act as a single system. In addition, a team of unmanned vehicles may have access to assets external to the team that would aid in performance and execution of the mission plan. These assets may also be used in concert with the team.
Conventional approaches focus on individual autonomy, ignoring an important facet of collaborative autonomy. It is advantageous to intermingle collaborative aspects into an autonomous system sooner rather than later because many environmental factors may change in a collaborative environment.
For example, a system planning for a team of autonomous assets may evaluate heterogeneous and dynamic asset attributes that may themselves execute autonomous decisions based on previously unknown information thereby impacting a team'"'"'s mission plan. It would be advantageous for team planning to recognize and process this impact.
Conventional approaches are monolithic (i.e., a single control system that performs all the functions required). This approach fails to recognize different disciplines needed to perform the various functions. For example, the conventional system requires awareness of its environment. Thus, the conventional system may need to both estimate probabilities in a data rich environment and optimize courses of action from those estimates for effecting a change to the data rich environment.
An example system in accordance with the present invention collaboratively and autonomously plans and controls a team of unmanned vehicles within an environment. The system includes a mission planning component, a collaboration component, a situational awareness component, a contingency management component, and a vehicle management component. The mission planning component creates a mission plan for a plurality of members of the team of unmanned vehicles. The mission planning component creates a task plan for each member based on the mission plan. The mission planning component deconflicts the task plans based on a changing situation of the environment. The mission planning component updates the mission plan and the task plans based on the changing situation of the environment. The collaboration component assigns members to the team and roles for the assigned members. The collaboration component updates membership and roles of the members based on the changing situation of the environment. The situational awareness component evaluates the changing situation of the environment based on information from the assigned members of the team. The contingency management component monitors the changing situation of the environment. The contingency management component monitors changes of capabilities of the assigned members of the team and execution of the mission plan and task plans. The contingency management component determines whether to update any of the group consisting of the mission plan and the task plans. The vehicle management component controls movement of each assigned member based on the task plan of each assigned member.
An example computer program product in accordance with the present invention collaboratively and autonomously plans and controls a team of unmanned vehicles within an environment. The computer program product includes: a first instruction for creating a mission plan for a plurality of members of the team of unmanned vehicles; a second instruction for creating a task plan for an each member based on the mission plan; a third instruction for deconflicting the task plans based on a changing situation of the environment; a fourth instruction for updating the mission plan and the task plans based on the changing situation of the environment; a fifth instruction for assigning members to the team and roles for the assigned members; a sixth instruction for updating membership and roles of the members based on the changing situation of the environment; a seventh instruction for evaluating the changing situation of the environment based on information from the assigned members of the team; an eighth instruction for monitoring the changing situation of the environment, changes of capabilities of the assigned members of the team, and execution of the mission plan and task plans; a ninth instruction for determining whether to update any of the group consisting of the mission plan and the task plans; and a tenth instruction for controlling movement of each assigned member based on the task plan of each assigned member.
The foregoing and other features of the present invention will become apparent to one skilled in the art to which the present invention relates upon consideration of the following description of the invention with reference to the accompanying drawings, wherein:
FIG. 1 is an example schematic representation of a system in accordance with the present invention;
FIG. 2 is an example representation of operation of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 3 is another example representation of operation of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 4 is still another example representation of operation of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 5 is yet another example representation of operation of the system of FIG. 1;
FIG. 9 is yet another example representation of operation of the system of FIG. 1; and
FIG. 10 is an example schematic representation of a computer program product in accordance with the present invention.
DESCRIPTION OF AN EXAMPLE EMBODIMENT
A system in accordance with the present invention may autonomously collaborate and coordinate teams of unmanned vehicles and members of those teams under the command of a Warfighter. Unmanned teams may extend the vision and the reach of the Warfighter. However, the Warfighter may expend an amount of time managing these unmanned vehicles such that the Warfighter may lose effectiveness as a Warfighter.
Autonomy may relieve the Warfighter of this burden. By moving the Warfighter'"'"'s role from control to command, unmanned systems may move from force extension to force expansion. Collaboration provided by the system may transform the operation of an unmanned system of vehicles from force expansion to force multiplication. Thus, a Warfighter may perform its duties more effectively, more successfully, and more decisively.
The system provides an architecture for autonomous planning and control of collaborating teams of unmanned vehicles. The architecture provides collaboration with teammates and external assets by incorporating elements of collaboration into various components and dedicating a component to this purpose. The system also distinguishes different disciplines thereby facilitating successful development and execution. Conventional architectures may lack or underrepresent these elements.
The system may include six components including one dedicated solely to collaborative functionality. The system may be scalable—instantiated on multiple systems. The system may allow the growth of a collaborative team without placing undue burden on a central control point—each vehicle represents a teammate rather than a subordinate.
As stated above, one component may be dedicated to collaboration. The other components may involve individual vehicle autonomy. Together, the components may enable the architecture of the system to define a scalable team of collaboratively autonomous vehicles.
An example system 10 may distinguish disciplines and segment the disciplines into six components—Air Vehicle Management (AVM) 20, Collaboration 30, Contingency Management (CM) 40, Mission Planning (MP) 50, Situational Awareness (SA) 60, and Resource Meta-Control (RMC) 70. The components 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 may work in concert to achieve objectives without violating mission constraints.
The Mission Planning component 50, typically onboard the autonomous system 10, may perform pre-mission and dynamic in-mission replanning for a collaborative team. Mission planning may develop collaborative synchronized plans for sensor employment, flight paths, communications, and engagements. The system 10 operates in a hierarchical fashion with mission plans at the highest level—such as Teams A and B recon area ZEBRA, team plans at the next level, and individual vehicle plans at the lowest level. The system 10 may optimize and/or account for factors such as high level mission objectives and constraints, resource allocation for the number of vehicles, payload configuration for different mission objectives, and collaborative use of onboard sensors and external assets to detect, identify, and geo-locate vehicle and dismounted infantry targets of interest. The system 10 may further optimize communication events that support the teams'"'"' information dissemination and synchronization requirements, routes that support the planned use of sensors and communications while minimizing threat exposure, and target engagement planning and weapon deployment sequencing.
The Mission Planning component 50 may accept objectives and constraints for planning missions as well as alerts indicating that replanning is required. The Mission Planning component 50 may use geographic information (e.g., terrain, obstacle, and cultural), environmental information (e.g., weather), situational information (e.g., threat locations and capabilities), and vehicle/team and external asset capability information (e.g., payload availability and mobility models). The Mission Planning component 50 may generate mission plans that include travel plans, sensor plans, communication plans, and weapon plans.
At a team level, the Mission Planning component 50 may generate task objectives and constraints for lower level mission planning. The Mission Planning component 50 may then accept, combine, and deconflict plans when lower level mission planning is considered. The Mission Planning component 50 may also accept alerts for changes that require a replan at a team level.
The Contingency Management component 40 may monitor unexpected influences that may affect team plan success, such as payload failure, modified orders, new operational constraints, changing environmental conditions, and/or other unexpected changes in the a Battlespace. The Contingency Management component 40 may feature a team-wide contingency resolution escalation process whereby contingency management may detect a contingency, assess impact, and identify a plan violation. The Contingency Management component 40 may then trigger the Mission Planning component 50 to perform a replan for the affected vehicle locally that may resolve the problem.
If there are tasks that can not be re-planned locally, the Contingency Management component 40 may then collaborate with other team members to reallocate tasks. If there is a reallocation failure, the system 10 may trigger a team replan. If a team replan cannot resolve the situation, the Contingency Management component 40 may alert a controlling element (typically a manned asset) that there is a team planning failure and await new instructions.
The Contingency Management component 40 may implement contingency monitoring and plan impact analysis for most contingency types including air vehicle flight capability degradation, pop-up threats, pop-up targets of opportunity, friendly and neutral movement within the battle space, loss of team members, and mission equipment failures. The Contingency Management component 40 may also determine when an "Emergency Mission Abort" is required and provide a controlling element with control over the level/type of contingency monitoring performed.
