"The role of small acoustically stealthy UAVs for battlefield operations is identified. The challenges associated with noise reduction for such vehicles is described. Novel approaches to reducing the noise emanating from the engine exhaust using an advancedmuffler are presented. These include custom… More

The need for a ship-launched tactical reconnaissance mini UAV is presented, to support fleet/force protection and perimeter defense goals. A cohort of such vehicles could gather situational awareness data to provide early detection and indication ofassymetric threats on a round-the-clock basis. A… More

A novel approach to conducting long-range surveillance using small unmanned air vehicles is proposed. The effort builds on the concepts developed and demonstrated in Phase I. This includes air vehicle technology, data links, flight operations, sensors and communications networks. A detailed work… More

A method for providing endurance enhancement for unmanned aerial vehicles based on atmospheric phenomena is presented. The proposed method allows the UAV to sense certain atmospheric phenomena, and adapt itself to exploit these phenomena. The Phase I effort consists of understanding the physics of… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop and demonstrate a MEMS-scale integrated microfluidic fuel injector for small internal combustion engines to improve their efficiency. This will allow the use of these engines in small autonomous aircraft for long endurance… More

75853-Carbon cycle monitoring is a key component of the mission to understand global-scale climate change. In particular, there is a need to accurately measure atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at regular intervals, and at various altitudes and locations, using low cost and simple aerial platforms.… More

This Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I project will develop and demonstrate capable and reliable autonomous aerial platforms for geoscience missions. This will allow relevant scientific data to be gathered via remote, autonomous means, providing timely atmospheric and environmental… More

The need for a small tube launched UAV is presented. Such a UAV would allow pilots of the delivery platform to remain several miles away from harm's way. A few candidate concepts are presented, which would allow stand-off delivery of small UAVs for close-in data gathering. In addition to vehicle… More

A system for autonomous detection and exploitation of weather phenomena for endurance or range enhancement for loitering unmanned air vehicles is presented. The proposed system consists of hardware and software for coarse identification of geographical areas where advantageous weather phenomena… More

75853B Carbon cycle monitoring is a key component of the mission to understand global scale climate change. In particular, there is a need to accurately measure atmospheric carbon dioxide levels at regular intervals, and at various altitudes and locations, using low cost and simple aerial… More

The need for a small, lightweight, remotely-operable transponder for UAVs is identified. This would allow integration of UAVs into the national airspace while providing an equivalent level of safety during operations as manned aircraft. A network-centric, integrated transponder and altitude encoder… More

The need for aerodynamics-based efficiency enhancements for air vehicles is presented. Concepts are presented for morphing aircraft, to enable the aircraft to optimize its configuration for various flight regimes. Using simulations, wind tunnel testing, and benchtop hardware development, the… More

A method and device for situational awareness for unmanned air vehicles is presented. This enables integration of UAVs into the national airspace in a safe manner, equivalent to the level of safety of manned aircraft. Phase I results are presented and discussed. Phase II plans are discussed in… More

The need for an miniature sensor for chemical and biological materials of interest is discussed. Such sensors can be deployed on small sonochute-launched unmanned air vehicles to interrogate sea-borne vehicles. The design for a miniature UAV-borne sensor is proposed and discussed in detail. In Phase… More

The need for wi-fi communications and detection capability from a shipboard environment is identified. Several technical challenges are addressed, and solutions are proposed. The use of directional, stabilized antennas for accurate pointing and high gain, and low temeperature devices for noise… More

The need for aerodynamics-based efficiency enhancements for air vehicles is presented. The results of the Phase I investigation of concepts for morphing aircraft are discussed. Morphing enables the aircraft to optimize its configuration for various flight regimes. This translates to benefits in… More

Continuous environmental health monitoring is a growing requirement for missile systems to ensure their long-term reliability while being stored, transported and operated in harsh environmental conditions. While several sensors currently exist for measuring temperature, relative humidity,… More

The challenge to deploying ship-based Wi Fi capability lies in developing the demanding RF and signal processing technology necessary to establish a 25nm ship-to-shore / ship-to-ship link in the presence of shipboard interference. Several new technologies are proposed to address this challenge. The… More

A hardware-software solution for controlling UAVs in challenging flight conditions is described. This would allow the UAV to autonomously exploit advantageous weather phenomena for increased endurance, and also allow the UAV to maneuver in challenging flight conditions. A novel method of generating… More

A novel design for an in situ atmospheric sensor for CO2 and trace gases is proposed. The sensor, named AirCore, provides the advantages of existing in situ sensors (e.g. high resolution) but eliminates possible biases in analysis that often originate from imperfect measurement condition. The… More

The need to detect and track small aerial targets is identified. An approach to use a unique passive radar front-end sensor is described, which provides the initial detection capability. The data from the sensor is used to cue a high-speed, highly accurate pointing and tracking system with a Coude… More

The need to detect and track small aerial targets is identified. An approach to use a unique radar front-end sensor is described, which provides the initial detection capability. The data from the sensor is used to cue a high-speed, highly accurate pointing and tracking system with a Coude path… More

The ability to measure atmospheric radiation while in flight is a valuable capability for atmospheric research. These measurements complement satellite and ground station measurements in providing increased certainty in vertical-column radiometric information. The sensitive instruments used to… More

The need for detection of spoofind of ADS-B messages in real-time in an organic manner is discussed. Details of previous experiments demonstrating such spoofing are presented. A novel method to detect such spoofing detection capability from an airborne platform, in real time are presented. The… More

The DoEs Atmospheric Radiation Measurement (ARM) Climate Research Facility (ACRF) pursues accurate measurements of atmospheric radiation through its Aerial Vehicle Program (AVP). The ability to measure atmospheric radiation while in flight is a valuable capability for atmospheric research. These… More

Automatic Dependent Surveillance Broadcast (ADS-B) is an airspace surveillance system being implemented in the US and several nations globally. In this system, each aircraft determines its location using GPS, and broadcasts this to other local traffic and ground stations, along with other flight… More

The AirCore is a simple and novel atmospheric air column sampler to validate satellite observation data of greenhouse gases, using a lightweight, inexpensive coated stainless steel coil. The simple design of the leads to cost savings during manufacture and operation. The addition of a UAV to the… More

Under U.S. defense policy, the Navy is responsible for delivering satellite communications to"disadvantaged"users, the term for intelligence officials and troops working in remote areas, often with no more resources than backpacks or small vehicles. MUOS is slated to provide coverage for… More