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Standoff Detection of Landmines Using Acoustic Vibrometry

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Army 		Award ID:
91949 		Program Year/Program:
2009 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
A082-097-1074 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
EPIR Technologies
590 Territorial Drive, Suite B Bolingbrook, IL 60440-4881
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Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2009
Title: Standoff Detection of Landmines Using Acoustic Vibrometry
Agency / Branch: DOD / ARMY
Contract: W909MY-09-C-0028
Award Amount: $69,952.00
 

Abstract:

The real-time detection of buried landmines from a moving and vibrating platform is a challenging problem mainly due to the limited sensitivity of present-day receivers. The technical approach we propose is to develop a highly sensitive, acoustic-laser vibrometer system combined with imaging and ranging capabilities. Vibrometers are optical instruments that can accurately measure velocity, displacement, and phase shift patterns of vibrating structures without contact. When image and range information are also obtained, the instrument provides five signatures to discriminate between landmines and other buried objects. The core element of the system will be a new, high gain, avalanche photodiode (APD) array with low-noise and large bandwidth. HgCdTe is the most promising material candidate for the development of these APDs because it can be bandgap engineered to achieve strong absorption at the wavelength of interest and a large asymmetry between the hole and electron impact ionization coefficients. This leads to high gain-bandwidth with minimal excess noise. We propose to use our extensive experience in HgCdTe growth by molecular beam epitaxy and device processing to fabricate the APDs and integrate them into landmine detection systems.

Principal Investigator:

Silviu Velicu
Director of R&D/Senior Scientist
6307710203
svelicu@epir.com

Business Contact:

Sivalingam Sivananthan
President
6307710201
ssivananthan@epir.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

EPIR TECHNOLOGIES, INC.
590 Territorial Drive, Suite B Bolingbrook, IL 60440

EIN/Tax ID: 364196918
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No