The Contingency Management component 40 may receive mission plans and information regarding the changing situation (e.g., new objectives, new constraints, new obstacles, new threats, new targets, and/or changes in vehicle/team capabilities, etc.). The Contingency Management component 40 may issue alerts when plans no longer satisfy objectives and constraints. At a team level, the Contingency Management component 40 may receive alerts of changes that cannot be handled at a lower level and issue alerts to the Mission Planning component 50 for replanning.
The Collaboration component 30 may assign roles for team members, coordinate task execution, and intelligently disseminate information to other team members and/or external assets. The Collaboration component 30 may be responsible for performing team formation behaviors, such as identification and authentication of controlling elements.
The Collaboration component 30 may also enable the system 10 to dynamically re-team for undertaking new missions, reallocate tasks in response to new situations and/or failures, and handoff control required for changing of a controlling element. In addition, the Collaboration component 30 may determine required interactions with the controlling element, exchange information with other autonomous systems in the team and/or external assets, and coordinate execution of planned tasks.
The Collaboration component 30 may accept messages and route the messages to appropriate recipients. The Collaboration component 30 may also process the messages if the Collaboration component itself is an appropriate recipient (e.g., authentication, team membership, teammate synchronization protocol messages, etc.).
The Collaboration component 30 may accept messages for transmission to teammates and/or external assets, assign transmission parameters (e.g., addressee, time sensitivity, acknowledgement required, etc.), and transfer the messages communication systems for transmission. The Collaboration component 30 itself may also generate messages for collaborative functions (e.g., authentication, team membership, teammate synchronization protocol messages, etc.).
The Situational Awareness component 60 may gather data on an external tactical and environmental situation and transform that data into a form useful to other onboard systems. Just as good situation awareness is critical for a pilot or crewmember to perform effectively in a manned system, the intelligent autonomous system 10 may require complete, timely, specific, and relevant information to make "good decisions".
The Situational Awareness component 60 may perform multi-vehicle track-level data fusion and de-confliction of reports from onboard sensors, teammate autonomous systems, and/or external sources thereby providing an estimated and predicted Common Relevant Operating picture (CROP). The Situational Awareness component 60 may also prioritize threats, predict future threat location from an initial reported position, and generate cues to teammate systems in support of mission information needs.
The Air Vehicle Management component 20 may perform several roles for autonomous terrain flight and refine route plans to minimize overall exposure to threats (considering terrain masking), collision risks, and vehicle dynamics. The Air Vehicle Management component 20 may provide reflexive obstacle and threat response capability to enhance overall system survivability by quickly maneuvering a vehicle out of "harm'"'"'s way" while the system 10 generates a re-plan to achieve mission objectives.
The Air Vehicle Management component 20 may also generate trajectory commands based on a library of maneuver primitives (including agile maneuvers that fully span the available flight envelope) providing enhanced maneuvering effectiveness for survivable threat response. The Air Vehicle Management component 20 may accept travel plans (e.g., flight plans), threat warnings from onboard sensors, and obstacle warnings from obstacle sensors thereby generating maneuvers for the vehicle actuator systems.
The Resource Meta-Control component 70 may provide these services across team members in addition to a particular member of the team. The Resource Meta-Control component 70 may be a software infrastructure component providing processing and memory resources for the other components 20, 30, 40, 50, 60. The Resource Meta-Control component 70 may operate in concert with operating system level resource management functions. The Resource Meta-Control component 70 may perform system management functions, such as processor switchover, memory zeroize, pre-mission and post-mission data exchange, and/or fault isolation.
The Resource Meta-Control component 70 may manage computational resources by performing resource utilization monitoring, resource allocation to agents, resource reclamation and reallocation, resource tracking, and resource scheduling and optimization. An RMC Agent Supervisor may manage agents by agent creation and destruction, agent registration and monitoring, job assignment and status reporting, and/or agent suspension and resumption. The Resource Meta-Control component 70 may provide the other components 20, 30, 40, 50, 60 with access to data by managing publication/subscription interchanges, managing data retention, and/or performing structured queries upon request.
The components 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 of the system 10 work in concert to effect autonomous and collaborative behavior. FIGS. 2-9 are examples of some operational threads through the components 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70 of the system 10. The Resource Meta-Control component 70 is not shown for clarity. The Resource Meta-Control component 70 provides the connectivity for the example threads of FIGS. 2-9. FIGS. 1-9 show communication interface/systems 1, sensor interface/systems 2, weapons interface/systems 3, and vehicle control interface/systems 4. These interface/systems 1, 2, 3, 4 are not part of the system 10, but are example adjacent systems with which the system 10 communicates, or "converses".
A shown in FIG. 2, a mission may be expressed as a set of objectives and constraints. These objectives and constraints may be input to the system 10 before a mission and the system may develop a mission plan. This plan may then be sent to a controlling element, such as a commander, for approval. However, it may not be necessary for the controlling element to review and approve the plan, but this is typically the case.
As shown in FIG. 3, approval may be received by the system 10 via the Collaboration component 30. The Contingency Management component 40 may monitor plan execution and the Mission Planning component 50 may execute the plan, sending flight plans to the Air Vehicle Management component 20, communication plans to communication system 1, and sensor plans to the sensor systems 2.
As shown in FIG. 4, because of constantly changing situations, replans may likely be necessary. Various causes may initiate replanning. In the example of FIG. 4, an external asset causes a replan. A external Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) asset may refine target locations in the CROP via the Collaboration component 30. The Situation Awareness component 60 may incorporate this new information into the CROP.
The Contingency Management component 40 may examine the CROP, recognize that the current plan will not achieve the mission objectives and alert the Mission Planning component 50. The Mission Planning component 50 may then perform a replan, inform a controlling element via the Collaboration component 30, and begin executing a new plan.
In the example of FIG. 4, new information from an external source caused a replan. As shown in FIG. 5, autonomous system 10 itself may recognizes a change. The sensor system 2 may detect a popup threat. The sensor system 2 may alert the Air Vehicle Management component 20, which generates a short-term response. The sensor system 2 may also alert the Situation Awareness component 60, which may incorporate new information into the CROP.
The example thread of FIG. 5 is otherwise similar to the example of FIG. 4. In FIG. 5, however, an optimal course of action is to engage the threat, so the Mission Planning component 50 generates an engagement plan. The rules of engagement may demand that a controlling element provide weapons release authority. Thus, the system 10 may request this authority via the Collaboration component 30.
As shown in FIG. 6, permission to engage may be received via the Collaboration component 30. The Mission Planning component 50 may execute the engagement plan and the Communication Interface 1 and the Air Vehicle Management component 20 may implement the plan resulting in a weapons release.
The system 10 provides collaborative functionality through the collaborative aspects of the components 20, 30, 40, 50, 60, 70. As shown in FIG. 7, unlike in FIG. 6, the mission plan may be issued to a team. Thus, the collaborative hierarchy of the system 10 becomes evident. As with the above examples, mission objectives and constraints are received by the system 10. One of the constraints may be a list of assets available to carry out a mission. The Mission Planning component 50 may decompose the mission into tasks to be performed by various assets along with the asset requirements.
Also, the Collaboration components may have determined and authenticated the assets. The Collaboration component 30 may assign tasks to the assets based on the given requirements, associate the tasks with the team, and issue the tasks to the team members.
For pre-mission planning, the system 10 may perform all planning on a single vehicle (i.e., vehicle one 7). Additional instances of mission planning may be executed in order to generate the task plans. However, in general, processing may be offloaded to teammates. For replanning with imperfect communications, individual vehicles may receive small task descriptions and perform their own processing rather than an entire detailed task plan.
If multiple vehicles perform planning, other vehicles in a team may receive tasks. FIG. 8 shows the example process on vehicle two 8. The task is received and routed to the Mission Planning component 50. The Mission Planning component 50 may then a task as a single vehicle mission and the thread may continue as in FIG. 2. The system 10 may execute this process on vehicles one through N. The system may thus be scaled to any mission requirements.
As shown in FIG. 9, vehicle one 7 may receive and deconflict a task plan and issue a full mission plan to all team members and the controlling element. Team members may receive a full plan so that the team members are aware of teammate actions when replanning is necessary.
If the controlling element approves a plan, all team members may execute the plan as in FIG. 3. Similarly, reaction to a change may also be collaborative. Because each team member may be aware of the team mission plan, each team member is capable of determining when a detected change may affect the other team members.
