DoD STTR 2020.B

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground Sea

OBJECTIVE: To provide opportunity for scientific exploration of next-generation robotic and physical human augmentation performance systems and associated controls through development of actuation technologies, and the associated framework of predictive modeling.

DESCRIPTION: Currently human-scale robots and devices employed in human-scale physical augmentation devices and prosthetics employ mostly rotary-motion electric motors or hydraulics. We have made significant advances and demonstrations through design, fabrication methods, and controls in each of these technologies over the past several years, but they are still lacking in terms of performance, cost, and fundamental physics-based criteria for systems that are used in human-scale dynamic limb-based locomotion and whole-body manipulation. These forms of actuation have also been seen as limiting factors in development of machine morphologies which can replicate the degrees of freedom of human motion and human performance needed for human prosthetics and exoskeletons. There are examples of efficient and dynamic limb-based mechanisms which have been achieved through means of iterative design in which the systems mechanics and morphology are expertly matched with highly customized and optimized forms of actuation and unique electronic controllers. They represent a state of the art which has yet to be accepted as suitable for machines that are expected to perform as physical teammates to Soldiers in high-OPTEMPO missions.This proposal seeks to continue further and spawn new research and commercialization for forms of robotic actuation and promote a mechanism design paradigm compatible with that of open, modular software development recently being adopted within the Department of Defense and academia. The goal is to provide examples of scalable forms of actuation (size and number) which may be seen as viable options for improving the performance and efficiency of next generation robotics mechanisms. New forms actuation which can deliver human scale forces and moments in lightweight and energy efficient configurations such as hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic (HASEL) soft actuators or other less common electrostatic-based actuators which have potential for making systems with less mass, less cost, and compatible with morphologies requiring distributed actuation are examples. Some of these forms of actuation may be seen as complementary to established actuators such as electric rotary actuators and hydraulics. For example, this may include actuated structures which have adaptive compliance characteristics. New electric rotary actuator and hydraulics based concepts may be considered as well. For example, limb-based human-scale dynamic locomotion and whole-body manipulation requires high-torque with high-frequency control. New scalable actuator designs addressing these requirements may be considered. For new rotary electric motor designs capable of offering improved suitable performance this could mean novel coil and magnet configurations combined with new motor controller sensing techniques which optimize force generated from magnetic field interaction.

PHASE I: In Phase I, the following shall be accomplished: a) Survey current design and approach for developing scalable actuator technology that may be employed for efficient dynamic human-scale whole-body manipulation and dynamic locomotion. Review typical applications and regimes of interest, and identify relevant physical, electronic, software specifications and parameters to demonstrate the feasibility of an analytic and engineering infrastructure for their design, fabrication, and control. b) Analyze and identify useful families of robotic morphology and/or structures in which the actuators may be employed. c) Develop concept(s) through which the actuators or combinations of actuators may be employed and controlled feasibly to improve performance of human-scale robotic systems. d) Implement the concept(s) numerically and conduct the appropriate proof-of-concept computations. e) After the concept has been numerically demonstrated, use to fabricate a prototype or demonstration which validates numerical simulation.

PHASE II: In Phase II, the following shall be accomplished: a) The actuator technology (actuator, actuator controller, actuator feedback) from Phase I will be tested, validated, and implemented. Aspects of efficient scalable performance and fabrication for efficient custom design will be demonstrated and characterized. b) The actuator performance characterization models and control algorithm software and from will be tested, validated, and implemented as a documented software package that can be shared or distributed. The models should have compatibility with modern physics-based simulation software such that their performance may be predicted in a mechanical device. c) Numerically demonstrate that models characterizing the actuator and performance are compatible with a modern physics-based robot simulation and that the information feedback from the actuators and/or actuation controller is suitable for whole-body manipulation control. d) Numerically and in device tests, demonstrate that the actuator and controls software performs as predicted. This should be demonstrated at multiple scales (2x, 3x) or in the case of distributed actuators possibly different numbers (2x, 3x) of actuators. e) Generalize the methodology in a-d to provide a range or families of actuators which may be readily simulated and fabricated for near-term and future human-scale robot use. f) Develop and demonstrate fabrication method for the scalable range of actuators described above. Transition the developed methods and software, including documentation, to interested users in academia, industry and government (e.g. ARL) under appropriate licensing agreement.

PHASE III: The actuators, numerical techniques, performance and control models, and fabri-cation techniques developed under this topic will aid in further advancement of robotic technologies for dynamic human-scale whole-body manipulation and lo-comotion. The results will be corroborated by prototype fabrication. In addition this will demonstrate a model and paradigm for robotic actuator development which is synergistic to modern dynamic robot design, modular open robotic soft-ware development and DoD interoperability protocols. This will lead to a much needed methodology for actuator design for dynamic limbed systems which is technically sound, facilitates advancements to state of the art robot design, and is commercially and fiscally viable.

KEYWORDS: actuator, robot, exoskeleton, prosthetics, control, dynamics

References:

E. Acome, S. K. Mitchell, T. G. Morrissey, M. B. Emmett, C. Benjamin, M. King, M. Radakovitz, C. Keplinger, Hydraulically amplified self-healing electrostatic actuators with muscle-like performance. Science, Vol. 359, Jan 2018, pp. 61-65.; M. Mazzara, RSJPO Interoperability Profiles, Robotic Systems Joint Project Office, US Army TARDEC, Warren MI, September 2012.; P. Wensing, A. Wang, S. Seok, D. otten, J. Lang, S. Kim, Proprioceptive Ac-tuator Design in the MIT Cheetah: Impact Mitigation and High-Bandwidth Physical Interaction for Dynamic Legged Robots, IEEE Transactions on Ro-botics, Vol. 33, Issue: 3, June 2017.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground Sea

OBJECTIVE: Establish an open source, publicly available software platform that can be used for the simulation-based development and testing of mixed teams of robots and Autonomous/Conventional wheeled/tracked vehicles operating off-road conditions.

DESCRIPTION: Understanding through physical testing the behavior of large groups of agents operating inter-dependently in geographic and terramechanical conditions that are of relevance to the US Army is an expensive proposition that suffers from long turnaround times. Against this backdrop, the Army sees computer simulation as an avenue for accelerating the pace at which innovation permeates the broad field of autonomous operation of mixed robot-vehicle teams in off-road scenarios. The interest is in establishing a simulation platform in which scenarios that involve teams of mixed agents are analyzed expeditiously with an eye towards improving mobility/communication/navigation solutions. Thus, the simulation platform sought should address several aspects deemed critical in the economy of the practical problem of interest, e.g. agent dynamics, sensing, inter-agent communication, real time constraints, scalability, and interfacing to control strategies. Moreover, in order to ensure a lasting effect of this investment, the solution developed should be open source and available in the public domain for rapid dissemination and adoption by any interested party.The platform should simulate the dynamics of the agents and their interaction with the surrounding environment. This is particularly critical in evaluating or developing strategies used when terramechanics factors limit the capability of the vehicle (e.g., traversal of soft soils). Furthermore, the dynamics of the vehicle-ground interaction are exceedingly important and can require highly complex modeling of granular or other deformable terrain. Beyond model fidelity constraints, computational requirements must be considered such that the simulation meets real time or performance constraints determined by the task. Alongside dynamics, the simulation technology must be able to provide accurate virtual sensing as a mechanism to introduce realistic inputs to the control strategies being tested. The sensing requirements in off-road conditions for autonomous vehicles and robots are (a) sensing of the environment, e.g. camera (mono, stereo, thermal), LiDAR, radar, ultrasonic, GPS, and (b) sensing the agent’s own state, e.g. engine, driveline, suspension, brakes, IMU. This sensing simulation capability is critical as it provides the input to the control strategies used by the agent to navigate the virtual environment. While sensors provide a primary connection for the control algorithms to understand the world, these agents are also capable of inter-communication to collaborate and coordinate movements. This same capability must be provided in simulation to allow for testing connected behavior such as platooning and task coordination. Because the dynamics and sensing rely heavily on a coherent description (in both time and space) of their surroundings, management of the virtual world is a critical component of this simulation platform. The virtual world must provide an accurate representation for simulating the interaction of agents with the surrounding environment in off-road conditions. Given its correspondence to a highly rich feature set, the virtual world must include many layers including subsurface, surface, topography, vegetation, obstacles, other external agents (i.e. animals and humans), and environmental conditions. These layers must be coherent across domains such that the dynamics, camera (visible and thermal), LIDAR, radar, and ultrasonic simulations are all consistent.

PHASE I: In Phase I, the following shall be accomplished: a) Carry out a comprehensive review of literature to produce a document detailing the state of the art vis-à-vis simulation environments for single and multiple-agent testing in both on-road and off-road conditions. b) Establish a detailed plan to handle the four aspects (dynamics, sensing, communication, virtual world) related to the simulation of single- and multiple-agent testing in scenarios relevant to off-road operations. c) Establish a detailed plan to address the modeling of the vehicle-terrain interaction at various levels of accuracy: from expeditious (empirical, data driven, etc.) to high fidelity (physics-based). d) Establish a detailed plan for an open source implementation of the simulation platform that leverages parallel computing for scalability. e) Articulate a vision for how the solution proposed, despite 3rd party software dependencies, will flourish as an open source simulation platform available for unfettered use, augmentation and distribution by other parties interested in this line of work. f) Produce an early “demonstration of technology” prototype that showcases in a preliminary form the key components of the overall solution advanced by the project.

PHASE II: In Phase II, the following shall be accomplished: An open source simulation platform will be developed that a) Allows the simulation of tens of robots and autonomous/conventional wheeled/tracked vehicles operating in off-road conditions. b) Allows simulation under “soft real time” as well as non-real time conditions. c) Demonstrates use in deformable soil conditions d) Possesses the interface to connect to any widely adopted control framework (e.g., ROS) and thus be able to serve as a testbed for new AI and emerging controls approaches aimed at enabling autonomy in off-road conditions typically associated with the Next Generation NATO Reference Mobility Model e) Demonstrates the ability to simulate agent-to-agent and agent-to-infrastructure communication f) Demonstrates the ability to emulate rich real-world scenarios that include, for instance, setups with deformable soils, various weather conditions, etc.

PHASE III: The modeling approaches, numerical techniques, performance and control models, and software development techniques established under this topic are positioned to aid in further advancement in the broad area of autonomy. By virtue of being publicly available and released as open source under a permissive license, this platform will have an increased likelihood of being adopted and/or extended by parties other than DOD partners; and, it will serve as a source of inspiration for commercial enterprises that can recycle, reuse, and improve the ideas embedded in this work for further refinement.

KEYWORDS: autonomous agents, computer simulation, sensing, V2X communication, dynamics simulation, open source software, artificial intelligence

References:

1. “AVT-248 Next-Generation NATO Reference Mobility Model (NRMM) Development,” 2018;2. “On the Use of Simulation in Robotics. An NSF-DOD-NIST Workshop Report,” 2018;3. Robotic Operating System (ROS), 2019

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics, Ground Sea, Air Platform

OBJECTIVE: Develop and package a heterogeneously integrated optical transmitter operating at a wavelength near 1 micrometer for balanced radio-frequency (RF) photonic link applications on air platforms.

DESCRIPTION: Current airborne military communications and electronic warfare systems require ever-increasing bandwidths while simultaneously requiring reductions in space, weight, and power (SWaP). The replacement of the coaxial cable used in various onboard RF/analog applications with RF/analog fiber optic links will provide increased immunity to electromagnetic interference, reduction in size and weight, and an increase in bandwidth. Typically, RF-to-optical transmitters are made by integrating many discrete components into a single large module that routinely exceeds 300 cm^3. However onboard RF/analog applications require the development of high performance, high linearity optoelectronic components that can operate over extended temperature ranges. Additionally, avionic platforms pose stringent SWaP requirements on components such as optical transmitters for avionic fiber communications applications. New optical component and packaging technology is needed to meet future requirements. Current analog optical transmitter technology typically consists of discrete lasers and modulators operating at 1550 nanometers (nm), with active cooling for operation in military environments. To meet avionic requirements, the transmitter should integrate a laser and modulator into a compact uncooled package that can maintain performance over full avionic temperature range (minimum -40 to +85 Celsius). It is envisioned that a laser emitting at approximately 1 micrometer wavelength can serve as the laser source in the transmitter. Innovative Lithium Niobate modulator design including heterogeneous packaging is necessary to integrate a wide-band dual-output (1X2) intensity modulator with the laser and a dual-core single mode fiber output. Recently low relative intensity noise (RIN) lasers and small form factor modulators have become commercially available. However, the challenges posed by integrating both components together in a package less than 150 cm^3 via heterogeneous integration has yet to be accomplished for high performance wideband RF over fiber links, as typically the laser and modulator are of differing materials. Some work has been done to integrate optical components monolithically [Ref 1], and heterogeneously [Ref 2], but researchers have yet to demonstrate an integrated laser and modulator design with the low noise figures (sub-15dB) needed for practical RF/analog photonic links operating over extended temperature ranges.The optical transmitter component is to be based on integration of a dual-output analog transmitter with a dual-core single mode optical fiber [Ref 3] pigtail with a multicore fiber connector at the end of the pigtail. Simultaneously, the transmitter must have performance requirements that support high-performance balanced RF link specifications such as RF noise figures below 25 dB (no RF or optical amplification) when connected directly to a separate balanced high current photodiode pair (0.7 Amp/Watt responsivity); and spur free dynamic ranges (SFDR) above 110 dB-Hz^2/3. The laser source must have a linewidth of <100 kHz, a wavelength of around 1,000 nm, and an output power greater than 200 mW, with RIN spectrum of -165 dBc/Hz from 50 MHz to 20 GHz. The optical modulator is required to operate at up to 20 GHz, and have dual output configuration for applications requiring noise cancellation utilizing balanced detection. The modulator’s power output and modulation efficiency should be optimized to meet the 25 dB noise figure target utilizing both modulator outputs with the above photodiode specifications operated in a balanced detection configuration [Refs 4, 5].Ideally, the transmitter should operate uncooled over a minimum temperature range of -40 to +85 degrees Celsius while maintaining RIN and linewidth performance. A dual output optical transmitter including an integrated optical intensity modulator packaged in a ruggedized package is envisioned. It is desirable for this transmitter module to have a package dimension no greater than 17.5 × 65 × 115 mm when both the bias control circuits for the modulator and the low noise CW laser power supply are contained in the module. The packaged transmitter must perform over the specified temperature range and maintain hermeticity and optical alignment upon exposure to typical Navy air platform vibration, humidity, thermal shock, mechanical shock, and temperature cycling environments [Ref 6].

