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Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Precision Geolocation

Award Information

Agency:
Department of Defense 		Branch:
Air Force 		Award ID:
81332 		Program Year/Program:
2007 / SBIR
Agency Tracking Number:
A052-089-4021 		Solicitation Year:
N/A 		Solicitation Topic Code:
N/A 		Solicitation Number:
N/A
Small Business Information
Space Photonics, Inc.
700 Research Center Blvd. Fayetteville, AR -
View profile »
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No
 
Phase 1
Fiscal Year: 2007
Title: Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV) Precision Geolocation
Agency / Branch: DOD / USAF
Contract: FA9453-06-M-0198
Award Amount: $100,000.00
 

Abstract:

Our Embedded Beam Tracking and Range & Sync capabilities for Inter-Aircraft Optical Communications Links will enable free space inter-aircraft laser communication links to not only provide broadband connectivity between aircraft, it will also enable these links to provide precise inter-aircraft geolocation (full position and attitude), and payload timing synchronization. This locating and synchronization capability is critical to realizing DoD's vision of cooperative interaction of low-altitude, non-formation flying, manned/unmanned aircraft clusters, a key element in DoD's Unmanned Battlefield Architecture. In order to produce this precise inter-aircraft location and synchronization knowledge, the link's non-media dependent physical layer (NMD-PL) protocol must contain key timing, signaling and synchronization features. For this Phase I proposal, we propose to investigate and establish the feasibility of our proposed ranging, angular orientation and attitude sensing, and synchronization technique using standard communication protocols capable of transporting TCP/IP data grams. Inter-aircraft links with TCP/IP transport capability that include our innovative geolocation and synchronization technique will provide a valuable asset toward extending the current ground based Internet connectivity into unmanned airspace, the key to DoD's relieving Space Internet and GPS constellation dependence.

Principal Investigator:

Terry Tidwell
Senior Research Specialist
4795753368
ttidwell@spacephotonics.com

Business Contact:

Chuck Chalfant
President/CEO
4795755316
cchalfant@spacephotonics.com
Small Business Information at Submission:

SPACE PHOTONICS, INC.
700 Research Center Blvd. Fayetteville, AR 72701

EIN/Tax ID: 710817649
DUNS: N/A
Number of Employees:
Woman-Owned: No
Minority-Owned: No
HUBZone-Owned: No