For example, consider the pop-up threat response of FIG. 5. A pop-up threat likely is processed in due course due to a team CROP update similar to that shown in FIG. 4.
However, the system 10 may process a discovery of a previously unknown obstacle similar to the example of FIG. 5. If this obstacle affects a team member with a task plan that may cause the team member to encounter the obstacle later, the detecting team member may recognize this situation and alert the Mission Planning component 50 that a team replan may be required.
The system 10 may resolve a loss of capability in a similar fashion. If vehicle one 7 recognizes a sensor failure and a team member must perform the lost sensor coverage in order to achieve objectives of the mission, vehicle one 7 may recognize that the team is affected and trigger a team replan by the system 10.
The architecture of the system 10 offers substantial advantages over conventional approaches. The system 10 may recognize the need to partition components requiring distinct disciplines for analysis, development, and operation, as well as the advantage of autonomy collaborative both with other autonomous systems of the team and systems external to the team. The system 10 is thus more extensible and more scalable than conventional systems.
Because the system 10 may decouple components, analysis and development may be performed by different disciplines with relative independence. Additionally, novel algorithms may be added to the system 10 with minimal disturbance of existing components.
Collaboration is an integral part of the architecture of the system 10—an entire component 30 may be dedicated to collaboration and other components may have collaborative concepts at their core. For example, the Mission Planning component 50 may be hierarchical in nature so that teams may be formed and reformed with tasks allocated and reallocated to team members.
Contingency management is hierarchical in nature, supporting the concept of issues being addressed at a team level. These issues are typically not addressed, or addressed as an afterthought, in conventional approaches. Because collaboration may be incorporated at the core of components of the system 10, the architecture of the system is scalable.
The architecture may be capable of functioning with other like architectures such that vehicles of a team and teams may function synergistically. The architecture of the system 10 may exist for a variable number of autonomous team members. Thus, intermittent communication between team members or complete loss of a team member may be processed seamlessly.
As shown in FIG. 10, an example computer program product 1000 in accordance with the present invention collaboratively and autonomously plans and controls a team of unmanned vehicles within an environment. The computer program product includes: a first instruction 1001 for creating a mission plan for a plurality of members of the team of unmanned vehicles; a second instruction 1002 for creating a task plan for an each member based on the mission plan; a third instruction 1003 for deconflicting the task plans based on a changing situation of the environment; a fourth instruction 1004 for updating the mission plan and the task plans based on the changing situation of the environment; a fifth instruction 1005 for assigning members to the team and roles for the assigned members; a sixth instruction 1006 for updating membership and roles of the members based on the changing situation of the environment; a seventh instruction 1007 for evaluating the changing situation of the environment based on information from the assigned members of the team; an eighth instruction 1008 for monitoring the changing situation of the environment, changes of capabilities of the assigned members of the team, and execution of the mission plan and task plans; a ninth instruction 1009 for determining whether to update any of the group consisting of the mission plan and the task plans; and a tenth instruction 1010 for controlling movement of each assigned member based on the task plan of each assigned member.
In order to provide a context for the various aspects of the present invention, the following discussion is intended to provide a brief, general description of a suitable computing environment in which the various aspects of the present invention may be implemented. While the invention has been described above in the general context of computer-executable instructions of a computer program that runs on a computer, those skilled in the art will recognize that the invention also may be implemented in combination with other program modules.
Generally, program modules include routines, programs, components, data structures, etc. that perform particular tasks or implement particular abstract data types. Moreover, those skilled in the art will appreciate that the inventive methods may be practiced with other computer system configurations, including single-processor or multiprocessor computer systems, minicomputers, mainframe computers, as well as personal computers, hand-held computing devices, microprocessor-based or programmable consumer electronics, and the like. The illustrated aspects of the invention may also be practiced in distributed computing environments where tasks are performed by remote processing devices that are linked through a communications argument model. However, some, if not all aspects of the invention can be practiced on stand-alone computers. In a distributed computing environment, program modules may be located in both local and remote memory storage devices.
An exemplary system for implementing the various aspects of the invention includes a conventional server computer, including a processing unit, a system memory, and a system bus that couples various system components including the system memory to the processing unit. The processing unit may be any of various commercially available processors. Dual microprocessors and other multi-processor architectures also can be used as the processing unit. The system bus may be any of several types of bus structure including a memory bus or memory controller, a peripheral bus, and a local bus using any of a variety of conventional bus architectures. The system memory includes read only memory (ROM) and random access memory (RAM). A basic input/output system (BIOS), containing the basic routines that help to transfer information between elements within the server computer, such as during start-up, is stored in ROM.
The server computer further includes a hard disk drive, a magnetic disk drive, e.g., to read from or write to a removable disk, and an optical disk drive, e.g., for reading a CD-ROM disk or to read from or write to other optical media. The hard disk drive, magnetic disk drive, and optical disk drive are connected to the system bus by a hard disk drive interface, a magnetic disk drive interface, and an optical drive interface, respectively. The drives and their associated computer-readable media provide nonvolatile storage of data, data structures, computer-executable instructions, etc., for the server computer. Although the description of computer-readable media above refers to a hard disk, a removable magnetic disk and a CD, it should be appreciated by those skilled in the art that other types of media which are readable by a computer, such as magnetic cassettes, flash memory cards, digital video disks, Bernoulli cartridges, and the like, may also be used in the exemplary operating environment, and further that any such media may contain computer-executable instructions for performing the methods of the present invention.
A number of program modules may be stored in the drives and RAM, including an operating system, one or more application programs, other program modules, and program data. A user may enter commands and information into the server computer through a keyboard and a pointing device, such as a mouse. Other input devices (not shown) may include a microphone, a joystick, a game pad, a satellite dish, a scanner, or the like. These and other input devices are often connected to the processing unit through a serial port interface that is coupled to the system bus, but may be connected by other interfaces, such as a parallel port, a game port or a universal serial bus (USB). A monitor or other type of display device is also connected to the system bus via an interface, such as a video adapter. In addition to the monitor, computers typically include other peripheral output devices (not shown), such as speaker and printers.
The server computer may operate in a networked environment using logical connections to one or more remote computers, such as a remote client computer. The remote computer may be a workstation, a server computer, a router, a peer device or other common network node, and typically includes many or all of the elements described relative to the server computer. The logical connections include a local area network (LAN) and a wide area network (WAN). Such networking environments are commonplace in offices, enterprise-wide computer networks, intranets and the internet.
When used in a LAN networking environment, the server computer is connected to the local network through a network interface or adapter. When used in a WAN networking environment, the server computer typically includes a modem, or is connected to a communications server on the LAN, or has other means for establishing communications over the wide area network, such as the internet. The modem, which may be internal or external, is connected to the system bus via the serial port interface. In a networked environment, program modules depicted relative to the server computer, or portions thereof, may be stored in the remote memory storage device. It will be appreciated that the network connections shown are exemplary and other means of establishing a communications link between the computers may be used.
In accordance with the practices of persons skilled in the art of computer programming, the present invention has been described with reference to acts and symbolic representations of operations that are performed by a computer, such as the server computer, unless otherwise indicated. Such acts and operations are sometimes referred to as being computer-executed. It will be appreciated that the acts and symbolically represented operations include the manipulation by the processing unit of electrical signals representing data bits which causes a resulting transformation or reduction of the electrical signal representation, and the maintenance of data bits at memory locations in the memory system (including the system memory, hard drive, floppy disks, and CD-ROM) to thereby reconfigure or otherwise alter the computer system'"'"'s operation, as well as other processing of signals. The memory locations where such data bits are maintained are physical locations that have particular electrical, magnetic, or optical properties corresponding to the data bits.
It will be understood that the above description of the present invention is susceptible to various modifications, changes and adaptations, and the same are intended to be comprehended within the meaning and range of equivalents of the appended claims. The presently disclosed embodiments are considered in all respects to be illustrative, and not restrictive. The scope of the invention is indicated by the appended claims, rather than the foregoing description, and all changes that come within the meaning and range of equivalence thereof are intended to be embraced therein.
Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
Jung, Adam, Appleby, Brent, Tleon, Joel, Szczerba, Robert, Jameson, Stephen, Franke, Jerry
G05D 1/0088 : characterized by the autono...