PHASE I: Develop and analyze a new design and packaging approach for an uncooled 1 micrometer optical transmitter that meets the requirements outlined in the Description section. Develop fabrication process, packaging approach, and test plan. Demonstrate the feasibility that the optical transmitter can achieve the desired RF performance specifications with a proof of principle bench top experiment or preferably in an initial prototype. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II.

PHASE II: Optimize the Phase I transmitter and package design and develop a prototype. Test prototype transmitter to meet design specifications in a Navy air platform representation of a relevant application environment [Ref 6], which can include unpressurized wingtip or landing gear wheel well (with no environmental control [Ref 7]) to an avionics bay (with environmental control). The prototype transmitter should be tested in a balanced RF photonic link over temperature with the objective performance levels reached. Demonstrate a prototype fully packaged transmitter for direct insertion into balanced analog fiber optic links.

PHASE III: Perform extensive operational reliability and durability testing [Refs 8, 9], as well as optimize manufacturing capabilities. Transition the demonstrated technology to Naval Aviation platforms and interested commercial applications.Commercial sector data centers, industries utilizing local area networks, and telecommunication systems, as well as companies that install networks and telecommunications systems would benefit from the development of this transmitter technology.

KEYWORDS: Multicore Fiber, Connector, 1 Micrometer, Responsivity, Avionics, Wide Band Dual-Output

References:

1. Pappert, S., Esman, R. and Krantz, B. “Photonics for RF Systems.” IEEE Avionics Fiber Optics and Photonics Conference, 2008. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/46531482. Novak, D, and Clark, T. R. “Broadband adaptive feedforward photonic linearization for high dynamic range signal remoting.” IEEE Military Communications Conference, 2007. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/44548983. Diehl, J., Nickel, D., Hastings, A., Singley, J., McKinney, J. and Beranek, M. “Measurements and Discussion of a Balanced Photonic Link Utilizing Dual-Core Optical Fiber.” Proc. IEEE Avionics Fiber- Opt. Photon. Technol. Conf., 2019. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/89081614. McKinney, J.D., Godinez, M., Urick, V.J., Thaniyavarn, S., Charczenko, W. and Williams, K.J. “Sub-10-dB Noise Figure in a Multiple-GHz Analog Optical Link.” IEEE Photonics Technology Lett., vol. 19, no. 7, April 2007, pp. 465-67. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/41265645. Williams, K.J., Nichols, L.T. and Esman, R.D. “Externally-Modulated 3 GHz Fibre Optic Link Utilising High Current and Balanced Detection.” Electronics Letters. vol. 33, no. 15, 1997, pp. 1327-1328. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/6060856. “MIL-STD-810H, DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE TEST METHOD STANDARD: ENVIRONMENTAL ENGINEERING CONSIDERATIONS AND LABORATORY TESTS (31-JAN-2019).” http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810H_55998/7. “DO-160F Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment.” http://www.rtca.org/store_product.asp?prodid=759-8. “MIL-HDBK-217F, Reliability prediction of electronic equipment. http://everyspec.com/MIL-HDBK/MIL-HDBK-0200-0299/MIL-HDBK-217F_NOTICE-2_14590/9. “ARP 6318 “Verification of Discrete and Packaged Photonic Device Technology Readiness.” https://www.sae.org/standards/content/arp6318/

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground Sea

OBJECTIVE: Develop a near real time pavement imaging system, using a line-scan camera stereo pair which measures deflection depth trailing, and leads a moving wheel load on concrete & asphalt surfaces.

DESCRIPTION: The military pavements community is lacking in detail the true effects of vehicle-pavement interaction necessary to adequately adapt and validate more complex finite element models in the development of next generation combat vehicles (NGCV’s) and assessment of aging and contingency infrastructure.In assessing the physical influence of a tire moving along a pavement surface, research has centered on the measurement of stresses beneath a static or moving wheel load, and determining an assumed deflection basin surrounding the tire-pavement contact location based on pavement model parameters [1].To advance the knowledge of how distresses are imparted to the pavement surface from vehicle or aircraft tires at varying loads, speeds, and pressures, current imaging techniques involve either the use of light detection and ranging systems (LiDAR), or line-scan laser systems, both of which have significant cost, and are complex to operate and interpretdata [2].Of interest to the Army and the broader commercial and academic sector is the potential of introducing the technology of low-cost line-scan camera pairs to create similar data quality of the laser systems, but adopting the more approachable photogrammetry point cloud development commonly used in modern full frame image processing [3].Line-scan cameras have a long history of use in the manufacturing and food handling industries being utilized to rapidly detect defects in metal objects, food products, or other fast moving, repetitive objects.Further, newer color based line-scan cameras work effectively at imaging long continuous objects that are otherwise cumbersome to capture with a single photograph or scan, this technology is an ideal candidate for adaptation to rail or pavement systems [4].Line-scan cameras can produce very detailed, sub-millimeter point clouds in real time, and combining two cameras in a stereo pair can create a depth map to coincide with the real time scan [5].It is anticipated that this approach can achieve faster and more accurate point cloud rendering of the pavement surface than traditional photogrammetry and at a comparable accuracy to that of laser based systems, all in a more deployable and price-competitive system.

PHASE I: This research will involve demonstration of a stereo color-line-scan camera system that can measure surface deflection near a wheel load.The investigators will confirm whether smooth asphalt and concrete pavements provide sufficient point correspondences at line-scanner resolutions for photogrammetric reconstruction.Whether the introduction of red green blue (RGB) pixels in place of grey-scale pixels influences feature detection should be investigated.Further, the influence of changing lighting conditions must be quantified and addressed.This research will require development of algorithms that should provide depth data sufficient for determining deflections at every line-scan frame within a highly accurate (sub-cm) local or global reference frame.Algorithms produced from this effort should be deployable to a Windows (.NET) platform and should be written in an open-source, widely-used programming language.

PHASE II: Research at this phase will involve development of a deployable system that must include a stereo-pair of line-scan cameras for both the trailing and leading side of a moving wheel load.The reconstructed data from each stereo-pair should be fused for accuracy determination as well as to measure deflection differences in leading and trailing loading conditions. It is desired that the vertical and horizontal resolution of the developed line-scan camera system be tunable to match a variety of loading systems without excess data to accommodate variable tire configurations present within the military inventory.It is intended that during the Phase II effort, a demonstration of the system capability will include mounting of the stereo-pair system on the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC) Heavy Vehicle Simulator (a unique testing apparatus to the military pavements community) to capture pavement distresses on a moving aircraft wheel load.

PHASE III: The development of a stereo line-scan camera system that is deployable either on a fixed or moving data collection system will support a number of commercial and military evaluation efforts.The military has interest in evaluation of pavement surfaces undergoing novel tire loading from newly developed vehicle prototypes to determine the impact of NGCV’s.A deployable system would also support evaluation of standard or prototype vehicles on novel pavement designs to assess real-time constitutive pavement behavior.From a commercial standpoint, Federal or State Departments of Transportation would find relevance in such an inexpensive pavement evaluation technology for assessing pavement condition for routine maintenance inspections and institutional pavement research on the national transportation infrastructure.

KEYWORDS: line-scan; light detection; ranging systems; LiDAR; photogrmmetric

References:

[1] Tarefder, R.A. and Ahmed, M.U., “Modeling of the FWD Deflection Basin to Evaluate Airport Pavements,” Intl. J. of Geomechanics 14(1), April, 2014.; [2] Wang, K., Gong. W., Tracy, T. and Nguyen V., “Automated Survey of Pavement Distress based on 2D and 3D Laser Images,” Univ. of Arkansas Mack-Blackwell Rural Transportation Center Report, MBTC DOT 3023, Nov. 2011.; [3] Westoby, M.J., Brasington, J., Glasser, N.F., Hambrey, M.J., and Reynolds, J.M., "Structure-from-Motion Photogrammetry: A low-cost effective tool for geoscience applications," Geomorphology, Vol. 179, Dec. 2012.; [4] Deutshl, E., Gasser, C., Neil, A., Werschonig, J., “Defect detection on rail surfaces by a vision based system,” IEEE Intellingent Vehicles Symposium, Oct. 2008.; [5] Valentín, Reinhold Huber-Mörk, Svorad Štolc, “Binary descriptor-based dense line-scan stereo matching,” J. Electron. Imaging 26(1), 013004 (2017).

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics

OBJECTIVE: To develop high-speed, scalable, power-efficient photonic accelerators for vector, matrix, and tensor operations with potential applications in artificial neural networks.

DESCRIPTION: In the post-Moore’s law era, electronic hardware accelerators [1,2] with parallel computing structures and optimized local memory for special-purpose computing, as oppose to CPUs for the general-purpose von Neumann computing, have enabled new applications that circumvent physical limitations of integrated circuits (IC). These accelerators include the well-known graphical processing units (GPUs) and tensor processing units (TPUs). Benefiting from these hardware accelerators, new applications based on artificial intelligence (AI)/machine learning (ML) that utilize artificial neural networks (ANN) have proliferated at virtually every corner in academia, industry and the society in general, despite the stagnation in raw IC processing power. In particular, deep-learning neural networks (DNN), consisting of many hidden layers, have shown the ability to generate solutions that are sometimes even superior to those based on human intelligence. For example, in 2016, the Google AlphaGo AI machines, after training for only two hours by playing with each other, beat the world’s best human player in the game of Go [16]. It is generally believed that the early success of AI in the last few years heralds a much wider array of AI solutions for both commercial and defense applications in the future. One of the examples of AI for defense applications is GPS-less navigation in the jammed battlefield, in which navigation is enabled by AI-based pattern recognition of scenes acquired in real time. The important role that electronic hardware accelerators played so far clearly indicate that future developments in ANNs depend on advances in both software and hardware. However, currently, electronic hardware accelerators have already been pushed to their limits in term of scalability. Against this backdrop, there have been renewed efforts in exploring the role of optics for computing [3-6]. Three major building blocks comprising the ANNs and DNNs are 1) Interconnects, 2) matrix-vector and matrix-matrix multiplication, and 3) nonlinearity. Since optics and photonics can implement the first two functions as well as, if not better than, electronics; and optical nonlinearity at the per neuron level rather than the logic level is actually quite practical, now is the right time to explore the role of optics and photonics in ANNs and DNNs. This topic focus on photonic accelerator for linear vector, matrix, and tensor operations.

PHASE I: To develop a photonic accelerator architecture, build a prototype and experimentally demonstrate the operational principle and feasibility of the photonic accelerator. The prototype should be able to perform at least 2 TOPS (tera operations per second), achieve a matrix loading speed > 100 MHz, and consumes no more than 0.5 W of electrical power. In addition, the layout of an integrated photonic accelerator with performance matching or exceeding the requirements for Phase II described below, and consistent with available fabrication platforms, should be developed.

PHASE II: To fabricate and test an integrated photonic accelerator that can perform at least 100 TOPS (tera operations per second), achieve a matrix loading speed > 500 MHz, and consumes no more than 10 W of electrical power. Investigate the performance limits of the adopted photonic accelerator architecture in terms of computational dimensionality, computing power in units of TOPS, and power efficiency as functions of the input data rate and matrix loading speed. Production-scale costs of the photonic accelerator should be studied to show viability for reasonable cost reduction at manufacturing volumes. Motivation for phase III follow-on investment should be made evident.

PHASE III: Pursuit system-level AI applications based upon the photonic accelerator(s) developed in phase II. Clearly identify the advantages of the photonic accelerator over the state-of-the-art electronic accelerators, and subsequently determine whether the photonic accelerator will be used for inference and/or training. The AI system should be integrated at a military installation or on a military platform in potential applications scenarios including but not limited to communications, target classification & recognition, navigation, and simulation & training. Suitability of installing the photonic accelerator on mobile platforms such UAVs, UGVs and satellite, where power supply is limited, should be investigated. Dual-use AI applications of the photonic accelerator(s) in medicine & health care, finance, gaming, marketing and autonomous vehicles are encouraged.

KEYWORDS: lasers, modulators, photodetector, optical computing, artificial intelligence, neural networks

References:

S. A. Manavski, “CUDA compatible GPU as an efficient hardware accelerator for AES cryptography,” in ICSPC 2007 Proceedings - 2007 IEEE International Conference on Signal Processing and Communications, 2007.; G. Quintana-Ortí, F. D. Igual, E. S. Quintana-Ortí, and R. A. van de Geijn, “Solving dense linear systems on platforms with multiple hardware accelerators,” ACM SIGPLAN Not., 2009.; H. J. Caulfield and S. Dolev, “Why future supercomputing requires optics,” Nat. Photonics, vol. 4, no. 5, pp. 261–263, May 2010.; D. Brunner, S. Reitzenstein, and I. Fischer, “All-optical neuromorphic computing in optical networks of semiconductor lasers,” in 2016 IEEE International Conference on Rebooting Computing, ICRC 2016 - Conference Proceedings, 2016.; T. Deng, J. Robertson, and A. Hurtado, “Controlled Propagation of Spiking Dynamics in Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers: Towards Neuromorphic Photonic Networks,” IEEE J. Sel. Top. Quantum Electron., 2017.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Human Systems

OBJECTIVE: Develop multimodal wearable monitoring devices integrated with artificial intelligence-based decision aids for tracking biophysiological states, including cognitive, in the presence of various environmental and physiological stressors.

