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Cooperative Autonomous Tunnel Mapping

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: FA8651-13-M-0100
Agency Tracking Number: O123-AU4-1003
Amount: $149,649.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: OSD12-AU4
Solicitation Number: 2012.3
Timeline
Solicitation Year: 2012
Award Year: 2013
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): 2013-02-15
Award End Date (Contract End Date): 2013-12-30
Small Business Information
1603 Country Club Dr.
Pittsburgh, PA -
United States
DUNS: 078391304
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Sanjiv Singh
 CEO
 (412) 254-3542
 sanjiv@nearearthautonomy.com
Business Contact
 Marcel Bergerman
Title: COO
Phone: (412) 254-3542
Email: marcel@nearearthautonomy.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

While unmanned air vehicles are starting to operate in complex urban and indoor environments, many challenges still remain. Our proposed project will address three key challenges through the development of algorithms. First, we reduce operator workload in the operation of autonomous vehicles in GPS denied environments. Second, the algorithms enable cooperative exploration by multiple and possibly heterogeneous agents. Third, the algorithms will maximize the searchable area in minimal time. The algorithms will be robust so that the team can operate without the need for constant communication. Performance is expected to degrade gracefully when agents spend an increasing amount of time without contact with each other. In Phase I we will develop software simulations to test and validate the cooperative control of multiple agents in performing search through a network of nodes. We will gain significant leverage from existing software in state estimation and mapping that can be used as a base to validate cooperative control. In Phase II we expect to be able to deploy a full team of autonomous flying vehicles performing exploration, mapping, and search. The team consists of members very skilled in the state of the art in estimation, mapping as well as coordination of multi-agents performing search.

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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