G05D 1/104 : involving a plurality of ai...
Current Assignee: Charles Stark Draper Laboratory Incorporated
Sponsoring Entity: Lockheed Martin Corporation


JAYAPURA, Indonesia (AP) — The number of people killed after torrential downpours triggered flash floods and mudslides that tore through mountainside villages in Indonesia's easternmost province has climbed to 79, with dozens of others missing, officials said Monday.
Nugroho said 79 bodies had been pulled from the mud and wreckage of crumpled homes by Sunday. Another 74 people were hospitalized, many with broken bones and head wounds.
Nugroho said the number of dead and injured would likely increase since affected areas had not been reached and rescuers were still searching for dozens of people reportedly still missing.


Duchess Meghan could soon be attending Wimbledon as a royal just two summers after she went to the event as Meghan Markle, lead actress on a nighttime TV soap called Suits. The Express reports that the newest member of the British royal family is scheduled to attend a couple of matches at England's most celebrated tennis tournament. Her husband, Prince Harry, is expected to be by her side.
Meghan attended the tournament in 2016, and according to several reports on their love story, she met Harry that summer. Two years ago, she was there to support her friend, Serena Williams, and she will likely attend her games this year as well. The two were seen hanging out recently at a British polo event where they cheered on Princes William and Harry. Williams' husband Alexis Ohanian was there too.
The Duchess of Sussex has made seven official royal appearances since the royal wedding and she's about to make her eighth. On July 17, she and Prince Harry will attend the Nelson Mandela Centenary Exhibition, an event that will celebrate the life of the venerated South African leader, the Express reports in another article.
Meghan's royal life started with a string of events that included a garden party to celebrate Prince Charles' birthday, The Royal Ascot, her first solo outing with Queen Elizabeth, the Trooping The Colour ceremony, and the Queen's Young Leaders Awards.
According to the Express, Kensington Palace has also confirmed that Meghan and Harry will attend a ceremony honoring the RAF with senior royals this month. They are also expected to travel to Ireland.
During their engagement announcement interview, Meghan said that she looked forward to doing the philanthropic work the British royals commit themselves to and it looks like she's poised to do just that. Back in April, Harry announced that she'll be working alongside him as a Commonwealth Youth Ambassador.
"In my new role, I will work to support The Queen, my father The Prince of Wales, and my brother William, all of whom know that young people are the answer to the challenges of today," Harry said in his address at the Commonwealth Youth Forum.
Meghan had lots of experience doing humanitarian work before she met her husband. As her bio on the royal family's website notes, she has previously worked with an organization called One Young World which is a global forum for young leaders committed to solving the world's problems. She also became a UN Women's Advocate for Women's Political Participation and Leadership in 2015.


text:
The 2001 Proximus 24 Spa World Championship GT was the 55th running of the Spa 24 Hours. It was also the seventh round the 2001 FIA GT Championship season, marking the first time that the FIA GT Championship had the Spa 24 Hours on their schedule. The addition of the FIA GT Championship turned the Spa 24 Hours from a touring car event into a sports car race.

This event combined the FIA GT's two classes (GT and N-GT) with cars from smaller national sports car series (designated Category 2) as well as cars from single-make series (designated Category 3). It took place at the Circuit de Spa-Francorchamps, Belgium, over August 4–5, 2001.

Official results
Class winners in bold. Cars failing to complete 70% of winner's distance marked as Not Classified (NC).

Statistics
 Pole position – #3 Team Carsport Holland – 2:24.053
 Fastest lap – #3 Team Carsport Holland – 2:23.001
 Distance – 3679.104 km
 Average speed – 152.999 km/h

References

S
Spa 24 Hours
Spa 24 Hours

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Shrek Forever After (2010)
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A bored and domesticated Shrek pacts with deal-maker Rumpelstiltskin to get back to feeling like a real ogre again, but when he's duped and sent to a twisted version of Far Far Away—where Rumpelstiltskin is king, ogres are hunted, and he and Fiona have never met—he sets out to restore his world and reclaim his true love.
Mike Myers Eddie Murphy Cameron Diaz Antonio Banderas Julie Andrews
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text:
FNCI
Newsletter Archive (FNCI News)
In this Section -
Recent gifts from the FNCI
Donations to:
The National Gallery of Ireland
The National Library
The National Museum
The Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA)
The Crawford Gallery of Art, Cork
The National Self-Portrait Collection, University of Limerick
The Royal Irish Academy
The Thomas MacDonagh Museum, Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary
Newry and Mourne Museum
Waterford Museum of Treasures
The Library, Trinity College Dublin
Waterford County Museum, Dungarvan.
Ireland's oldest arts charity
The FNCI's recent donation of €20,000 made possible the return to Ireland of this fine portrait of Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster, by Sir Joshua Reynolds, acquired for Castletown House.
Donation to Castletown House - Portrait of Emily FitzGerald
The largest grant which the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland have ever given in our 98 years history has been the €20,000 which recently made possible the purchase at auction in London of the beautiful portrait by Sir Joshua Reynolds of Emily FitzGerald, Duchess of Leinster (1731-1814), and its return to Ireland.
This striking painting had hung for many years in Carton, County Kildare, ancestral home of the Dukes of Leinster (which is now a hotel). It was one of a number of important paintings recently sold by the 9th Duke, who lives in England. The balance of the cost was provided jointly by the Office of Public Works and the Castletown Foundation. It now hangs in Castletown House, near Celbridge, County Kildare.
The FNCI were able to provide a grant of this size only because we recently received an unexpected and generous bequest in a will. It would otherwise have been impossible for us to do so since our only regular income is the annual subscriptions of our members. We are proud to have enabled the return to Ireland of this lovely painting which is part of our country's heritage and can now be appreciated and enjoyed by future generations. This is what the FNCI is for!
Lady Emily FitzGerald was not just the wife of a man who was an important figure in the political life of 18th century Ireland; she was very much a personality in her own right. Married young to James FitzGerald, 20th Earl of Kildare and later 1st Duke of Leinster, she was the mother of eighteen children, one of them Lord Edward FitzGerald, United Irishman and a leader of the insurrection of 1798, and three more children following her remarriage. Much of the duke's political success was attributed to her as, from their homes in Carton (which she extensively redesigned), Frescati,Blackrock, County Dublin (a
supermarket stands there now) and Leinster House, they played a significant role in the political life of the country, her own sympathies being radical.
Castletown House , the earliest and largest Palladian house in Ireland, was built in 1722-29 by William Conolly, the immensely rich Speaker of the Irish House of Commons. It was described by an English visitor fifty years later as ''the only house in Ireland to which the term palace can be applied.'' Here another dynamic woman, Lady Emily's sister Louisa who was married to Thomas Conolly, presided. After the last of the family, the Conolly-Carews, left in 1965 it was saved from developers by the generosity and foresight of Desmond Guinness, co-founder of the Irish Georgian Society, who bought it and 120 acres of its surrounding demesne. Subsequently maintained by the Irish Georgian Society , and then by the Castletown Foundation, it was taken into public ownership in 1994. The house and lands are maintained by the OPW and open to the public, while the important furniture and fittings (much of them original to the house) are owned by the Castletown Foundation who have, like the IGS before , painstakingly acquired them over the years with the help of Irish and American philanthropists. It is in every way a fitting home for Lady Emily's portrait.
 Mary Swanzy at IMMA
In June 2021, despite the national Covid 19 lockdown which very much curtailed our activities, the Friends were able to present to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA), at their request, an important painting by Mary Swanzy (1882-1978), "The Melee", which we purchased at de Vere's auction. This work has been frequently exhibited since it was painted in 1931 and is described by Sean Kissane, curator of exhibitions at IMMA, as "a significant transitional work, one of the first images she made in the surrealist/expressionist style that would come to define her late work from the 1940s on".
€14,000 including fees.
Presentation to Clare Museum, Ennis
The famous Irish artist Frederic William Burton (1816-1900) spent his childhood in Corofin, County Clare. The Clare Museum in Ennis hopes to build on his local
connections by gathering works by him and other early Irish artists from Clare. In July 2021 the FNCI were happy to assist this endeavour by purchasing at auction (Morgan O'Driscoll), and presenting to the museum, a fine portrait by Burton in pastel and charcoal of a young woman, thought to be Annie Callwell. (€2,905 including fees).
