This document defines a set of standard application layer interfaces called JAUS Environment Sensing Services. JAUS Services provide the means for software entities in an unmanned system or system of unmanned systems to communicate and coordinate their activities. The Environment Sensing Services represent typical environment sensing capabilities commonly found across all domains and types of unmanned systems in a platform-independent manner. At present, five services are defined in this document:

Range Sensor: Determine the proximity of objects in the platform's environment

Visual Sensor: Provides common configuration and setup for different types of imaging systems

Digital Video: A type of Visual Sensor that manages digital video

Analog Video: A type of Visual Sensor that manages analog video

Still Image: A type of Visual Sensor that manages and encodes individual digital images

Each service is described by a JAUS Service Definition (JSD) which specifies the message set and protocol required for compliance. Each JSD is fully compliant with the JAUS Service Interface Definition Language [AS5684].

The purpose of this document is to facilitate interoperation of unmanned vehicle systems, subsystems, and payloads by standardization of the message set and associated protocol.