DESCRIPTION: The explosion of new wearable medical monitoring devices, miniaturized sensors, and artificial intelligence is providing new opportunities to optimize human performance and mitigate the effects of stressors that degrade performance and health within operational settings. Taking inspiration from the use of these technologies for improving the performance of professional athletes, the Department of Defense intends to optimize warfighter performance using similar techniques. The purpose of this topic is to explore technologies that will make tomorrow’s warfighter faster, smarter, and stronger than their adversaries.The human performance focus area involves all aspects of cognition and decision-making, physiology and ergonomics, and the integrating technologies required to support a fully optimized, capable soldier; acting within a given operational setting. The goal of this is the optimization of individual and team performance in combat environments using a range of solutions, scalable across all leadership levels and command echelons. Human performance emphasizes the need to expand Warfighter capabilities while mitigating Warfighter limitations as they apply in combat.To ensure mission superiority, the information about a Soldier’s mind-body state must be successfully acquired and understood within the context of the Warfighter’s cognitive capacity being stressed by fatigue, heat, altitude, interruptions, etc. This challenge is further magnified when a team or multiple teams are required to act together on the same mission. Methods and processes need to be explored that enhance peer-to-peer collaboration, shared situation awareness, and rapid decision making.In the field, warfighters are exposed to a complex set of stressors affecting their physical and cognitive abilities; often altering their physiological well-being (e.g., sleep deprivation, biological rhythm changes, heavy equipment loads, demanding physical tasks, extreme weather/environmental conditions, and inadequate/improper nutrition). The impact of many of these stressors on performance is poorly understood and their combined effects on health and combat effectiveness are virtually unknown. Furthermore, what little is known about the mitigating effects of training and self-management on physical and physiologic viability has not been rigorously applied to the challenge of enhancing Warfighter performance nor has it been demonstrated to be viable in operational or synthetic training environments.There is a need for a novel wearable monitoring solution to promote sustained performance and Warfighter health while helping to offset: 1) training related injuries during physical training across operational environments; 2) fatigue and other performance decrements in extreme environments combined with other stressors; 3) combat performance decrements related to sleep quality, sleep deprivation and sustained operations; 4) impacts of individual stress reactions during performance of operational tasks on overall warfighter health.Gap 1: Insufficient understanding of individual physiological performance markers. Gap 2: Insufficient understanding of the interaction between physical environment (stress, noise, fatigue hydration) and cognitive demands (workload, multitasking, and interruptions) on combat readiness and performance Gap 3: Inadequate automation methods to support information gathering, analysis, and processing leading to more effective and timely decisions at every command echelon.

PHASE I: Identify the proper form factor of a multimodal biophysiological wearable solution for combat and training environments. This solution should be evaluated for the appropriate sensors required to enable accurate classification of biophysiological states (e.g. from cardiac, respiratory, ambulatory and/or neural) and physical activities (running and climbing, etc). Continued evaluation of materials used in the form factor for strength and durability should begin during Phase I and can continue into Phase II.

PHASE II: Develop artificial intelligence algorithms for classification of multi-sensor biophysiological data while a subject is performing complex motion under varying environmental conditions. Customized sensors for motion and altitude may be required here. Phase II should include a pilot study to validate classification accuracy while the device is being worn during strenuous physical activities. Data analysis and classification should begin with the goal of identifying the appropriate state-space for providing individualized biophysiological state assessment.

PHASE III: Establish methods and conduct focused studies to measure sets of biophysiological markers, classify mind-body states related to performance and incorporate an artificial intelligence-based decision aid to provide performance augmentation and resilience recommendations. This will require a population of individuals from within the appropriate environment and age group. The studies will require the establishment of baselines on individuals with further ‘deep dives’ in simulated environments.

KEYWORDS: Human Performance, Physical Training, Wearable Technology, Medical Wearables, Physiological Performance Markers

References:

Karl E. Friedl, “Military applications of soldier physiological monitoring” Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, Volume 21, Issue 11, November 2018, Pages 1147-1153; Thomas Wyss et al, “The comfort, acceptability and accuracy of energy expenditure estimation from wearable ambulatory physical activity monitoring systems in soldiers”, Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, November 2017, Volume 20, Supplement 2, Pages S133–S134; Gina Pomranky-Hartnett et al, Army Research Lab Aberdeen Proving Ground MD Human Research And Engineering Directorate, “Soldier-Based Assessment of a Dual-Row Tactor Display during Simultaneous Navigational and Robot-Monitoring Tasks”; Final Report, 1 Feb 2014-31 Mar 2015, DTIC Accession Number ADA623857; Patricia Kime, “Engineering Supersoldiers: Boost In Lethality May Come From Within”, https://www.ausa.org/articles/engineering-supersoldiers-boost-lethality-may-come-within, Oct 24, 2018; Lauren Fish and Paul Scharre, “The Soldier’s Heavy Load” https://www.cnas.org/publications/reports/the-soldiers-heavy-load-1, Sept 26, 2018

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics

OBJECTIVE: To develop trusted computer simulation software to accurately and quickly analyze the end-to-end circuit behavior of completely general time-frequency waveforms in complex non-linear RF circuitry.

DESCRIPTION: Anecdotally, a dozen fabrication cycles, 1000 or more engineers, and billions of dollars were required to develop the prototype for a modern cellular modem. Current commercially available circuit simulation software is not capable of fast, accurate analysis of the response of an entire complex linear and non-linear circuit to modern time-frequency waveforms. RF circuits are currently designed based on intuition derived from the analysis of many summations of steady-state functions such as sine waves or the transient analysis of circuit response with relatively small dynamic range. RF circuits tend to be designed starting from a steady-state analytical solution, followed by extensive trial and error fabrications. Small parts of the circuit are simulated for short time intervals and the results are combined based on engineering intuition. However components of RF circuits can respond in unexpected modes when subjected to wave forms which have formulations in both time and frequency. A simple example is pulses of sinusoidal waves. The response of filters and in particular non-linear circuit elements to these time-frequency waveforms can be substantially different than would be expected from a steady state wave form analysis. Even relatively simple 5G waveforms such as OFDM and CDMA modulation can be hard to accurately analyze. More general time-frequency waveforms where the frequency content varies with time and RF transients can dominate the response may be of interest for jamming and EW or the construction of LPI waveforms. Circuit simulation tools commercially available do not have the dynamic range to address these waveforms, the number of state variables required can grow exponentially, and computation time can take weeks for a single circuit for even a limited circuit time period under analysis. These simulation tools can have dynamic ranges on the order of 80 dB, while a dynamic range above 140 dB may be required, as well as the capability to reduce the number of state variables. An appropriate simulation will also require the capability to handle true time delay and memory effects in a physically correct manner. Macro-models will be needed to address these performance and computational speed requirements. These can include accurate behavioral models and reduced-order models. Fractional calculus and complex basis functions such as wavelets may be useful in constructing these macro-models. The software should be capable of simulating the 5G waveform response in a generic smart phone front end, with center frequency in the 1 to 5 GHz range, four orders of magnitude faster than a Spice simulation. The approach should be state-variable based and capable of the accurate simulation of arbitrary state variables (including multi-physics variables), physically correct true time delay, circuit memory effects, stochastic circuit and component variation, and greater than 140 dB dynamic range. Consider leveraging various macro-model techniques, such as behavioral modeling, advanced basis functions, tensor trains, and fractional calculus. Leverage published or commercially available macro-models. The simulator should provide a “dial an accuracy” capability to allow user tradeoff between accuracy and speed.

PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of a software approach to linear and non-linear circuit simulation capable of simulating the detailed circuit response, sampled at any point in the circuit, tocomplex waveforms such as a 5G OFDM (Orthogonal Frequency Division Multiplexing) or CDMA (Code Division Multiple Access), pulsed ultra-wideband, multi-carrier, frequency hopping, and non-periodic pulsed frequencies. The simulator must accurately and efficiently handle circuit non-linearity, repeated transient behavior, and full duplex operation (with simultaneous very high and very low power signals). The feasibility of the approach will be supported by a block diagram of the software routines and analysis based on performance estimation from parameters reported in the literature for the various algorithms required. Results of research in the last two decades provide optimism that such a very high performance non-linear circuit simulator can be formulated. As an example, an advanced circuit solver approach (fREEDA), from North Carolina State University, is described in ref. 1, which has a dynamic range exceeding 160 dB in transient simulation. It is publically available for download (ref. 2). It has a physically correct true time delay capability (ref. 3), can accommodate arbitrary state variables and multi-physics variables (ref. 4), and can handle distributed networks (ref. 5). Reference 11 is a link to a Sandia Laboratory generated circuit simulator (Xyce) which addresses many of the same issues as fREEDA. It is also publically available. Both have GPL public licenses. One approach to this topic would be to combine features from Xyce and fREEDA, since both can be leveraged for commercial application under their public licenses. Establish and present a transition plan for the software package, with details of specific transition partners and consideration of software documentation, maintenance and customer service.

PHASE II: Develop a trusted software package capable of the simulation described in phase I. Determine the fundamental limits of macro-models proposed and the measures of uncertainty introduced by each. Formulate a plan to demonstrate the capabilities of the simulation. Develop a validation plan for the simulator based on specific experiments and other limited capability simulators or simulations with extensive run time (which would not be practical for most applications). Demonstrate the simulation and validate against the criteria in the validation plan. Document the validation in a journal article for peer review which will effectively advertise and promote the simulation capabilities to the professional electronics community. Deliver a beta version of the software, including source code, to a designated government lab for testing. Provide on-site support of the government testing. Develop and deliver a comprehensive transition plan to make the software available to the government and commercial market place, with detailed outline of the roles of transition partners, an updated business model, and updated market analysis. Develop and deliver a GUI (graphical user interface) with schematic capture integrated in the simulation. The software must be implemented in a common computer language such as C++ or Python. The simulator meeting these requirements will have significant capabilities not found in commercially available software and even (to our knowledge) in dedicated software internal to industrial programs. In particular the software will be capable of comprehensively simulating relatively long time steps and time delays (milliseconds) during (for example) an EW attack, of simulating with a scalable accuracy-vs-runtime tradeoff, of accurately modeling perfectly general waveforms in two circuits coupled at major distances electromagnetically, and easily encompassing the extensive device model libraries developed for other software products.

PHASE III: Phase III work will advance the beta software version to a robust circuit simulator for sale to commercial and military markets. The capability to accurately and quickly simulate the propagation of advanced waveforms end-to-end and to observe the effects of individual circuit elements will significantly reduce the cost of RF chip design and therefore the electronic system itself. It is expected to be of interest to chip designers throughout the RF electronics industry, to universities and government laboratories for analysis of innovative RF circuit and waveform concepts, to agencies regulating spectrum usage, and to the electronic warfare community. The expected transition path would be for the company to establish its own software maintenance, customer support, and sales capability; to partner with an existing larger commercial software company; or to sell the license to a major software company.

KEYWORDS: circuit simulator, non-linear circuits, complex waveforms, 5G

References:

N. M. Kriplani, S. Luniya and M. B. Steer, “Integrated deterministic and stochastic simulation of electronic circuits: application to large signal noise analysis,” Int. J. Numerical Modeling: Electronic Networks, Devices and Fields 21, 303 (2008).; https://go.ncsu.edu/freeda-download; S. Priyadarshi, C. S. Saunders, N. M. Kriplani, H. Demircioglu, W. R. Davis, P. D. Franzon, and M. B. Steer, “Parallel transient simulation of multi-physics circuits using delay-based partitioning,” IEEE Trans. on Computer Aided Design of Integrated Circuits and Systems 31,1522 (2012).; S. Priyadarshi, T. R. Harris, S. Melamed, C. Otero, N. Kriplani, C. E. Christoffersen, R. Manohar, S. R. Dooley, W. R. Davis, P. D. Franzon, and M. B. Steer, “Dynamic electrothermal simulation of three dimensional integrated circuits using standard cell macromodels,” IET Circuits, Devices & Systems 6, 35 (2012).; C. S. Saunders and M. B. Steer, “Passivity enforcement for admittance models of distributed networks using an inverse eigenvalue method,” IEEE Transactions on Microwave Theory and Techniques 60, 8 (2012).; J.C. Pedro and S.A. Maas, “A Comparative Overview of Microwave and Wireless Power-Amplifier Behavioral Modeling Approaches,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 53, 1150 (2005).; F.M. Barradas, L.C. Nunes, T.R. Cunha, P.M. Lavrador, P.M. Cabral, and J.C. Pedro, “Compensation of Long-Term Memory Effects on GaN HEMT-Based Power Amplifiers,” IEEE Trans. Microw. Theory Tech. 65, 3379 (2017).; S. Barmada, A. Musolino, R. Rizzo, and M. Tucci, “Multi-resolution based sensitivity analysis of complex non-linear circuits,” IET Circuits Devices Syst. 6, 176 (2012).; J.S. Ochoa and A.C. Cangellaris, “Macro-modeling of electromagnetic domains exhibiting geometric and material uncertainty,” Applied Computational Electromagnetics Society Journal 27, 80 (2012).; A.S. Yang, X. Chen, J. E. Schutt-Ainé and A. C. Cangellaris, “Adaptive Wavelet Stochastic Collocation for Resonant Transmission Line Circuits,” in Proc. 2017 IEEE 26th Conference on Electrical Performance of Electronic Packaging and Systems (EPEPS), San Jose, CA, USA, October 2017.; https://xyce.sandia.gov

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems

OBJECTIVE: Develop a capability to maintain the accuracy, integrity and reliability of tracking dismounted soldier trainees as they perform their exercises in the field.

DESCRIPTION: The Army’s current modernization of live training requires accurate dismounted soldier trainee position/tracking to enable the convergence of Live, Virtual, and Constructive (LVC) training environments. Currently, live soldier trainees, when represented virtually, are often seen to have position jitter, or can be seen floating or jumping to positions not physically possible in the real world. Currently, under conditions of GPS satellite signal attenuation or blockage due to terrain features is conducted by a concept called dead reckoning, which is similar to a flywheel effect, which are relative estimates of position and heading using inertial sensors: accelerometers to measure linear motion, and gyroscopes to measure angular rate change. These sensors estimate position, velocity, and heading measured from a last known trusted GPS receiver position measurement (latitude and longitude) when the satellite signal reception is attenuated, distorted, or blocked by land features such as trees or buildings. Accelerometers simultaneously detect walking steps and estimate stride length to derive an estimate for position and velocity. Gyroscopes measure angular rate changes and are used to estimate heading. The last known GPS receiver position measurement also receives timestamps from received satellite signals that are referenced and tracked by crystal oscillators for keeping time reference measurements to estimate velocity. All of these sensors have error modes that degrade Position, Velocity, and Timing (PVT) measurement estimates proportional to distance travelled and elapsed time. Current state-of-the-art dead reckoning error rate is approximately 2% of distance travelled on flat, even, terrain.We are seeking innovative dead reckoning techniques based on time series-based algorithmic solutions that exploit artificial neural networks that have PVT estimate error equal to, or less than, 0.2% of distance travelled and is able to maintain estimate performance in challenging terrain to include stairs, tunnels, and steep mountain terrain. Solutions using low cost Micro-electro Mechanical Systems (MEMS) based Inertial Measurement Units (IMUs) are preferred to keep cost, weight, and power consumption low.Soldier traineesoften perform their exercises in the field which are often in environments where GPS satellite signals are substantially degraded or altogether unavailable, such as during maneuvers in indoor urban training center buildings.