Burton's best known works include the magnificent watercolour 'The Meeting on the Turret Stairs' which the Irish public voted as their favourite picture a few years ago, and 'A Blind Girl at a Holy Well'. He became the director of the National Gallery, London, and was responsible for acquiring some of the most important paintings in its collection.
Portrait of a Poet
A grant from the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland has assisted Limerick City Gallery of Art to acquire a very fine portrait of the Limerick - born poet, Michael Hartnett, by Edward McGuire.
Michael Hartnett (1941-1999) came from Newcastle West, Co. Limerick, and wrote his much admired poetry in English and (for several years, exclusively) in Irish. His work gained awards on both sides of the Atlantic, and Seamus Heaney called him 'one of the truest, most tested and beloved voices in Irish poetry in our time.'
Edward McGuire RHA (1932-1986) has been described as the finest Irish portrait painter since John Butler Yeats. He painted many literary figures, including Patrick Kavanagh, Paul Durcan, Seamus Heaney and Anthony Cronin. His meticulously worked portraits often included the motif of a bird, such as an owl. The present work, which hints at the poet's vulnerability below the surface, was done in 1971, and has a lapwing. It was to be auctioned at Adam's, Dublin, but when its US owners learned that a public collection wished to acquire it they generously agreed, with the co-operation of Adam's, to sell it privately. The Friends gave a grant of €15,000 and the balance came from Limerick City and County Council.
Michael Hartnett (LCGA)
Two New Museums
In June 2021 the Waterford Museum of Treasures added two new museums to the city's Viking Triangle: the Museum of Time, at Greyfriars , and the Irish Museum of Silver at the Deanery in Cathedral Square. They display remarkable collections of clocks and timepieces and of silver, respectively, which have been donated to the people of Waterford and Ireland by public spirited private collectors.(This brings to five the number of separate museums in the complex, something which surely must be unequalled in any other city of comparable size.)
The Friends of the National Collections of Ireland have saluted Waterford's achievement by presenting a fine mid-18th century map case to the Bishop's Palace museum. It now displays part of a very important collection of armorial Chinese porcelain bearing the coats of arms of the wealthy Irish families who commissioned them in the 18th century. (€7,000)
Three Sculptures for Cork
The Friends have received three handsome marble busts under the will of the late Homan Potterton, former director of the National Gallery of Ireland. They are by the well known Irish sculptors Christopher Moore (b 1790), James Heffernan (b 1785) and Edward A. Foley (b 1814), respectively. We have donated them in memory of Homan to Doneraile Court, the great house in north Cork, which was built in the 1720s by Arthur St.Leger, later 1st Viscount Doneraile and was home to that family until it was sold to the Land Commission in 1969. After years of decay it has now been splendidly restored and furnished by the Office of Public Works and opened to the public in its beautiful 460 acre estate on the banks of the Awbeg river, immortalised by Edmund Spenser in his poem The Faerie Queene.
New Home for Waterford Art Collection
The Waterford Gallery of Art, which contains the city's municipal art collection, has moved to a fine new home in the former bank building at 31-32 O'Connell Street in the city. To celebrate this welcome development the FNCI have purchased at auction and presented to the gallery, at their request, an attractive painting "The Cuilin" by Robert Burke. It shows a girl singing the traditional Irish air of the painting's title while a young man accompanies her on the accordion. (Fonsie Mealy's €2750).
Robert Burke (1909-1991), who was born in Scotland and studied at the Dundee College of Art, moved to Ireland and became headmaster of the Waterford School of Art. He played a major role in developing public appreciation of art in the region, and in the initiation of the annual Waterford Art Exhibitions and the establishment of the municipal art collection. He exhibited works at the RHA, the Royal Academy, London, and the Paris Salon.
The Cuilin by Robert Burke
Donations of History to Two Ulster Museums
As part of our policy of supporting regional and local cultural institutions throughout Ireland the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland recently acquired a number of items of historical interest and presented them to Donegal County Museum. They comprise the handsome 44 piece 18th century Mason's ironstone dinner service of the Donegal Grand Jury, and a cap with cap badge and a silk bannerette of the Donegal Regiment of Militia.
The Donegal Regiment of Militia was formed in 1793. Its most notable place in Irish history was its role in the harsh suppression of the 1798 Rebellion when it participated in the battles of Forth, New Ross, Enniscorthy and Vinegar Hill.
The county Grand Jury was the first form of local government in Ireland. Composed of local worthies - mainly large landowners and merchants - it levied rates and maintained the roads and workhouses etc. in the county, along with other functions which are nowadays carried out by county councils. It also conducted preliminary investigations into serious crimes.
Also, the FNCI have presented to the Tower Museum in Derry-Londonderry city a silk bannerette of the Royal Tyrone Regiment of Militia. Like the Donegal Militia it was founded in 1793 and it too participated in the suppression of the '98 Rebellion at Athy, Narraghmore and Ballymore Eustace in County Kildare and at Vinegar Hill and Tuberneering in Wexford. In 1881 it was subsumed into the Royal Inniskilling Fusiliers.
Unless fragile and rare relics of our country's history, in all is aspects, such as these objects are collected and preserved they will eventually disappear and be lost for ever. Then future generations will reproach us and wonder why we allowed it to happen.
A Royal Visitor
The FNCI have donated an attractive pair of large coloured engravings after Joseph Haverty RHA (1794-1864) to the Irish Architectural Archive. We bought them
at the auction (Adams, September 2021) of the art collection of the late Homan Potterton. €3115, including fees. They show the ceremonial entry into the City of Dublin of George IV in August 1821 and his departure from Kingstown (now Dun Laoghaire) the following month. It was the first time that a British monarch had visited Ireland otherwise than at the head of an army.
The IAA wished to have these engravings because they are of importance in our architectural history, recording in detail the impressive buildings of a proud
city two hundred years ago.
Remarkably, 75 years ago a painting showing the same scene was presented by the FNCI to another public collection. It was a large oil painting by another artist, William Turner de Lond (fl. c1820-1837), and we gave it to the National Gallery of Ireland in 1947.
Incidentally, Daniel O'Connell was so pleased with the royal visit, which he saw as support for his endeavours to secure Catholic Emancipation for Ireland (though in fact it was to take another eight years before the King, very reluctantly, agreed to sign the Bill) that he proposed that a collection be taken up "from every peasant in Ireland' to build a palace for the King. This optimistic idea did not produce sufficient enthusiasm from the said peasants to build a palace but it did build a bridge - King's Bridge, beside what is now Heuston railway station, Dublin.
Donation to Limerick City Gallery of Art
In memory of a much esteemed former president and long-time Council member
of the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland, the late Thomas Ryan PPRHA,
we have purchased at auction (Whytes, November 2021) and presented to Limerick City Gallery of Art at their request, a beautiful example of his work, "The Shannon at Limerick, Sarsfield Bridge" (1967), the city of his birth. (€2,000 and fees)
Estella Solomons
In January 2022 a member of our Council donated two etchings by the artist Estella Frances Solomons (1882-1968) to the National Gallery of Ireland, through the Friends. They are of Hoey's Court, Dublin, birthplace of Dean Swift and Kings Inns.
Important Furniture Brought Back to Ireland
The most important pieces of furniture to go on public display in this country for many years have recently been acquired with the assistance of the
Friends of the National Collections of Ireland. They are a pair of George III ormolu-mounted satinwood amaraninth inlaid corner cabinets, or encoignures, by Thomas Chippendale the Younger. As well as being of outstanding craftsmanship and beauty they are of historic interest. They were commissioned from Chippendale by the 2nd Duke of Leinster in 1775-80 for display in his Dublin townhouse, Leinster House (now the seat of the Oireachtas, the national parliament). On the sale of the house to the (Royal) Dublin Society in 1815 they went to another of the duke's homes, Carton House, County Kildare, where they remained for the next 150 years.
The cabinets were recently bought at auction in London by the Castletown Foundation and the Office of Public Works with the aid of a grant of €17,323 from the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland, and they can now be admired in Castletown House, Celbridge, County Kildare.
