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A Biomimetic Range Sensor for Autonomous Air Vehicles

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Air Force
Contract: F08630-02-C-0056
Agency Tracking Number: 021MN-0922
Amount: $99,425.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2002
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
50 Mall Road
Burlington, MA 01803
United States
DUNS: 094841665
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 Erik Sobel
 Sr. Member of Tech. Staff
 (781) 273-3388
 erik.sobel@alphatech.com
Business Contact
 Andrew Mullin
Title: Gen. Cnsl. & Dir. of Cont
Phone: (781) 273-3388
Email: andy.mullin@alphatech.com
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

"A novel biomimetic range sensor is described which offers improved guidance, navigation and control capabilities and enhanced situational awareness for autonomous air vehicles. Inspired by the motion detection algorithm found in the visual systems offlying insects, the sensor images the surrounding environment and extracts motion parallax which can be used to compute the range to nearby surfaces, targets and obstacles. The sensor is well suited to deployment on an autonomous air vehicle such as atactical unmanned air vehicle, TUAV or autonomous munitions. By providing fast high resolution range information the sensor can be used to provide targeting or obstacle avoidance capability or used to direct sensor resources to regions of interest forhigh resolution, foveal inspection. In addition to improving guidance, navigation, and obstacle avoidance for autonomous air vehicles and smart munitions, the biomimetic range sensor described below can be applied to both manned and unmanned groundvehicles. It can be used to provide 3D vision capability for industrial robots in manufacturing and to monitor sensitive facilities in security applications. In consumer automobiles. The sensor can be used to rapidly measure the range to obstacles andother vehicles, for example, it could warn of insufficient braking distance to a car ahead. In this capacity it would be useful for the Department of Transportation's Intelligent Highway Project. It

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

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