PHASE I: Develop detailed analysis of predicted performance and perform modeling and simulation of technical approach. Phase I deliverables will include a design concept and analysis of expected performance capability with supporting rationale.

PHASE II: Develop, demonstrate, and validate a proposed dead reckoning system using a Linux Operating System (OS) that meets the topic objectives. Phase II deliverables will be dead reckoning system prototype that can demonstrate meeting topic objectives in an outdoor test environment. The use of an Android smartphone to demonstrate the technology capability is acceptable. The proposed solution must be mounted on the body’s upper torso.

PHASE III: Potential military applications would include dismounted soldier navigation under tactical operational conditions where GPS satellite signals are attenuated or obscured or under electronic warfare situations. Commercial applications would include vehicle fleet tracking, Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UASs) performing aerial surveying data collections in GPS-challenged environments to maintain public safety, or for wearable gait analysis to detect changes in the neural control of gait linked to ageing or Parkinson’s disease.

KEYWORDS: Machine Learning, Neural Networks, Time Series Forecasting, Kalman Filter, and Pedestrian Dead Reckoning

References:

1. Q. Wang, L. Ye, H. Luo, “Pedestrian Stride-Length Estimation Based on LSTM and Denoising Autoencoders”,Sensors 2019, https://www.mdpi.com/1424-8220/19/4/840;2. Q. Wang, L. Ye, H. Luo, “Pedestrian Walking Distance Estimation Based on Smartphone Mode Recognition”, Remote Sensing 2019, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/9/1140;3. G. Guo, R. Chen, “A Pose Awareness Solution for Estimating Pedestrian Walking Speed”, Remote Sensing 2019, https://www.mdpi.com/2072-4292/11/1/55;4. C. Chen, C. Lu, B. Wang, “DynaNet: Neural Kalman Dynamical Model for Motion Estimation and Prediction”, https://arxiv.org/pdf/1908.03918.pdf;5. S. Rangapuram, M. Seeger, “Deep State Space Models for Time Series Forecasting”, NeurIPS 2018https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/7b8f/97663a190ddaf599f83d3ab6204639f8881a.pdf?_ga2.57350316.789179070.1569364791-670032685.1569364791

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials

OBJECTIVE: To develop a prototype handheld device that provides a real-time assessment of the efficacy of a TICs/TIMs filter being used to purify water from any indigenous source.

DESCRIPTION: Soldiers require upwards of 15L of water/day to properly sustain adequate hydration levels on an extended mission. This water is either carried by the individual Soldier on their person in the form of the MOLLE hydration pack, canteens, and water bottles, or can be obtained from indigenous water sources in an emergency using purification tablets. Recent investment in filtration technologies by the US Army has led to the development of toxic industrial chemicals/toxic industrial materials (TICs/TIMs) filters that are compatible with the MOLLE hydration pack. However, there is no way to assess the continued efficacy of the filtration system, including when the filtration media is saturated or breached. In addition, although the filters have been developed to function for up to 135 L of water in a laboratory setting, there is no way to ensure that the filters would function as designed in an operational setting over their intended lifespan. The additional sources of fouling found in indigenous waters cannot be accounted for in the development and prototype stages. Currently, the only way to assess water quality is to obtain a sample, send it back to a centralized laboratory facility, and obtain test results in 4-6 weeks. This is an unacceptable timeframe for a Soldier needing emergency water, and puts them at risk for acute or chronic health effects if they choose to drink the water without any knowledge of the risks. Therefore, we are soliciting new ideas for a handheld sensor device that could provide assurance of water quality, after filtering, such that the Soldier could determine whether the filter is still functioning, or needs to be replaced. The sensor system shall sense for representative classes of TICs/TIMs (heavy metal, organophosphate, volatile), and salt in any source water. The limits of detection of the sensor should be commensurate with the Army Public Health Command minimum exposure levels for each class of threat.Higher consideration will be given to technologies that meet or approach the following guidelines: • Handheld device or compatible with the MOLLE hydration system; • Lightweight, with a total system weight not to exceed < 1lb/person; • Simple sampling interface producing minimal waste; • Minimal supplies to test against each class of threat; • Provide instantaneous and easily understandable output of threats from the indigenous water source; • Satisfy a 6 foot drop to concrete and 300 lbs dynamic and static compression while dry; • No power/low power requirements are preferred. If batteries or other electronic components are required, they shall be commercially available and included in the total system weight for the entire service life of the device; • Capable of being used and operated with water temperatures from 4°C to 49°C, in environments with temperature from -33°C to 52°C; • System cost of <$200 at full scale manufacturing.The device should be lightweight, easy to use, with a simple interface that provides an easy to understand readout.

PHASE I: The STTR Phase I should result in an innovative proof of concept device that incorporates sensing capabilities of at least three TIC/TIM threats, as well as salt, at concentrations equal to or below minimum exposure limits, defined by Army Public Health Command and TBMED 577. Phase I is to determine the scientific and technical merit and feasibility of the proposed cooperative effort.Phase I deliverables would include a bench scale demonstration of the technology, cost/benefit analysis report, a plan to scale technology, and technical report .Specifically, the device should be able to sense for threats from toxic industrial chemicals and materials, and high salt concentrations (>1000 ppm).

PHASE II: This phase of the program should expand upon the capabilities of the proof of concept devices from Phase I, to include sensing of at least 10 TIC/TIM threats, as well as salt, at concentrations equal to or below minimum exposure limits defined by Army Public Health Command and TBMED 577. Development should result in at least 10 useable prototypes, which shall be tested against artificial water spiked with threats, as well as real-world water sources (e.g. fresh, brackish, and seawater) to prove they meet the above requirements. Phase II deliverables would also include a final report documenting the development of the device, test results compared to the objectives and the technical data package to build the device, and a plan for commercialization.

PHASE III: The initial use of this technology will be to provide Army Soldiers with instantaneous analysis of the efficacy of their TICs/TIMs water purification system. This should easily transition to other branches of the Armed Forces as well. If successful, this technology will find use in a number of other sectors. The most immediate need is in underdeveloped countries where access to clean drinking water is scarce and purification is expensive. As the world’s water supply becomes more contaminated, the ability to identify whether indigenous water sources are safe, and if not, what threat needs to be addressed through purification, is a powerful tool to better ensure water quality for individuals, small groups or communities. Another area of interest is in the commercial outdoors sector, in which a small, handheld device can provide threat information from indigenous water sources for the camper, hiker, or backpacker.

KEYWORDS: Hydration, sensor, individual protection, water, purification, Soldier, TICs/TIMs

References:

Topic A20B-T025 - Table 1 TICs-TIMs.pdf

1. Technical Bulletin Medical (TB MED) 577: Sanitary Control and Surveillance of Field Water Supplies. United States Department of the Army, 2013. https://dmna.ny.gov/foodservice/docs/references/tbmed577.pdf;2.NSF Protocol P248: Military Operations Microbiological Water Purifiers, NSF International, 2012.;3.ATP 4-44 MCRP 3-17.7Q Water Support Operationshttps://www.marines.mil/Portals/1/Publications/MCRP%203-40D.14.pdf?ver=2017-03-27-095057-740; Water Requirement and Soldier Hydration: https://ke.army.mil/bordeninstitute/published_volumes/mil_quantitative_physiology/QPchapter07.pdf

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials

OBJECTIVE: Develop an additive manufacturing technique that allows for processing of thermally-cured thermoset polymers.

DESCRIPTION: Thermally cured thermosets, such as polyurethanes and polydimethylsiloxes (PDMS), are widely used in a myriad of industrial and military-relevant applications, such as machine parts, protective coatings, and medical devices, as they possess high thermal and mechanical stability. Additionally, as polymers, these materials possess the attractive features of being lightweight, ease of manufacturing relative to other high strength materials (e.g., metals/alloys), and inexpensive. Because of these attributes, thermally-cured thermosets currently dominate the traditional manufacturing space for thermoset materials. Highly desirable, however, is an additive manufacturing (AM) methodology amenable to processing these materials, as this would enable an “on demand”, energy-efficient means of their production. AM has also been demonstrated as a platform to rapidly fabricate customizable parts. This would be particularly impactful for DOD applications where manufacturing at the point of use may provide critical capabilities while decreasing and/or eliminating supply chain and logistical challenges.To date, the difficulty in 3D printing thermally-cured thermosets largely stems from a need for extremely rapid heating/cooling cycles (sub microsecond) that span large temperature changes – a requirement that cannot be easily met using conventional bulk heating. Recently, researchers have demonstrated novel methods of internal heating using nanoscale heat sources, such as photothermal curing (ref 1), or pulsed microwave irradiation (ref 2) that could support the rapid cure cycles required with additive manufacturing. Additionally, the aforementioned photothermal curing method has demonstrated tunable mechanical and physical properties based on the intensity of light irradiation, thus offering potential access to 3D printed parts with tailored properties (ref 3).There is an essential need to develop an additive manufacturing technique that enables the processing of purely thermally-cured thermoset polymers. The technique should also be generalizable include different types of thermally-cured thermosets. Additionally, the proposed method should not require an oven to fix the final print, and the final part should demonstrate mechanical and thermal stability akin to cast parts made from the same polymer formulation.

PHASE I: Develop a methodology that enables only thermally-activated curing of 1 of the following thermosets: epoxy-amines, PDMS, or polyurethanes, using only commercially available components. Please note that resins that are easily polymerized via photoinitiation, such as cationic epoxies and (meth)acrylates, will not be considered. The 3D printing technique should be capable of curing at the point of extrusion, and preferably not require and oven to fix the print. If an oven is used to post-cure, the printed part should be stable for 1hr prior to oven curing.The printer should have a minimal average speed of 10mm/s throughout a print and be able to continuously print for a minimum of 20 minutes. The technique should also demonstrate the ability to stop/restart after 10 minutes with no need to clean the printer. The final print part should demonstrate a resolution (layer thickness and length) less than 1mm. 3DBenchy and other common 3D printing stress tests should be performed to ensure (i) the Young’s modulus, tensile strength, and glass transition temperature are similar to cast parts from the same polymer formulation, (ii) good adherence between layers, and (iii) solvent and light resistance similar to cast parts from the same polymer formulation. The performers should demonstrate the ability to systematically and controllably vary the thermal and mechanical properties to render parts that range from elastomeric to glassy.

PHASE II: Demonstrate the method developed in Phase I can be extend to use a different thermally-cured thermoset than the one the team selects in Phase I and should also extend Phase I capabilities to enable print speeds to a minimum of 50 mm/s continuously for 4 hours. Additionally, the printer should be able to change the resolution of the print (1mm to 0.1mm) and the print speed (10mm/s to 50mm/s), and also demonstrate the ability to print without user intervention. The final print parts for both classes of thermosets should demonstrate a resolution down to 0.1mm, enable printing of complex shapes, and demonstrate inclusion of specified hollow features.To validate the ability to cure and lock in the part, key structures should be printed.One such example include scaffolds and a mathematical geometric comparison of the printed geometry vs the expected geometry should be determined.Another example includes a tall structure, such as a cylinder, should be prepared to assess for slumping of the part as pressure from above layers could cause not fully cured towards the bottom of the part to flow and cause distortions and slumping of the part.Additionally, the final printed parts should demonstrate mechanical, thermal, and performance properties that exceed that of common AM resins. Solutions that also demonstrate the ability to monitor stress-development during cure, as well as the ability to co-print two different thermally-activated thermosets are highly desired.

PHASE III: The proposed technology has a broad range of civilian and military applications as thermoset polymers are widely used as machine parts for automotive and aerospace applications, as wound dressings for biomedical applications, as well as protective coatings. This technology could have transformative implications for DoD as it will enable the ability to print thermally-cured thermosets “on-demand” greatly simplifying the supply chain. In the civilian sector, in addition to health care implications, this technology may also enable mass customization of consumer products comprised of thermoset materials.

KEYWORDS: thermoset polymers; additive manufacturing; 3D printing; polymer curing; mechanical stability

References:

Fortenbaugh, R.J.; Lear, B.J., On-demand Curing of Polydimethylsilozane (PDMS) using the photothermal effect of gold nanoparticles. Nanoscale 2017, 9, 8555.; Choi, W.; Choi, K.; You, C., Ultrafast Nanoscale Polymer Coating on Porous 3D Structures Using Microwave Irradiation. Advanced Functional Materials 2018, 28, 1704877.; Fortenbaugh, R.J.; Carrozzi, S.A.; Lear, B.J., Photothermal Control over the Mechanical and Physical Properties of Polydimethylsiloxane. Macromolecules 2019, 52, 3839.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Bio Medical

OBJECTIVE: Develop, demonstrate, and deliver an inner-ear sensor device that integrates three functions: 1) sensing and recording head response to both blast and blunt impact events, 2) communications, and 3) continuous and impulse noise attenuation.This STTR aims to develop a device that provides the ability to monitor multiple types of exposure (blunt impact and blast) to Service Members during training and combat operations for potential traumatic brain injuries.

DESCRIPTION: The Defense and Veterans Brain Injury Center (DVBIC), in conjunction with the Armed Forces Health Surveillance Center, tracks traumatic brain injury (TBI) diagnoses for all U.S. military personnel (deployed and non-deployed).There were 383,947 TBI diagnoses of all severities between 2000 and Q1-2018 (DVBIC, 2019).Depending on the severity of the TBI, symptoms may last from a couple of days to multiple years following the injurious event.Moreover, repeated TBIs may result in more severe and long-term consequences.There have been several attempts to record the exposure conditions related to mild traumatic brain injuries (mTBI) in the military, beginning with an effort directed by the Vice Chief of Staff of the Army (VCSA) in 2007.Existing technologies that are usable in a military environment only measure blast exposure or suffer from poor coupling to the head and require substantial post-processing of the data to correlate the sensor motion to head motion.Commercially available technologies developed for athletics environments are not broadly compatible with the military environment due to interactions with protective equipment and coupling to the head under extreme conditions (Rooks et al., 2015).Additionally, no current capability (military or civilian) integrates the ability to measure both impact and blast exposures in a single package to an acceptable degree. Additionally, currently available commercial technologies suffer from insufficient battery life and a large overhead of personnel to manage the use of the technology (Rooks et al., 2015).Studies have shown that sensors deeply inserted into the ear canal can have better coupling to the head and can represent head motion accurately (Salzar, 2008; Panzer et al., 2009; Christopher et al., 2013).Additionally, in-ear sensors have been used in the motorsports industry to monitor driver head accelerations during crash events (Knox et al., 2008) as well as measuring head accelerations in rough stock riders (Mathers et al., 2012).Current in-ear sensor systems do not combine the sensor technology with other essential functions that an earpiece must provide to the military Service Member: communications and continuous steady-state and impulse noise attenuation.This STTR aims to develop a device that provides the ability to monitor Service Members during combat operations for potential traumatic brain injuries.Additionally, the device will integrate with existing Service Members’ communication systems, while not hindering communication and providing noise attenuation. This increased monitoring will allow Soldiers to receive medical attention sooner to address potential injuries prior to any additional or compounding injuries. By quickly addressing injuries, Soldier return-to-duty may be accelerated, thus maintaining combat power and increasing Soldier lethality.