The Leinster cabinets (Castletown House)
Donation to the National Gallery of Ireland
The Friends gave a grant of €10,000 to the NGI to assist it to acquire nine drawings by Edward Lear (1812-1888) at Christies auction, London. They were done during a visit to County Wicklow in 1835 and show landscapes, views of round towers, Bray and the La Touche banqueting hall at Bellevue, where Lear stayed.
While Lear is popularly remembered for his nonsense poems (such as The Owl and the Pussycat), he was, of course, a very talented artist who produced a wide range of works including beautiful views of Italy and the Holy Land.
These are the first drawings by Lear to enter the NGI's collection.
Donation to the Royal Irish Academy, Dublin
The FNCI also donated €5,000 to the RIA towards the purchase from de Burca Rare Books, Dublin, of a particularly rare book. It is the script of the stage representation,
with specially commissioned music, of Thomas Moore's famous poem Lalla Rookh at the Royal Palace, Berlin,on the occasion of the state visit on 27th January, 1822 of Archduke (later Czar) Nicholas of Russia and his wife to the King of Prussia.
Thomas Moore (1779-1852), "Ireland's National Bard" and author of 'Moore's Melodies', composed the long oriental poem Lalla Rookh in 1817. It had an enormous success, was translated into many languages and was set to music by several composers including Robert Schumann. The volume contains the script of the Berlin performance along with the names of the royal courtiers who took parts in it as well as 23 superb colour plates showing the fantastic oriental costumes worn by the actors. Only six other copies have survived in public collections (2 in Berlin, 3 in the USA and one in the British Library). The present volume is especially important because it was Moore's own copy and carries his inscription. It had been part of his extensive library, which was donated to the RIA by his widow, less a number of items, including this one, which she kept for herself. Now it has returned to its rightful place in his library.
Gifts to the National Library of Ireland
We purchased at auction, (Fonsie Mealy's) and presented to the National Library, the following items -each of them unique and of historical importance- which the Library had wished to obtain;
- A letter written from Dublin Castle on 28 May 1807 by Sir Arthur Wellesley, the future Duke of Wellington, who was the Chief Secretary for Ireland, to an unidentified correspondent ('My dear Lord') describing the progress of the general election then taking place. It also discusses the distribution of posts to supporters of the government. While this practice was normal at the time Wellesley expresses indignation at "the most indecent simoniacal arrangement in respect of the Deanery of Limerick that I ever heard of" which had been proposed by Lord Sligo. €950 plus auctioneers' fees.
- On 19 October 1845 Dr Richard Whately, the Church of Ireland Archbishop of Dublin, wrote a three-page letter to an unidentified correspondent in which he described the destitution of the rural poor. The potato blight had struck in the previous month, and although the worst of the Great Famine was yet to come, Whately was in no doubt about the forthcoming tragedy: "I apprehend a dire mortality." €750 plus fees.
James Farrell Journal
- The manuscript journal of James Farrell of Moynalty, County Meath, giving a detailed account of a journey which he and his brother made to Paris via Holyhead and London in May-June, 1822. He describes what they did and comments on what they saw, including the Louvre ("statues worth seeing but rather naked") and people: "The women in France are not in general as handsome as those in England, a few excepted, but they are less subject to vice" wrote this thoughtful Moynalty man. €200 plus fees.
Captain James O'Hara Letter
- In 1767 Captain James O'Hara, R.N. of Cork decided to write a letter to the recently appointed Lord Lieutenant at Dublin Castle in which he combined some helpful advice with a request for a position at the Vice-regal court. He advised the Viceroy to treat his Irish subjects with flattery and fair speech ("a silken string may lead them by the nose"), entertain lavishly and keep an eye open for pilfering servants. Whether or not Viscount Townshend heeded the advice Captain O'Hara never became a Gentleman-at Large; he ended up in the humbler role of organising press gangs in Hull. €130 plus fees.
Gifts to Johnstown Castle
Following several years of conservation and refurbishment Johnstown Castle, County Wexford, has recently been opened to the public. While the beautiful castle gardens and grounds have been open for many years, the impressive castle itself, built in 1840, had not been available to visit until now. It is managed by the Irish Heritage Trust, on behalf of Teagasc, the State agricultural research body.
The Friends of the National Collections of Ireland have marked this welcome development by presenting three paintings to the castle : a portrait of the second Countess of Aldborough by the Irish artist Philip Hussey (1713-1783) and two other Irish 18th century portraits of members of the Aldborough family. The purchases were made at auction at Fonsie Mealy's for €22,570, of which €10,000 was contributed by an anonymous donor through the Irish Georgian Society.
Self-portrait by Kathleen Fox
The Friends have also made a grant of €8,000 to the National Self-Portrait Collection at the University of Limerick which assisted them to purchase at auction in London a fine self-portrait by Kathleen Fox (1880-1963), the Dublin-born artist best known for her flower studies.
Self-Portrait by Kathleen Fox (NSPCI)
James Gandon Drawings
The Friends donated to the Waterford Museum of Treasures, at their request, two large architectural drawings attributed to James Gandon,the architect of the Four Courts and the Custom House, Dublin. They show the plan of New Geneva, the proposed Swiss Huguenot settlement at Passage East, County Waterford, in 1780. In the event the project came to nothing owing to the disturbed state of the country, the Swiss left and today there is little to recall New Geneva other than the memory of the sad role its military barracks played in the suppression of the 1798 Rebellion, evoked in the well known ballad 'The Croppy Boy'. The drawings will feature in a forthcoming exhibition about New Geneva and the Huguenots at the Waterford Museum of Treasures. €1000 plus fees.
Catherine Maria Dawson Drawing
We also donated to the Irish Architectural Archive a very fine coloured architectural drawing dated 17 January 1786 of "The Intended Military Infirmary", the building which today is Defence Forces Headquarters, at Parkgate, Dublin. The drawing is by the artist, Catherine Maria Dawson, later Countess of Charleville (1762-1851) and is a rare work of both historic and artistic interest. €900 plus fees.
A Traitor's Gold
One of the most remarkable objects to enter a public collection anywhere was obtained at auction by the National Museum of Ireland thanks to a grant of €10,000 by the Friends. From the darker side of our history, it is an inscribed gold medal which was presented in 1798 by the Guild of Merchants in Dublin to one Thomas Reynolds, in gratitude for what it described as his "truly honourable and important services". Reynolds was an informer and the service he rendered was treachery: his betrayal to the Dublin Castle authorities of 16 of his friends, leaders of the 1798 Rebellion, among them Oliver Bond and Lord Edward Fitzgerald, leading to their deaths.
Our donation of this unique object to the Museum is a reminder that although the FNCI is well known for its long history of giving works of art to Ireland's public collections, another of our aims is to acquire objects of historical importance or interest for the country.
Indeed, because nowadays the price of most works of art is beyond our very limited financial resources, we have in recent years acquired, at considerably less cost, a number of important manuscripts and objects which are part of our history and would otherwise be lost to the nation.
Modern Paintings donated to the IMMA and Crawford Gallery
However, two modern paintings which we have been lucky enough to acquire are "Head with Red Eye" by Kenneth Hall, a leading member of the White Stag Group (donated to the Irish Museum of Modern Art – IMMA) and "Horses" by Phelim Gibb, an Irish artist closely associated with the Fauve Movement, which we donated to the Crawford Gallery, Cork.
Charles Mills Watercolour
To commemorate the 90th anniversary of our foundation in 1924 a member of our Council presented to the National Gallery of Ireland a watercolour of a rural funeral procession in the West of Ireland by Charles Mills ARHA (1875 – 1922), an Irish artist who until now has not been represented in the national collection.
St. Mary's Abbey Manuscript
An exciting acquisition by the library of Trinity College, Dublin has been assisted by a grant of €5,000 from the FNCI. It is an important early 14th century manuscript from St. Mary's Abbey, Dublin. Auctioned by Christies in London, it is the only medieval Irish codex to come on the market for half a century. It left Ireland in the 16th century and it now returns to join a number of other items from the Abbey which have been in TCD for several centuries.
