Unmanned Systems Technology (UST)

Unmanned Systems Technology (UST) is the software and hardware systems that operate semi- and fully-autonomous vehicles.

The UST used in an autonomous vehicle determines its capabilities and reliability, especially those possible without human input or correction, which is the definition of autonomy. More advanced UST can drive more complex systems with a greater level of autonomy.

The types of technology used in unmanned systems include:

• sensors
• machine vision
• object recognition
• facial recognition
• mechatronics
• artificial intelligence (AI)

While the technologies can be used for many purposes and types of vehicles, there has been a focus on the development of military drones, also known as unmanned air vehicles (UAV). Along with drones, other types of unmanned vehicle systems include unmanned ground vehicles (UGV) and unmanned water vehicles, including both surface and undersea craft.