PHASE I: Develop device concepts and designs that integrate the desired functions of recording blast and blunt impact exposure, providing communications ability, and providing hearing protection.Additionally, perform a technical trade assessment of the conceptual designs, to include: sensor recording requirements, communications requirements, and noise attenuation requirements for military-specific applications.The proposed device must integrate all three functions (ability to sense and record head response to blast and blunt exposures, communication, and continuous steady-state and impulse noise attenuation) into a single device.Ideally, the proposed device should be electronically readable, scan-able, or transmittable to DOD approved devices and to manage data and alert team members and medics of a potentially injurious exposure.The device should be capable of integrating with currently fielded Department of Defense (DoD) communications systems, to include drawing power from the radio battery packs (if required for operation) and transmitting data through secure communication channels.If self-powered, the device must have a battery life of at least 72 hours of continuous operation with the ability to be recharged.The device should have minimal power consumption, be low-weight, capable of accommodating the range of Soldiers’ ear sizes, comfortable for extended wear, durable, cheap, and re-usable.The target storage capability for the device is 1000 time-trace events before downloading.The target response range for the device is ± 500 G, ± 6,000 deg/sec, and ±100 psi.The target sampling rate for the device is 100,000 Hz, with a minimum duration of 100 ms.Data acquisition should have a minimum of 16-bit resolution, and measurement error should be less than 0.01% for all sensors.Trigger threshold should be adjustable in sensor configuration settings.The timestamp should be accurate to less than 1-second and should have no more than 1-second of drift for a minimum of seven days without synchronizing with a source. Sensor settings (i.e., unique identifier, timestamp, trigger threshold) and data should be stored on non-volatile memory.A time-stamp indicator should be documented before device power depletion and for every recorded event.Work in Phase I should demonstrate the field compatibility of the design by delivering two weight and geometrically representative mock-ups. Additionally, work completed in Phase I should demonstrate the ability to integrate all three desired functions into a single platform.Along with the mock-ups, the contractor shall deliver documentation on the most promising concept design(s), anticipated developmental testing requirements, proposed test procedures, and preliminary data to demonstrate functionality, compatibility, working principles, and use. The contractor will develop the work plan for subsequent development and prototyping.

PHASE II: Using results from Phase I, construct and demonstrate the operation of a prototype that integrates the three desired functions of recording exposure, communications, and hearing protection.The prototype will also include any hardware/software interfaces that are required for system functionality (data download and processing).Upon successful demonstration of an operational prototype to government representatives, mature the selected design for wear by Service Members and construct working prototypes for limited field testing and evaluations.Required Phase II deliverables include: 12 working prototype units and associated hardware/software interfaces required for system functionality, documentation on use of the device, a report on the limited field testing and evaluations, and a final report on device design and validation testing.

PHASE III: Mild TBI and the ability to identify potentially injurious events is not solely a military concern.Significant efforts are being made to improve the ability to identify and diagnose mTBI both within the military and commercially.While sensors have been developed and used extensively in athletics, there remains a gap on the market for wearable sensor technologies that can be used occupationally, whether that is in the military (operationally) or commercially.For instance, law enforcement personnel are routinely exposed to similar threats as many military applications, and there is no current sensor that can measure both blast and blunt impact sufficiently within either group. Commercially, an inner-ear multipurpose sensor could become standard issue equipment for the civilian law enforcement community, bomb squads, miners, flight-line personnel, and construction personnel, to name a few occupations.For use with many of the civilian and law enforcements occupations, additional development may be required.Many of the non-military environments use wireless data transmission (e.g., Bluetooth, local wifi networks, etc.) and may use commercially available radio and communication systems rather than DOD approved systems.During phase III, the performer will be encouraged to further develop the prototype device to facilitate use with non-DOD occupations and communities.Ongoing research efforts in the DOD are using COTS devices that partially fill the gap; however, the devices available are not final solutions for occupational monitoring in training and operational environments.A successfully developed sensor would be integrated into ongoing research, surveillance, and evaluation efforts conducted through the Environmental Sensors in Training (ESiT) program as well as efforts under development to address the 2018 and 2020 National Defense Authorization Acts calling for occupational monitoring of blast exposure.

KEYWORDS: Concussion Blast Impact Head impact mTBI TBI Environmental Sensor Noise Attenuation Earphones Headset Radio Headset

References:

Christopher, J. J., et al. (2013). "Assessment of Ear- and Tooth-Mounted Accelerometers as Representative of Human Head Response."SAE International Paper doi:10.4271/2013-01-0805. 2. Knox, T., et al. (2008). "New Sensors to Track Head Acceleration during POssible Injurious Events". SAE International Paper doi: 10.4271/2008-01-2976 3. Mathers, C.H., et al. (2012). "Using In-ear Accelerometers to Measure Head Acceleration in Rough Stock Riders: A Pilot Study." Athletic Training and Sports Health Care. 2012; 4(4); 158-164. doi: 10.3928/19425864-20120309-01 4. Panzer, M., et al. (2009). "Evaluation of Ear-mounted Sensors for Determining Iimpact Head Acceleration." IRCOBI 2009.5. Rooks, T.F., et al. (2015). "Environmental Sensors in Training: Pilot Field Studies." U.S. Army Aeromedical Research Laboratory (USAARL) Technical Report 2015-17. 6. Salzar, R. S. (2008). "Improving Earpiece Accelerometer Coupling to the Head." SAE International Journal of Passenger Cars - Mechanical Systems 1(1): 15.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials

OBJECTIVE: To develop a fabric with the durability of a woven fabric and the stretch and breathability of a knitted fabric

DESCRIPTION: Current duty uniforms are made of woven fabrics however, the Army has fielded and has in acquisition garments with woven and knitted materials. The knit can only be placed in strategic locations where stretch and comfort are required and durability is not a critical issue.The use of a durable stretch fabric would increase the comfort and breathability of any woven garment. An FR material that provides the strength and abrasion resistance is needed to survive the wear and tear in the field and provide FR protection. Thewoven fabrics currently fielded are not as comfortable against the skin as knit fabrics, are not as breathable, and do not stretch enough isotropically1 to make the conformal fitting garments necessary for heat management and reduced bulk and movement hinderance3. Knitted fabrics have very low durability compared to woven materials2. Current methods for functionalizing woven fabrics often have detrimental effects to the intrinsic properties of the fabric such as durability, and air or water vapor permeation.4 This novel fabric should have robustness, stretch and breathability to allow for the design of a more comfortable, close fitting uniform that would increase thermal and moisture management of the wearer. This novel textile should have the following properties: 1. Comfort of knit fabrics as measured in terms of bi-axial stretch, water vapor transport, wicking 2. Durability of woven fabrics as measured in terms of abrasion resistance, tear strength, bursting strength 3. The final weight and thickness of the textile should be comparable to the existing textiles used in standard duty uniforms 4. The textile should be no melt/no drip (T), flame resistance is requiredTo develop a fabric with the durability of a woven fabric and the stretch and breathability of a knitted fabric while retaining Army requirements for flame resistance (FR) and vector protection. The improved fabric properties will enable the manufacture of comfortable fabrics, conformal garments, with good heat management, and garments for a variety of applications both military and civilian. The new textile will have the above attributes and maintain the variety of finishing processes currently in use, including Dye-ability, permanent press and permethrin treatments.

PHASE I: Develop a proof of concept to incorporate durability, stretch, breathability, wicking, and comfort into a textile. Air permeation, stretch and recovery, flame resistance, moisture wicking, abrasion testing, and burst strength will be tested on the material IAW the ASTMS listed below in table 1.0. The detailed conditions of testing must be approved by the TPOC. At the end of Phase I, swatch sized samples will be delivered to the TPOC.Table 1.0 Phase 1 test methods and requirements will be uploaded with topic

PHASE II: The full scale manufacturing process must be demonstrated in Phase II. Further improvements on the textile properties are also the objectives of this phase of research, as needed.Full capability to sew into a garment must be demonstrated, seaming issues must be overcome. Continued testing on the scaled textile, as detailed in Phase I, will be conducted to ensure no loss in performance during scaled up production. This phase will demonstrate textile uniformity across the width and length of the production

PHASE III: The novel textile developed in this work with the aforementioned properties would have applications far beyond the standard issue uniforms, and could apply to improve a host of technologies, including equipment, CBRNe garments, and temporary structures such as tents. Use of the textile outside of direct military applications include; first responders, outdoor clothing and equipment, sports clothing, etc.

KEYWORDS: Textiles, heat management, moisture management, stretch fabrics, fibers, nonwovens, fabrics

References:

Topic A20B-TO26 - Table 1.0 Phase I Test Methods and Requirements.pdf

1. Senthilkumar, M.; Anbumani, N.; Hayavadana, J., Elastane fabrics - A tool for stretch applications in sports. Indian J. Fibre Text. Tes. 2011, 36 (3), 300-307.;2. Malshe, P.; Mazloumpour, M.; El-Shafei, A.; Hauser, P., Functional Military Textile: Plasma-Induced Graft Polymerization of DADMAC for Antimicrobial Treatment on Nylon-Cotton Blend Fabric. Plasma Chemistry and Plasma Processing 2012, 32 (4), 833-843.;3. Petrulis, D., The influence of fabric construction and fibre type on textile durability: woven, knitted and nonwoven fabrics. In Understanding and Improving the Durability of Textiles, Annis, P. A., Ed. Woodhead Publ Ltd: Cambridge, 2012; pp 3-30.;4. Tang, K. P. M.; Kan, C. W.; Fan, J. T.; Sarkar, M. K.; Tso, S. L., Flammability, comfort and mechanical properties of a novel fabric structure: plant-structured fabric. Cellulose 2017, 24 (9), 4017-4031.TO BE UPLOADED WITH TOPIC

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Bio Medical, Nuclear, Sensors

OBJECTIVE: Develop a capability to collect and provide immediate presumptive analysis of radiological/nuclear samples of concern in field environments.

DESCRIPTION: The Defense Threat Reduction Agency seeks technologies that can detect and identify trace quantities of elements and/or chemicals with a preference for both.Target elements and chemicals must include those containing plutonium and uranium.Of interest are chemicals specific to the nuclear fuel cycle.Current capabilities require samples to be sent to a location other than the location of collection requiring more time than is desired.This topic seeks to allow for presumptive analysis to be obtained at the source of collection. Samples, which could include swipes, must be obtained from solid surfaces; air sampling is not sought.The prototyped device must be compact and able to demonstrate that a commercialized version could be carried by one person.It must also be able to operate for 4-6 hours on battery power.The resulting analysis must provide quantitative measurements.The threshold sensitivity for the detection and identification of uranium and plutonium should be 1 part per million (or 5 nanograms for uranium).Isotopic identification is required while the determination of isotopic ratios is desired.Minimal sample preparation and time is required with no more than single-step wet chemistry allowed.The process should not contain harsh separation/dissolution chemicals, such as perchloric acid.Sample analysis from dry surfaces is required with analysis from wet surfaces desired.The analysis should be non-destructive such that samples, or a portion of the original sample, could be retained for further analysis.The operator must be able to collect and prepare samples with nitrile gloves.A commercialized version must be able to operate in a “hot zone” without concern of internal contamination while the exterior could be decontaminated following use.The prototype system must provide an analysis of the sample within 5 minutes and allow for an immediate follow on analysis.The system should have a volume <0.1 m3 and a mass <15 kg.The prototype should require only minimal, low-cost consumables, which can be packaged with the system.

PHASE I:A trade study should be conducted to assess the possible methods for sample analysis.  Although a full prototype is not necessary, the work should demonstrate the necessary basic physical principles for meeting performance goals in Phase II.  Consideration should be given to the analytical accuracy and precision of the system, the ease of measuring samples in the field, and the portability of the system.  Phase I proposals should indicate the need for and planned access to characterization samples (e.g., uranium, plutonium, etc.) under a Phase II development.

PHASE II:Phase II projects should develop a prototype device.  The prototype should be man-portable and capable of being used in a field test.  The prototype should demonstrate accurate elemental and/or chemical analysis of samples containing plutonium and uranium for the requirements listed in the topic description.  The Government will not provide characterization samples (e.g., uranium, plutonium, etc.).The proposal should indicate the need for and access to such samples.

PHASE III: DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: A field-deployable trace element and chemical analyzer would have wide commercial applications including for environmental and industrial sampling.  Although additional funding may be provided through DoD sources, the awardee should look to other public or private sector funding sources for assistance with transition and commercialization.

KEYWORDS: Trace element, presumptive analysis, surface sampling, in-field analysis

References:

[1] Jacqueline Q. McComb, Christian Rogers, Fengxiang X. Han, and Paul B. Tchounwou. “Rapid Screening of Heavy Metals and trace Elements in Environmental Samples using Portable X-ray Fluorescence Spectrometer, A Comparative Study.” Water Air Soil Pollut. (2014) 225: 2169[2] ​Zuzanna SZCZEPANIAK, Mateusz SYDOW, Justyna STANINSKA-PIĘTA. “Monitoring and Remediation of Heavy Metal Polluted Soils – A Review.” Journal of Research and Applications in Agricultural Engineering” 2016, Vol. 61(4) [3] ANSI. 1996. Measurement and Associated Instrument Quality Assurance for Radioassay Laboratories, N42.23 [4] ​ISO. 2010. Determination of the characteristic limits (decision threshold, detection limit and limits of the confidence interval) for measurements of ionizing radiation — Fundamentals and application, 11929:2010(E)

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics

OBJECTIVE: Innovate, develop, demonstrate, and commercialize three-dimensional microfabricated ion traps needed for the robust and high-performance operation of ion-based quantum sensors, clocks, and other precision measurement systems.