10 Medals from the Emergency
Objects from a more recent era acquired at auction by the Friends and donated to the National Museum of Ireland at their request, were a set of 10 medals which were presented to the men and women who served in the various Services, including the civilian ones, during the 1939 – 1945 Emergency.
The set is complete save for the 11th – the Defence Forces Chaplain's medal is missing. So if any generous reader of this website is able to help complete the set.... the Friends and the Museum await your call!
William Deane Butler Drawings
We recently paid for the conservation of 17 important but fragile architectural drawings of Kilkea Castle, Co. Kildare, done in 1849 for the Duke of Leinster by the distinguished Irish architect William Deane Butler, in the collection of the Royal Irish Academy (€3,000).
Lady Alice Wimborne Letter
An appropriate donation which the Friends made during the Centenary year of the Easter Rising 1916 to the National Library of Ireland was an account of the unfolding events written by Lady Alice Wimborne, wife of the Viceroy, in a 20 page letter to her mother from the Vice Regal Lodge during the course of Easter Week (2-5 May, 1916).Not many accounts of the 1916 Rising or of the War of Independence, written at the time by participants or eye witnesses, have survived, especially those from the British point of view, much less from the heart of their Establishment.
Purchased at auction in Dublin for €1,400 and fees.
Tom Kettle Rug
On the 1st of July, 1916 one of the greatest battles of the First World War, the Battle of the Somme, commenced. Before it ended five months later - having achieved nothing - there were over a million casualties, among them many Irishmen in the British Army. One of the most famous was Tom Kettle, poet, professor of economics at University College Dublin and Nationalist MP. He is commemorated in St. Stephen's Green, Dublin, by his portrait bust with poignant lines from his best known poem, "To My Daughter Betty, the Gift of God", written shortly before his death. One hundred years later, on the 1st of July, 2016, Matthew Russell, vice-president of the FNCI, presented the National Museum of Ireland, Collins Barracks, through the Friends, with the rug which Kettle had with him in the trenches. It had been sent back to his widow, Mary Sheehy Kettle, after he was killed, and was later given by her to the donor's mother.
Thomas Mac Donagh Papers
In the Centenary year of the Easter Rising Matthew Russell also presented family papers of Thomas Mac Donagh to the Thomas Mac Donagh Museum, Cloughjordan, Co. Tipperary, birthplace of the executed patriot. They include, inter alia, literary works and plays of Thomas Mac Donagh, mss of published works of his mother, correspondence and a family bible. There is also a printer's block from the machine (now lost) on which was printed the Proclamation of Independence, of which Thomas Mac Donagh was one of the seven signatories in Easter Week, 1916.
The Headfort Mirrors in Waterford
While many of the major cultural institutions, such as the National Gallery, National Library and National Museum are in the capital, the Friends of the National Collections of Ireland have always recognised the importance to the country of the provincial and local museums and galleries and we have sought to support them over the years by donations of art and historic objects or grants of money to help their own acquisitions. We have given to over 50 such institutions throughout the island of Ireland in this way, ranging from the Fermanagh County Museum, Enniskillen, to the Irish Jewish Museum, Dublin.
One of the most vibrant of these institutions is the Waterford Museum of Treasures (WMT). It is also one of the most recently established, though Waterford Corporation's careful habit over many centuries of not throwing anything away has luckily resulted in that city's always having had an unrivalled archive of its history, until now not generally accessible to the public. The Museum is comprised of three venues in the city; the Viking Museum in Reginald's Tower (1180 AD), Ireland's first Medieval Museum in the Choristers' Hall (13th to 15th century) and the magnificently restored Bishop's Palace (1743 AD).
We recently gave a grant of €10,000 to the fund which the WMT is building up for the purchase of the set of 3 important 18th century "Dragon" Headfort Mirrors. They are at present on loan to the Bishop's Palace from the Marquis of Headfort, whose ancestor, Sir Thomas Taylor, commissioned them in 1753 for his Dublin townhouse from Thomas Johnson, one of the foremost mirror makers in Ireland and Britain. They are on display along with other items donated by the FNCI in the Palace's Withdrawing Room, appropriately, because that room is now named after the FNCI to mark our support.
Portrait Returns to Castletown
The Friends gave a grant to assist the purchase at auction in London of a beautiful painting attributed to Jan van Belcamp (1610-1653) and its return to Ireland. It is a portrait of King Charles I and was formerly part of the collection in Castletown House, Celbridge, County Kildare, Speaker Conolly's great house in the care of the OPW and the Castletown Foundation, where it is now on public display.
Emperor's niece not good enough for the Wyses of Waterford
The Friends of the National Collections of Ireland also donated €7,500 to the Waterford Museum of Treasures towards the purchase at auction of the Wyse Papers, the records dating back to 1315 of one of the most important Waterford families (one of its members, Thomas Wyse, married Laetitia Bonaparte, a niece of the Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, despite the disapproval of the Wyse family, who regarded her as unsuitable).
The survival of such a large corpus of family records, covering a period of six centuries, is quite rare in Ireland, owing to our turbulent history. They include a Letters Patent issued on the 22nd of March 1758 by King George II granting a royal pardon to John Wyse for having served in the Irish Brigade under King Louis of France. This enabled him to return to Ireland without danger of arrest and to succeed in due course to his father's estate.
Grant to National Library of Ireland
The Friends gave a grant of €10,000 to the National Library of Ireland towards the purchase at auction of the very important papers of Senator James Douglas, a significant figure in political life in the early years of the Irish Free State. The papers cover a variety of subjects, including the drafting of the Free State Constitution which preceded the present Constitution adopted by the People in 1937; letters from Michael Collins; the work of the White Cross during the Civil War and the proposed Divorce Bill of 1925. The Douglas collection will be an important source for historians and people interested in research into the formative years of the State.
Cyril Arthur Farey Drawings
At our Annual General Meeting we presented two important architectural drawings to the Irish Architectural Archive. They are by Cyril Arthur Farey (1888-1954), who is regarded as the leading architectural draughtsman of his time in these islands and they show the design for the proposed Limerick civic offices and the Limerick Regional Hospital. Our President, Dr John Gilmartin, spotted them in an auction in Dublin and generously purchased them and gave them to the Friends.
We have donated them to the IAA in memory of Jeremy Williams, for many years an active member of our Council as well as a distinguished architect. It was also a thank you to the Archive who allow us to hold our regular Council meetings in their fine premises on Merrion Square.
Róisín Murray self-portrait
Mr Michael Murray has kindly presented to the Friends a self-portrait of the artist Róisín Murray (1894-1980). We have donated it to the National Self-Portrait Collection at the University of Limerick.
Through the good offices of our Council member, Dr Hilary Carey, Dr Cormac MacFhionnlaith and the Mc Ginley family have given us the presumed portrait of the Gaelic Leaguer Claude Chevasse (1885-1971) in national costume, painted by Padraic Woods RUA. We have given it to the Waterford County Museum in Dungarvan. It is our first donation to this museum, which was established comparatively recently, in accordance with our policy of assisting local and regional museums wherever possible.
Kevin Gaffney Video
The Friends also facilitated the generous donation to the Irish Museum of Modern Art (IMMA) by our member, Mr F.X. Buckley and our Honorary Treasurer, Dr Michael Burns, of a contemporary work: a HD video entitled "Everything Disappears 2014" by Kevin Gaffney
Because of lack of funds when needed, our efforts frequently fail. Thus we recently have been unable to respond to requests from several of our national cultural institutions for financial assistance in making important acquisitions. For example, we were recently disappointed in our efforts, with the National Museum, to acquire a rug design by Eileen Gray, as well as a group of portraits of the Osborne family of Waterford for that city's museum, being out-bid in both cases.
However, we managed to give a grant of €1,000 to the National Library of Ireland enabling it to purchase two important archives of documents: those of the O'Mahony family of Kerry and Wicklow, covering several centuries, and of Sir Arthur Vicars, the ill-fated Ulster King of Arms. A genealogist, he had longed for the post for many years. The papers include a letter from his brother alerting him that the incumbent, Sir Bernard Burke, was gravely ill; "You should move at once" he urged. Sir Arthur got the job, but it ended abruptly in 1907 when the Irish Crown Jewels were stolen from a safe in his office in Dublin Castle on the eve of a royal visit. They were never recovered. Coincidentally, our annual general meeting, at which our donation for the papers was announced, took place in the State Apartments of Dublin Castle - across the courtyard from Sir Arthur's old office, with its empty safe.
Port of Waterford Engraving
The Friends purchased at auction, and donated to the Waterford Museum of Treasures, a hand coloured engraving of the Port of Waterford, 1835. This large and attractive work with its cartouche of the Hook Head lighthouse is now displayed in the Bishop's Palace (1743) and forms part of the museum's display of maritime charts showing the development of the port over centuries, starting with Sebastian Munster's 1550 map of
Ireland - in which the only place on the island that is identified is Waterford !
Grant to Newry and Mourne Museum
We have been happy to assist the Newry and Mourne Museum with a grant of €1,180 for their purchase of two paintings by the Newry-born artist Margaret Clarke (1884-1964). They are portraits of her son David, showing him in early and in later childhood. She was the wife of the gifted stained glass artist Harry Clarke, and took on the management of his Dublin studio following his early death in 1931. But she was a highly talented artist in her own right, as was amply demonstrated in in the comprehensive exhibition of her work in oils and crayon at the National Gallery of Ireland during summer 2017 and subsequently at the F.E.McWilliam Gallery, Banbridge, County Down.
A Proposed Emporium for Capel Street
A fine architectural drawing was acquired for €305 at auction in England and presented to the Irish Architectural Archive at their request. It shows a handsome commercial premises which was intended for the Dublin merchants Hugh Moore & Co. of Capel Street, Dublin.
It is by William Fogerty, a well-known 19th century architect, and although the emporium was never built, the plan amply demonstrates the self-confidence of the city's merchant class of the time.
Most of the galleries and museums in Ireland, especially outside Dublin, have very limited funds (in some cases none at all) for adding new acquisitions to their collections. As a result many objects, including parts of our national heritage, are lost to the country rather than being made available for the education and pleasure of the Irish public. Our only source of income is our members' annual subscriptions and the very occasional bequest or donation. We are an entirely voluntary organisation, with no paid officers or staff.
If you believe that we are doing useful work for our country, please support us by joining the FNCI, sending us a donation or leaving us a bequest in your will. Because the majority of the grants which the FNCI gives to galleries and museums are quite modest in amount, any donation which you give us, however small, will help and will be very welcome. You can send it to our Honorary Treasurer, P.O. Box 11481, Ballsbridge, Dublin 4 and you will be sent a receipt.
Our registered Charity number for tax purposes is CHY 5214.
To join the FNCI is easy: Just click HERE.
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"Mi konas la tri knabinojn."
Translation:I know the three girls.
Difference between konas and scias? Is it like to know a person versus to know a fact? As with conocer and saber in Spanish.
En la biblia senso, se vi scias kio mi signifas, pusxo pusxo, vinko vinko.
Yess.. In the biblical sense.


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Again, Svitolina failed to serve out the first set of her match against Vandeweghe, breaking serve to win it, 6-4. After the American player won eight of the next nine games, Svitolina then went on a run of her own. Andddd this time, Svitolina served out the match at the first time of asking! She had to save two break points but actually finished it off with some positive play; a gorgeous dipping forehand pass followed by an advance into the net after a decent serve (it wasn't a great volley but I liked the intent and decision to move forward!) which Vandeweghe could only hit into the bottom of the net.
Errani was 1-5 down in her first match of the week to Saisai Zheng before mounting a sizeable comeback, winning in straight sets, 7-5 6-3. After a surprisingly comfortable win over Yaroslava Shvedova in the second round, Errani was forced to rely on her battling qualities once more. In a lengthy quarter-final that lasted exactly two hours, 22 minutes and 22 seconds (!), Errani fought back from a 1-4* double break deficit to win, 4-6 6-1 6-4. It's interesting to note that Errani has reverted back to her original service motion this week. No matter what you say about Errani, her game and her serve, you cannot deny her fighting spirit.
Head-to-head record: In their only previous match, Errani defeated Svitolina, 6-2 6-3 in the quarter-finals of Paris indoors… I miss this tournament!
Interesting stat: In three matches this week, Svitolina has hit 29 winners to a whopping 90 unforced errors. I don't think anyone has come out looking good from the stats this week!
February 18, 2016 in Dubai, Errani, Svitolina, WTA.
WTA Dubai Duty Free Championships: Culling of ALL eight seeds, what a day!
WTA Dubai Duty Free Championships: All in for a Sara-Beezus final!
← WTA Dubai Duty Free Championships: Culling of ALL eight seeds, what a day!
Really, this match is about the best pusher to win it. Based on Brengle vs Errani match, Brengle managed to hit through Errani. If Svitolina is more consistent compares with Brengle, I think Svitolina will prevail. Also, Errani has to play single and doubles. Even she still has something left in her tank, it won't be enough to sustain 3 setters.
Svitolina in 2 or 3 in case she slips.
Sara's had a very good tournament but I agree with Frank that she'll most likely be too tired to prevail tomorrow. On the other hand, Elina's been winning matches with an amazingly low compliment of winners so far and I can't help feeling that her luck will run out soon.
My guess is that Elina will win in 3 sets, and then whoever wins out of either Caroline or Bara in the other semi will win the final.
I find it almost surreal that at a premier level event, we have a pair of semifinals between players none of whom are in the top 20. I like it though, it makes a nice change from the more usual situation where the same players crop up over and over again in the final stages.
I quite like it too, always nice to have a change-up and all four players left are decent. Hoping Doha's draw holds up a little bit better though!
I agree. I think Svitolinas has better chance to win if she plays Garcia in the final. With Barbora, she will have to deal with a lot of volleys and net plays. The Czech girl is very tricky.
I can't say is fully accurate on the women's side as it appears now, but what can one do.
Surprised you see this as an even match. Svitolina is by far the favorite here. She is well adapted to hard courts, as opposed to Errani who barely breaks even overall in terms of win /loss ratio. Granted Elina did not look great this week but at least she beat some quality players. Even Coco, this week she played some good tennis. I think she would have beaten Errani comfortably today.
On the other hand Errani's matches were slugfests against weaker opposition than Elina's. Fitness wise Elina has a big edge here, she is quite well rested and had plenty left in the tank tonight, whereas Sara was showing signs of exhaustion towards the end of the match. She will have to win in straight sets if she is to win at all, in my opinion.
I'm surprised that more people aren't giving Errani a shot this week. Your points are all fair though. I'm going for Svitolina but I do think it will go the distance.
Errani absolutely exhausted towards the end of the QF 3rd set. The doubles also finished quite late. I really doubt she has anything left in her tank. To be honest, she was lucky to pass Brengle.
I havent watched any of Errani's matches this week but I havent been too impressed with Svitolina. I love her though and id love to see her make the final.
Interesting stat on Eli- she's won a title every year for the past four years and has a 100% record in finals.
I was wrong about Svitolina. What did Justin Henin teach her so far? This foolish girl tried so hard to out grind Errani. She wasn't aggressive and stayed 10 metres behind the baseline. OMG!!! I hope the winner of Garcia vs Barbie match takes the title to save tennis.
Ha… Oh dear, Frank. Foolish is a little harsh. She is probably adjusting to some new instructions or something. Remember Radwanska and Navratilova pairing and how that turned out.
Anyway, I did question what exactly Justine could bring to the table. Justine's own success was partly due to a coach(Carlos) who was both a friend and a steely mental mentor when need be. It's like Serena going on to coach now neglecting the friendship and tutelage Patrick brought to her game mentally(her recent meteoric success). A lot of the women players need coaches who are both friends and taskmasters when need be. Could she be that for Svitolina. I said before that a power game from Svitolina will never happen. She needs to nuance her game strategically ( mental) during matches to lock on her advantage. Justine was a fairly smart player who tried to play with finesse in addition to her talent. I hope it's the game play smarts she helps Svitolina with. Svitolina is a determined girl, maybe a little bit stubborn, but lol Frank, wouldn't call her foolish.
Well to be fair to Svitolina, her coach was actually telling her to grind it out. Totally the wrong strategy in my opinion. Annabel Croft had it right saying Eli wasn't dictating or moving Errani enough.