DESCRIPTION: Recently several basic research advances Refs. (1-9) have been made in ion-trap quantum systems that have significantly improved the performance of these systems. These research advances include micro-fabricated surface ion traps that have been very successful in quantum technology applications. However, surface ion traps make many design compromises such as the trap depth, ion height from the surface, among others that may not be best suited for all potential quantum technology applications. In particular, anomalous ion heating and stray charges have been a significant hurdle to advancing ion trap experiments. Three-dimensional traps provide an alternate set of design parameters enabled by geometry that may overcome some of the compromises of surface ion traps. To date, typical microfabricated three-dimensional traps have been assembled by hand. The poor precision of hand assembly has significantly limited the performance of these three-dimensional traps. Modern microfabrication techniques such as additive manufacturing, three-dimensional printing, photo-chemical structuring of fused silica, among others, permit monolithic high-precision three-dimensional ion trap geometries to be pursued. In addition, three-dimensional geometry provides the space and path for innovative laser light delivery, microwave delivery, shielding, and wiring. The design trade-space provided by three-dimensional geometry, in combination with matched high-precision microfabrication techniques and new materials, provides the opportunity to develop high-performance integrated ion-trap quantum systems, while maintaining small size and form factor. There are several technical challenges that must be addressed that integrate the versatility of the design space of three-dimensional geometry with matched materials and monolithic micro-fabrication techniques. Machine-learning techniques may help optimize the design space combined with the constraints of fabrication and materials.Further research and development is needed that holistically views ion trap design and fabrication to address these challenges. For many potential applications, holistic designs must provide a high degree of optical access covering a wide range of wavelengths that can span the near ultra-violet to the near infra-red, microwave access, electrodes and electrode wiring for ion control, high operating voltages, and be compatible with other components needed for operating a complex ion-trap system. Room temperature operation is desired. Materials used must be compatible with ultrahigh vacuum processing and operation. Low residual magnetic fields are needed for magnetic sensor applications.

PHASE I: Innovations and explorations are needed with the design trade space offered by three-dimensional ion traps in combination with and matched to modern techniques for the high-precision microfabrication of these traps to develop a high-performance compact integrated ion-trap quantum system. Effort should focus on design and proof-of-concept demonstration of critical fabrication steps, materials, and system components comprising an integrated design of a three-dimensional ion trap, including optical and/or microwave access and electrode wiring. Modeling and simple experiments should be performed to demonstrate feasibility of the proposed approach. An example application of trapped ions should be identified and used for the proof-of-concept demonstration of trap performance.

PHASE II: Finalize design and build prototypes of the three-dimensional microfabricated ion-trap quantum system. Provide a demonstration deployment that validates the technology at a laboratory that does suitable ion-trap quantum system experiments. The Phase-II program shall provide a plan to transition the technology to commercial development and deployment, wherein the three-dimensional traps are available for purchase by the user community.

PHASE III: The three-dimensional ion traps developed in Phase II will provide a versatile platform for the successful development and demonstration of quantum sensors, quantum computing, and other precision measurement systems based on ion chip traps. Potential customers include researchers in universities, industry, DoD laboratories, and DoD contractors and system integrators. Partnerships with system integrators developing gravity gradiometers, timing systems, navigation systems, and similar such sensor and measurement systems is another Phase III avenue. Other Phase III opportunities include the leverage of IP generated from component technology for other applications requiring monolithic precision microfabrication requiring high optical, microwave, or wiring access. Further commercial applications could include the mining industry.

KEYWORDS: ion traps, three-dimensional ion traps, quantum sensors, quantum computing

References:

D. Stick, W. K. Hensinger, S. Olmschenk, M. J. Madsen, K. Schwab, and C. Monroe, "Ion trap in a semiconductor chip," Nature Phys. 2, 36-39 (2006).; J. Chiaverini, R. B. Blakestad, J. Britton, J. D. Jost, C. Langer, D. Leibfried, R. Ozeri, and D. J. Wineland, "Surface-Electrode Architecture for Ion-Trap Quantum Information Processing," Quantum Inf. Comput. 5, 419 (2005).; K. R. Brown, R. J. Clark, J. Labaziewicz, P. Richerme, D. R. Leibrandt, and I. L. Chuang, "Loading and characterization of a printed-circuit-board atomic ion trap," Phys. Rev. A 75, 015401 (2007).; S. Seidelin, J. Chiaverini, R. Reichle, J. J. Bollinger, D. Leibfried, J. Britton, J. H. Wesenberg, R. B. Blakestad, R. J. Epstein, D. B. Hume, W. M. Itano, J. D. Jost, C. Langer, R. Ozeri, N. Shiga, and D. J. Wineland, "Microfabricated Surface-Electrode Ion Trap for Scalable Quantum Information Processing," Phys. Rev. Lett. 96, 253003 (2006).; J. M. Amini, J. Britton, D. Leibfried, and D. J. Wineland, "Microfabricated Chip Traps for Ions," arXiv:0812.3907 (2008).; G. Wilpers, P. See, P. Gill, and A. G. Sinclair, "A monolithic array of three-dimensional ion traps fabricated with conventional semiconductor technology," Nature Nanotech. 7, 572-576 (2012).; Maryse Ernzer. Challenges in design and fabrication of a scalable 3D ion trap. Master’s thesis, ETH Zurich, 2018.; D. T. C. Allcock et al. A microfabricated ion trap with integrated microwave circuitry. Appl. Phys. Lett., 102:044103, 2013.; K. K. Mehta, C. D. Bruzewicz, R. McConnell, R. J. Ram, J. M. Sage, and J. Chiaverini. Integrated optical addressing of an ion qubit. Nat. Nanotechnol, 11:1066, 2016.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Weapons

OBJECTIVE: Develop a methodology and analysis package for the accurate prediction of missile afterburning plume signatures capturing the effect of afterburning shutdown at high altitude.

DESCRIPTION: Predicting the emission signature and radar cross-section of rocket exhaust plumes is of vital interest to the Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Army to protect the U.S. homeland and our forces abroad.Threat detection and identification can be enhanced by understanding the basic physics of rocket exhaust plumes interacting with the ambient atmosphere, in particular the phenomena of plume afterburning and afterburning shutdown.Plume afterburning is the combustion of rich rocket exhaust with the surrounding air, leading to increased plume temperatures and enhanced thermal emission up to altitudes on the order of 30 km.Accurately modeling this phenomenon depends on knowing the engine exhaust composition and conditions, the interaction of the engine exhaust with the base area of the rocket, and the flow field surrounding the vehicle.In addition, the turbulent combustion model must be capable of accurately capturing ignition, extinction, and reignition behavior in the plume shear layer while remaining computationally tractable. With the advancement of current sensor technology, the effects of turbulent combustion are now detectable and must be modeled.

PHASE I: Predicting the emission signature and radar cross-section of rocket exhaust plumes is of vital interest to the Missile Defense Agency and the U.S. Army to protect the U.S. homeland and our forces abroad.Threat detection and identification can be enhanced by understanding the basic physics of rocket exhaust plumes interacting with the ambient atmosphere, in particular the phenomena of plume afterburning and afterburning shutdown.Plume afterburning is the combustion of rich rocket exhaust with the surrounding air, leading to increased plume temperatures and enhanced thermal emission up to altitudes on the order of 30 km.Accurately modeling this phenomenon depends on knowing the engine exhaust composition and conditions, the interaction of the engine exhaust with the base area of the rocket, and the flow field surrounding the vehicle.In addition, the turbulent combustion model must be capable of accurately capturing ignition, extinction, and reignition behavior in the plume shear layer while remaining computationally tractable.

PHASE II: Implement the plan identified in Phase I to develop an integrated procedure to generate rocket plume flowfields that accurately capture the afterburning plume and afterburning shutdown phenomena.The metric is to include targeted experiments to confirm critical aspects of the CFD and turbulent combustion models.These models are expected to run within a reasonable time period and on a reasonable amount of computing resources. The model algorithm must be more efficient or reduce the chemistry mechanism (compared to current models) without enlarging the grid space or computational nodes. Additionally, identify approaches to incorporate the effect of particles in the plume and extract useful IR/UV/VIS/Radar signature predictions.

PHASE III: For military applications, this technology will be directly relevant to the identification of high-speed threats and launch early warning, including hypersonic airbreathing missiles.In the commercial and civil space arenas this capability would enable better predictions of the base heating environment of launch vehicles.The most likely customer and source of Government funding for Phase-III will be those service project offices responsible for the development of threat identification and launch early warning surveillance, however the development of highly accurate and computationally tractable turbulent combustion models can be expected to be commercially valuable for the simulation of gas turbine, diesel, and scramjet engines as well as conventional furnaces or boilers.

KEYWORDS: plume afterburning, turbulent combustion, reduced mechanism, ignition, extinction, reacting flow CFD

References:

1. Anon. (2019).“2019 Missile Defense Review,” U.S. Department of Defense, Office of the Secretary of Defense.Accessed at: https://media.defense.gov/2019/Jan/17/2002080666/-1/-1/1/2019-MISSILE-DEFENSE-REVIEW.PDF; 2. Bauer, C., Koch, A., Minutolo, F., and Grenard, P. (2013).“Engineering model for rocket exhaust plumes verified by CFD results,” presented at the 29th International Symposium on Space Technology and Science (ISTS), 2 -9 June, Nagoya,Japan.Accessed at: https://www.researchgate.net/publication/259898258_Engineering_model_for_rocket_exhaust_plumes_verified_by_CFD_results;3. Klimenko, A. Y. and Bilger, R. W. (1999). “Conditional Moment Closure for Turbulent Combustion,” Progress in Energy and Combustion Science, Vol. 25, pg 595-687.; z 4. Sitte, M. S. and Mastorakos, E. (2017). "Modeling of Spray Flames with Doubly-Conditional Moment Closure," Flow, Turb. and Comb., Vol. 99, pg 933-954.;5. Turanyi, T. and Tomlin, A. (2014).“Analysis of Kinetic Reaction Mechanisms,” Springer, Heidelberg.;6. Zhou, C.-W., Y. Li, U. Burke, C. Banyon, K.P. Somers, S. Ding, S. Khan, J.W. Hargis, T. Sikes, O. Mathieu, E.L. Petersen, M. al Abbad, A. Farooq, Y. Pan, Y. Zhang, Z. Huang, J. Lopez, Z. Loparo, S.S. Vasu, and H.J. Curran (2018).“An experimental and chemical kinetic modeling study of 1,3-butadiene combustion: Ignition delay time and laminar flame speed measurements,” Combustion and Flame 197, 423-438.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Bio Medical

OBJECTIVE: Design, develop, demonstrate, and evaluate the effectiveness of a mobile screen based virtual patient simulator with a high level of fidelity/realism allowing for just-in-time refresher training for emergency medical care for frontline service members in austere environments (land and sea).

DESCRIPTION: Service members, with a high degree of reliability, receive training in emergency medical care through established training courses: Advanced Trauma Life Support (ATLS), Advanced Care Life Support (ACLS), and Pediatric Advanced Life Support (PALS). Through these courses, service members receive the foundational training to provide frontline care in emergency medical situations in theater. The courses provide standardized training for what to do when faced with a decompensated patient. However, there is minimal training on how to recognize the early signs of decompensation in patients such as respiratory distress, shock and poor perfusion. As a result, there is a lack of demonstrated methods to measure readiness for these skills. Little to no implementation has occurred to enable corresponding assessments for use in refresher training. An additional shortcoming of the current training model is the lack of a practical, mobile and easy to use standardized refresher approach. As time passes from the initial training, knowledge and skills wane,1,2,3 decreasing the readiness of service members to appropriately respond when faced with medical emergencies.The goal of this topic submission is to create a mobile screen based tool with established integrated readiness measurement and corresponding assessments for just-in-time refresher training around the early recognition and management of medical emergencies in adults and children with a variety of underlying causes. The system will have objective readiness measurement capability within a robust system of high resolution images, videos, simulation, augmented reality and virtual reality components to help leaners recognize potential life threating signs and symptoms in patients such as respiratory distress, shock, CNS injury, ocular trauma, poor skin perfusion, etc. These signs are not always as obvious as, for example, frank hemorrhage and lifesaving procedures may be delayed if early recognition is missed. The interest in addressing management of children comes from recent data demonstrating that approximately 11% of ICU bed days in theater were occupied by pediatric patients4. While the focus of service member medical training is and should be on caring for adults, the reality of current global conflicts and disasters is that the US military is the most adept medical facility providing care for all in distress. This effort will focus on both adults and children and can be used in military conflicts and humanitarian disasters.In order to provide relevant and effective assessment for refresher training, the system must accurately display the presenting findings of Tactical Combat Casualty Care specific medical training scenarios such as blunt force orpenetrating trauma (tension pneumothorax), airway compromise, shock (hemorrhagic or septic), and ACLS scenarios. The creation of realistic models that allow for 3D navigation on a mobile device will allow full assessment of clinical findings and enhanced fidelity of training. Additionally, the system must allow the service member to determine the problem at hand, identify, and apply the needed key interventions to facilitate transfer to a higher level of care or await advanced medical support. Solutions must address any limitations in simulation fidelity that in turn limit the ability to implement measures for readiness assessment.In order to be effectively deployed in theater, the system needs to be accessible on readily available devices that are feasible for deployed service members (i.e. a screen based mobile phone or tablet). Additionally, to ensure reliable use in theater, the system needs to be accessible without com access, facilitating use by those who truly are isolated from advanced support and would benefit the most from real time access to training.

PHASE I: Phase I will develop a proof of concept assessment capability for a simulation-based medical emergency recognition/response refresher tool. The medical case focus is how to recognize the early signs of decompensation in patients such as respiratory distress, shock and poor perfusion. Readiness measures should be developed and implemented within the training solution, and an initial concept design of the platform should be developed.The following technological challenges should be addressed with proof-of-concept that demonstrate the feasibility of creating visually high fidelity representations of actual clinical presentations encompassing the key conditions faced by presenting service members and children in theater. Additionally, the feasibility of displaying necessary content on readily available screen based phones and tablets that allows for 3D evaluation of clinical findings should be addressed. Phase I solutions should also address the feasibility of integrating key content around recognition of findings and appropriate responses and the feasibility of delivering the content at the point of need, i.e. without the need for communication links in austere environments.The intent of this phase is for the performer to produce the initial software, application design, and proof of concept that demonstrates the new innovation of the assessment platform that is being tested and indicate the types of risk anticipated. The performer will submit a final report and provide an initial demonstration describing the stage of the software development and application, along with details of what will be further developed in Phase II.

PHASE II: Building upon the development and lessons learned of Phase I, Phase II will focus on a proof of concept design for the robust refresher training platform in terms of functional requirement, content design, architecture design, component design, coding, testing of the platform, and delivery of the platform.Currently available government-approved screen based phones and tablets that are utilized in theater should be identified as candidate devices for testing the developed platform. It will additionally need to demonstrate medical accuracy and user functionality for all necessary training scenarios included within the Tactical Combat Casualty Care specific medical training scenarios as well as common pediatric presenting conditions.The Phase II product will need to demonstrate the usefulness of the platform developed with appropriate collection of usability and reliability data from participants who would use the product in the demonstration phase. The Phase II product will need to demonstrate readiness measurement solutions that have sufficient discrimination. Solutions should provide data to enable assessment and modeling of initial acquisition, maximum proficiency, retention, and relearning. The performer will provide a demonstration of the product and discuss potential Phase III developments.

PHASE III: Concluding in Phase III, the performer will have built a viable, commercially available software product accessible in a downloadable application that can be used to train and assess in any location that medical first responders are deployed. Preferably, the capability will be based on state of the art software and hardware principles, use validated data from publicly available sources, and be clinically accurate and relevant to allow for effective refresher training. Solutions should conform to allowable (deployable) technologies (i.e., not Bluetooth reliant) and should function in austere environments.The system will perform without degradation due to dust, sand, rain, humidity, wind, extremes in temperature and electromagnetic interference and will withstand repeated drops on all axes.Environmental performance specifications will be determined before final design.A successful system will be expected to pass MIL STD 810G certification on all approved system specifications. The training solution is not anticipated to be permanently installed inside an aircraft; therefore standards from the Joint Enroute Care Equipment Test Standard must be tailored from the original guidelines.It is anticipated that DoD customers will include Medical Department personnel, TCCC participants, Reserve components, and Federal Agencies involved in disaster assistance.Commercial markets that could benefit from this novel product would include: emergency/first responder training, undergraduate/graduate medical training, and nursing training. Societies responsible for first responder training such as the AHA and institutions responsible for local emergency medical services support and training could benefit from such a product.Upon completion, the performer will submit a final report describing the software application and the demonstration results.

KEYWORDS: Refresher Training; Recognition and Management; Readiness Assessment; Virtual Patients; Decompensation in Patients

References:

:1. Berden H. J., Willems F. F., Hendrick J. M., Pijls N. H., Knape J. T. (1993). How frequently should basic cardiopulmonary resuscitation training be repeated to maintain adequate skills? BMJ, 306(6892), 1576-1577. 2. Ciurzynski, Susan M. PhD, RN-BC, MS, PNP et al. (2017). Impact of Training Frequency on Nurses' Pediatric Resuscitation Skills. Journal for Nurses in Professional Development. 33(5):E1-E7, September/October 2017. 3. Smith K. K., Gilcreast D., Pierce K. (2008). Evaluation of staff's retention of ACLS and BLS skills. Resuscitation, 78, 59-65. doi:10.1016/j.resuscitation.2008.02.007 4. Borgman M, Matos RI, Blackbourne LH, Spinella PC. Ten years of military pediatric care in Afghanistan and Iraq. J Trauma Acute Care Surg. 2012 Dec;73(6 Suppl 5):S509-13. doi: 10.1097/TA.0b013e318275477c.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics

OBJECTIVE: Develop one or more applications to demonstrate performance improvements within reciprocal bistatic or other multiple-channel radar systems achieved through the use of Quasi-Orthogonal Doppler waveforms.

DESCRIPTION: To address complex battlefields of the future the U.S. Army requires enhancements in the performance and multi-functional capabilities of bistatic and multiple-channel radar systems. To achieve such improvements the use of Quasi-Orthogonal Doppler waveforms is proposed. Systems utilize multiple transmitters emitting identical frequencies which include transmitter-induced Doppler frequency offsets. For example, if a pair of waveforms was transmitted with the first having the same starting phase on every pulse and the second having nπ radians of starting phase added for 1 ≤ n ≤ N pulses, where N is the number of pulses in a coherent processing interval (CPI), the waveform returns could be separated on receive by using a low-pass and a high-pass filter.As transmitted signals are finite in time thus their Doppler spectra will be infinite; however the waveforms can be separated by Doppler filtering. Hence they are considered to be quasi-orthogonal. Doppler-Division Multiple Access (DDMA) waveforms used in some Multiple-Input Multiple-Output (MIMO) radars are an example of quasi-orthogonal waveforms.A reciprocal bistatic radar is defined to be a radar in which the two antennas can both transmit and receive. Simultaneously transmitting a signal from the first antenna (or element of an array antenna) and receiving it on a second antenna (or array element) would have the same propagation characteristics as transmitting a waveform on the second antenna (or array element) and receiving it on the first (to within the tolerances of the transmitter and receiver hardware). The two-way antenna patterns and propagation paths are therefore identical.By transmitting a pair of quasi-orthogonal waveforms it is plausible to achieve novel range sidelobe suppression, simultaneous orthogonal polarization benefits, and other performance enhancements. For example, techniques such as Golay codes would have virtually identical sidelobe magnitude but opposite signs, causing the range sidelobes to become zero, independent of the antenna pattern, platform motion, time delay, etc. Also, polarization measurements could be made without distortions caused by the effects of pulse-to-pulse radar and target position changes. Cooperation of ground based radars using Quasi-Orthogonal Waveforms can lead to radar performance greater than the combination of single, non-cooperative radars.

PHASE I: Develop concepts and provide analysis of one or more applications of quasi-orthogonal Doppler waveforms in reciprocal bistatic, multistatic and or multiple-channel radar applications. The analysis will include factors that would impact the radar performance such as, performance estimates, simulation results, hardware requirements, effects of platform motions during a CPI, limitations and other factors relative to a conventional monostatic, bistatic, multistatic or MIMO radar. This effort proposes one or more experiments that could be conducted to demonstrate these effects/concepts in Phase II.

PHASE II: Design and conduct hardware experiments demonstrating the performance highlighting benefits and limitations regarding the use of Quasi-Orthogonal Doppler waveforms in relation to conventional radar.

PHASE III: Incorporate Quasi-Orthogonal Doppler waveforms into a current U.S. Army or developmental radar systems.

KEYWORDS: Doppler Division Multiple Access (DDMA), quasi-orthogonal, reciprocal bistatic radar

References:

Jian Li, Luzhou Xu, P. Stoica, K. W. Forsythe and D. W. Bliss, Range Compression and Waveform Optimization for MIMO Radar: A Cramer-Rao Bound Based Study, IEEE Transactions on Signal Processing, Jan., 2008; Sun, H. et al, Analysis and comparison of MIMO radar waveforms, 2014 International Radar Conference, October 2014.Levanon, N. and Mozeson, E., Radar Signals, Wiley, 2004.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Ground Sea

OBJECTIVE: Develop novel solutions to produce energy and low tier water from black water and other high water content wastes to support distributed military operations.

DESCRIPTION: The Army needs improved capability to enable self-sufficiency and reduce sustainment demands during distributed operations.Black water and high water content wastes (e.g., food wastes) are both sources of waste that have a high potential for energy production.Instead of disposing them as wastes (at a high disposal cost), the Army proposes to develop a novel treatment/utilization method that will utilize them to produce water suitable for low tier applications in conjunction with generating energy for heating, cooling, or as stored electrical energy.The treatment/utilization system shall be able to treat mixtures of black water and high-water-content wastes with a minimum Total Suspended Solid (TSS), Biochemical Oxygen Demand (BOD5), and Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) of 1450, 1170, and 2930 mg/L, respectively.The Army does not currently have the capability to treat black water or high water content wastes (e.g., food wastes) during expeditionary operations.Conventional approaches to treating or disposing these wastes are logistically intensive and increase the operational energy burden.Existing approaches to recover energy from wastewater are either large, slow, and/or require complex processes to convert products to useful energy.The goal of this topic is to spur novel integration of mechanical, electrical, chemical and biological processes to develop new technologies that maximize the performance of liquid waste treatment/utilization and energy production. The technology development will require holistic approaches to create a compact, robust, rapid, and simple utilization system that generate energy and produce water for low tier applications.

PHASE I: Project needs to demonstrate feasibility of the proposed technologies in a laboratory setting.Novel liquid waste treatment/utilization methods need to be tested and evaluated at the bench-scale for energy and low tier water production from mixture wastes of black water and high water content solid wastes. System analysis is required to verify the technology that can meet the requirements and address potential integration issues while showing a pathway to scale to a full sized system.

PHASE II: Based on the performance and design parameters elucidated in Phase I, a tricon (8x6.5x8’) sized demonstrator needs to be designed, fabricated, and demonstrated. The demonstrator is required to be able to treat a minimum of 1500 gallons of liquid waste per day that produces water suitable for low tier uses and energy in the form of heating, cooling, or stored electrical energy for distributed military operations.The delivered demonstrator should be suitable for laboratory and field demonstration but the design does not need to be ready for manufacturing, nor is military standard durability required.The demonstrator shall be able to treat the black water and other wastes defined above while meeting the size and energy metrics of a full sized system.

PHASE III: Technology developed under this STTR topic could have an effect on military sustainment independence / self-sufficiency and reduce sustainment demands during distributed operations.The intended transition would be planned into a future energy positive wastewater/waste management system for distributed military operations. This technology has the potential to be utilized in commercial and municipal operations that need a way to process waste streams with the benefit of energy reduction.

KEYWORDS: water, water treatment/utilization, black water, wastewater, food waste, energy reduction, energy production

References:

1. U.S. Army Public Health Command’s TB MEDD 577 SANITARY CONTROL AND SURVEILLANCE OF FIELD WATER SUPPLIES http://phc.amedd.army.mil Note: This fully explains all field military operations that concern this topic author for the above topic;2. Standard Methods for the Examination of Water and Wastewater, a joint publication of the American Public Health Association (APHA), the American Water Works Association (AWWA), and the Water Environment Federation (WEF). http://www.standardmethods.org/ Note: This reference is the benchmark for all analyses and source of approved methods for regulatory compliance.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems

OBJECTIVE: The idea is to implement a solution to decentralize and distributed blockchain security solution on the vehicle network to enable a form of incorruptible data and resiliency.

DESCRIPTION: Cybersecurity of the Army’s ground systems is a critical priority to national defense in the 21st century. Recent events have shown that modern commercial vehicles are vulnerable to attack and subversion through buggy or sometimes malicious devices that are present on intra-vehicle communication networks. The issue is current solutions require a centralize security measure such as an Intrusion Detection/Prevention System IDS/IPS to detect and/or prevent malicious communications. Since vehicles can be compromised at a single point yet effects can propagate across the entire vehicle, GVSC is looking for a solution that eliminates that single point of failure through a form of decentralized and distributed security validation to verify communications with certainty despite there being valid node on the network acting maliciously. GVSC would like to see this technology applied on an intra-vehicle communication network such as Controller Area Network (CAN) that can perform validation of messages in a form of decentralized security distributed amongst vehicle controllers as well as provide a sense of resiliency.

PHASE I: In the first phase of this effort, the contractor shall demonstrate a decentralized and distributed security solution that performs validation of communications on vehicle network such as Controller Area Network (CAN). The implemented technology shall have a low resource consumption on the vehicle network. In addition, message validations should minimally affect the vehicle network latency. The demonstration shall be a proof of concept in the form of a simulation or mathematical description.

PHASE II: Implement the concept developed in Phase I on real vehicle network such as Controller Area Network (CAN) using physical vehicle controllers. The contractor shall demonstrate the operation of the technology in a live vehicle or systems integration lab (SIL) environment. The demonstration shall include an ECU and at least one safety controller. The contractor shall validate the effectiveness of the technology by showing that other controllers reject valid but malicious messages sent by another controller. The contractor shall perform penetration testing with an independent team to identify other attack vectors against the technology.

PHASE III: The contractor shall package the technology to be retrofit into an existing vehicle system. The contractor shall collaborate with a vehicle original equipment manufacturer (OEM) to demonstrate their technology during normal vehicle operations on a test track. The contractor shall demonstrate the same validations shown in Phase II.

KEYWORDS: Vehicle Networks, Fault Tolerance, CAN, ECU, Cybersecurity, Trusted Computing, Communication Protocols, Ground Based, Data Transmission System, Intrusion Detection/Prevention System, Threat, Protection, Decentralize Security, Blockchain, Fault Tolerance, Resiliency.

References:

1. https://www.researchgate.net/publication/330879157_Security_Approach_for_In-Vehicle_Networking_Using_Blockchain_Technology;2. https://www.iota.org/get-started/what-is-iota; https://digitpol.com/portfolio/blockchain-patent-for-automotive-cyber-security/

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Bio Medical

OBJECTIVE: Develop/demonstrate a technology that enable precise, multiplexed, stepwise modulation of gene expression (including single nucleotide polymorphism and protein levels with the assessment of specific regions of interest.

DESCRIPTION: There are many host biomarkers, quantifiable indicators of a biological state, with clinical utility today. Single-analyte biomarkers, such as the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and C-reactive protein, have been utilized for decades as general markers of inflammation (Pearson et al 2003; Holcomb et al 2017). Single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) of genes have been effectively connected to phenotypes; for instance Cytochrome P450 SNPs has been linked to metabolism rate of drugs (Abubakar, Bentley 2018, Deardorff et al 2018). However, while each biomarker has its diagnostic niche, most single-analyte biomarkers are associated with limited sensitivity and specificity and demonstrate efficacy only in highly focused clinical syndromes. Subtle changes in gene expression can have important biological consequences in cells (Michaels et al 2019). Multi-analyte markers to diseased state perturbations may offer the potential for greater specificity and broader applicability to a wide array of clinical settings. There are several examples of multi-analyte biomarkers that have already demonstrated diagnostic utility, including tests that measure gene expression, protein panels, metabolite panels, cytokine panels, and others. Since gene expression is rapidly altered in many cell types in response to a variety of exposures utilizing this information has several advantages. Furthermore, the widespread availability of quantitative reverse transcriptase PCR (qRT-PCR) platforms in clinical laboratories allows gene expression-based diagnostics to be more easily and directly translatable to patient care. Multi-analyte assays will provide high-resolution snapshots of complex physiology and further multiplexing of these markers will be highly relevant in the field as it moves forward. Several gene expression techniques exist for quantifying gene expression (Padovan-Merhar et al 2003). Initially, low-throughput technologies were used to assess biomarkers composed of a small number of clearly defined genes. Unfortunately, qPCR can be labor intensive and time consuming and requires a large quantity of cDNA. Other possibilities include hybridization-based expression assays such as Nanostring™, Bioplex-based branched DNA assays (Qi et al 2016). The multiple steps from sample collection, RNA extraction, reverse transcription, and data acquisition provide opportunities for introduction of errors. The ability to examine a specific set of genes on a wide range of samples, using only minimal sample and reagents with a relatively short turnaround time for results with reduced man-hours per sample, makes the methods suitable for use in candidate gene validation and for use as clinical tools.The aim of this STTR is to develop a method that delivers an unbiased answer to the biological question being asked by the researcher. The following factors should be considered when choosing a method for targeted gene expression analysis: 1) development of an automated procedure; 2) investigation is on targeted region(s) of specific gene(s) of interest 3) amount and character of sample requirements. Consider clinical samples, whole blood or saliva or urine could be sample of choice. 4) Multiplexing capability. 5) sensitivity and specificity of the assay proposed 6) robustness and simplicity of the method. 7) simplicity of software for analysis and interpretation of the data; 8) Effortless use of specialized equipment and reagents; 9) Turn-around time to result 10) Assay cost.

PHASE I: Given the short duration of Phase I, this phase should not encompass any human use testing that would require formal IRB approval. Phase I should focus on system design for gene expression and proteins assays using any gene/region of interest and data compared to housekeeping genes. Genes of interest can be selected from cytokine and interleukin genes and for the SNP CYP2D6 and CYP2C19 can be used for a proof of principle.At the end of this phase, a working prototype of the assay (s) should be completed and some demonstration of feasibility, integration, and/or operation of the prototype. In addition, descriptions of data analysis and interpretations concept and concerns should be outlined. Phase I should also include the detailed development of Phase II testing plan.

PHASE II: During this phase, the integrated system should undergo testing using some targeted genes/regions/proteins/SNP of interest for evaluation of the operation and effectiveness of utilizing an integrated system and its capability to demonstrate the utility in a diseased condition such as sepsis, coagulopathy, differential metabolism rate (poor vs. ultra-rapid metabolizer). Accuracy, reliability, and usability should be assessed. This testing should be controlled and rigorous. Statistical power should be adequate to document initial efficacy and feasibility of the assay. This phase should also demonstrate evidence of commercial viability of the tool. Accompanying the application should be standard protocols and procedures for its use and integration into ongoing programs. These protocols should be presented in multimedia format.

PHASE III: The ultimate goal of this topic is to develop and demonstrate a technology enabling the gene expression including SNPs and protein changes with respect to diseased state. This assay format should also be seamlessly integrated so that it can be used as monitoring tools for long term health assessment. Once developed and demonstrated, the technology can be used for identification of risk, diagnostic, prognostic, monitoring and/ or predictive biomarkers for diseased state.Development of new technique for gene/protein/SNP analysis will open a multitude of possibilities for biomarker development and might become extremely valuable in clinical practice.

KEYWORDS: Gene Expression, QPCR, Technology, Military Health, Solider Lethality, Biomedical

References:

Thomas A. Pearson, George A. Mensah, R. Wayne Alexander, Jeffrey L. Anderson, Richard O. CannonIII, Michael Criqui, Yazid Y. Fadl, Stephen P. Fortmann, Yuling Hong, Gary L. Myers, Nader Rifai, Sidney C. SmithJr, Kathryn Taubert, Russell P. Tracy, and Frank VinicorApplication to Clinical and Public Health Practice: A Statement for Healthcare Professionals From the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the American Heart Association Circulation. 2003;107:499–511; Holcomb ZE, Tsalik EL, Woods CW, McClain MT. 2017. Host-based peripheral blood gene expression analysis for diagnosis of infectious diseases. J Clin Microbiol 55:360 –368. https://doi.org/10.1128/ JCM.01057-16; Abubakar, A. & Bentley, O. Precision medicine and pharmacogenomics in community and primary care settings. Pharmacy Today 24, 55-68 (2018).; Jenne, V. & Leonard, B. L. Making sense of CYP2D6 and CYP1A2 genotype vs phenotype. Current Psychiatry 17, 41-45 (2018); Michaels YS, Barnkob MB, Barbosa H, et al. Precise tuning of gene expression levels in mammalian cells. Nat Commun. 2019;10(1):818. Published 2019 Feb 18. doi:10.1038/s41467-019-08777-y; Padovan-Merhar O, Raj A. Using variability in gene expression as a tool for studying gene regulation. Wiley Interdiscip Rev Syst Biol Med. 2013;5(6):751–759. doi:10.1002/wsbm.1243; Zhenhao Qi, Lisu Wang, Aiqing He, Manling Ma-Edmonds, and John Cogswell

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Bio Medical

OBJECTIVE: Develop and demonstrate a portable technology to enable rapid bacteriophage (phage) enrichment, screening and isolation from suspension samples in remote and austere environments on user-selected permissive and target bacterial strains.

DESCRIPTION: Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) have spread worldwide and triggered a major public health crisis. U.S. military service members wounded in combat are susceptible to infection by MDRO at a much higher rate than civilian population due to penetrating combat wounds being accompanied by foreign body inoculum (metal fragments, rocks, dirt), large zones of bone and soft tissue disruption, nerve damage and localized ischemia (tourniquet /edema), as well as severe hemorrhage with resuscitation (often severe, >10U) of 1:1:1 – pRBCs, plasma, and platelets that will systemically disturb overall physiology [immune system dysfunction, some degree of traumatic brain injury (TBI)]. Furthermore, the current concept of war into urban dense terrain(UDT) and multi-domain operations (MDO) are expected to generate complex wounds that will require advanced prolong field care and stabilization when tactical evacuations to robust rear element medical care infrastructures are delayed. In these instances, the potential for life threating infection by MDRO is even higher and the need for solution is urgent. ESKAPEE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., and Escherichia coli) frequently colonize healthy military personnel (1) and are causative agents of persistent infections of traumatic and burn wounds that are prone to biofilm formation and multidrug resistance (2). Limited to no options in antibiotic therapy warrants the development of alternative potent antibacterials, e.g. phages. Phages are natural viruses that specifically kill bacteria to include pathogenic bacteria resistant to antibiotic treatment. Phages exhibit extraordinary specificity to target bacterial strains and can eliminate them without affecting normal microflora. A major advantage of phage therapy is the ability to exploit the constant natural evolution of phages to overcome phage resistance, infect and kill the host bacteria. Phages have demonstrated high efficacy against ESKAPEE infections in laboratory, domestic and farm animals and promising data in expanded access treatment of humans and even in recent clinical trials, especially in combination with antibiotics (3,4). Phages are becoming a very important adjunct therapy against MDR bacterial infections in civilian and military patients. When multidrug-resistant bacterial strains are identified in geographic areas of interest, it is more efficient to search for co-located phages against these strains in environmental samples from the same geographic region.Thus, natural therapeutic phages are more likely to be in the host nations of interest where highly drug resistant organisms that infect wounded soldiers deployed in military operations reside such as OEF/OIF. From Soldier Lethality and performance perspective to include staying-in-the fight, recovery and rehabilitation, the problem of infection by MDRO and ensuing sepsis or chronic infection has the solution for the infection near the site of injury. Although it is impractical to isolate phages under fire, the medical surveillance activities of pre- MDO could include surveillance of phages in area of interest so as to stage phage cocktails as adjuvant therapy. However, the ability to isolate and assess phages in remote areas away from a specialized laboratory does not yet exist.

PHASE I: Specimens currently have to be transported over long distances to a specialized laboratory for labor intensive phage enrichment and isolation procedures that will result in the loss of phages because of non-specific adsorption to particulate matter in samples and because phages are unstable at low titers (5,6). The purpose of this STTR is to enable relatively rapid sample purification and sterilization, phage enrichment (propagation on a permissive strain of interest), screening of phages on target strains of interest, phage isolation and concentration in the field using a portable device at or near the site of specimen collection. The end product of the system sought through this process is a cocktail of phages with activity against strain of interest and system designs enabling individual phages are encouraged but not required. This capability will drastically improve force health protection at large but will more directly enable the formulation of better therapeutic phage cocktails using diverse phages with broad killing spectra isolated from remote areas around the world. The device should be easy to handle with minimal operator training. The technology should enable isolation, concentration, stabilization, and sterilization of natural phages. Users should have the freedom to select permissive and target screening strains of interest. The technology could be based on micro-filtration systems, microfluidics, centrifugation, nano-materials, gel or polymer matrix or any combination of relevant technologies. The device can be a closed or open modular portable system.The following features will be critical to consider when proposing a technology:1) System should remove particulate matter from suspension without eliminating viable phage particles and sterilize the sample 2) System should enable users to select and input permissive strains of choice for phage propagation and target strains of choice for activity assessment 3) System should perform the enrichment (propagation) and concentration of viable phage particles 4) System should enable screening of phage activity against multiple target strains of interest 5) The field-deployable system may not exceed 30 lbs and none of its dimensions should exceed 16 inches, with minimal battery operation for 12 hrs.PHASE I should focus on the design of proof-of-concept prototype technology/device that enables removal of debris from phage source suspension, sterilization and phage enrichment (propagation) on permissive strains of choice to produce a sterile enriched viable phage mix. At the end of this phase, working prototype (s) should demonstrate particulate removal, permissive strain input access and propagation capability of the system as well as post propagation stability and sterility of the cocktail of phages. Performance (i.e. turnaround time to enriched phage cocktails) should be compared to classical manual in vitro approaches over 24, 48, and 72 hrs.

PHASE II: PHASE II: During this phase, the integrated system should be refined to expand on the proof-of-concept into a product that enables high-throughput screening of cocktail of phages against diverse MDRO strains of choice. Further optimization of technology should miniaturize and ruggedize the device, combine additional access and incorporate phage enrichment step with screening on target strains and stabilization. This testing should be controlled and rigorous. Testing and evaluation of the prototype to demonstrate operational effectiveness in simulated environments (i.e. extreme heat, cold, wet environment) should be demonstrated. Here, selected contractor may coordinate with WRAIR to collaborate in optimizing and validating system. This phase should also demonstrate evidence of commercial viability of the product and articulate plans to meet field-deployable requirements. Accompanying application instructions, simplified procedures, and training materials should be drafted in a multimedia format for use and integration of the product into market.

PHASE III: The end-state for this product is a commercially viable technology the will democratize phage harvest effort both in medical institutes, bio-pharma, educational institutes, and most importantly warfighter health protection efforts within DOD particularly the preventive medicine and medical surveillance efforts of our mission. The end product will be system ready and validated by WRAIR team for performance. Provided phages have applications beyond medical therapeutic use such as food preservation, veterinary and agricultural applications, environmental sterilization and cleaning of bacterial biofilms, etc., selected contractor should articulate plans for spin-off application and partners during this phase.

KEYWORDS: bacterial infections, multidrug resistance, phages as alternative antibacterials, environmental samples, debris removal, sterilization, phage enrichment, phage screening and separation, phage isolation, portable phage enrichment/isolation device, therapeutic phage cocktails.

References:

Vento TJ, Cole DW, Mende K, Calvano TP, Rini EA, Tully CC, Zera WC, Guymon CH, Yu X, Cheatle KA, Akers KS, Beckius ML, Landrum ML, Murray CK. Multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria colonization of healthy US military personnel in the US and Afghanistan. BMC Infect Dis. 2013;13:68.; Akers KS, Mende K, Cheatle KA, Zera WC, Yu X, Beckius ML, Aggarwal D, Li P, Sanchez CJ, Wenke JC, Weintrob AC, Tribble DR, Murray CK; Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study Group.Biofilms and persistent wound infections in United States military trauma patients: a case-control analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2014 Apr 8;14:190.; Romero-Calle D, Guimarães Benevides R, Góes-Neto A, Billington C. Bacteriophages as alternatives to antibiotics in clinical care. Antibiotics 2019; 8(3):138.; C. Rohde, J. Wittmann, E. Kutter Bacteriophages: a therapy concept against multi-drug-resistant bacteria Surg. Infect. 2018; 19: 737-744.; Sambrook J, Fritsch EF, Maniatis T. Molecular cloning: a laboratory manual, 2nd ed. Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory Press, 1989, Cold Spring Harbor, NY.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics

OBJECTIVE: To design, fabricate, and demonstrate a radar early warning receiver for the dismounted soldier’s uniform, armor or battle kit that identifies and locates a Ground Surveillance Radar (GSR) threat.

DESCRIPTION: In the modern operating theater the dismounted warfighter faces a network of sensors searching from fixed and mobile ground and air platforms. Ground Surveillance Radar (GSR) or Battlefield Surveillance Radar (BSR) are long range sensor threats that can identify and track ground movement over kilometer scale distances, posing a threat of the maneuverability, survivability and ultimately the lethality of dismounted units. The ability to detect a GSR at a distance greater than its maximum range will turn the squad into a distributed sensor to locate advisory assets and take appropriate action.Commercial GSR systems advertise single dismount detection ranges up to 23km [1]. With smaller man portable systems able to detect 12km with traditional pulse Doppler [2] or 9km with low probability of intercept (LPI) frequency modulated continuous wave (FMCW) [3]. Systems are also available coupled with day/night electro-optical sensors [4]. Threat systems are line of sight and maximum ranges assume systems are placed at sufficient elevation.To contour the availability of these long-range systems the Government requires a radar early warning receiver for the individual dismounted soldier. Due to the ever-growing number of threats and potential technological capabilities for the dismounted warfighter, the Government must manage the total soldier burden of adding additional equipment to the battle kit. The Government therefore requires that this radar early warning receiver be a low profile integrated part of the uniform, armor or kit rather than an additional item mounted on the warfighter. The design should consider options such as wearable antennas and flexible electronics while considering associated challenges with these technologies for X and Ku Band (8-18 GHz) operation. The system shall intercept and identify a GSR threat at a distance greater than its maximum range for detecting a single dismounted person. The system should also be capable of finding the angle of arrival of the GSR signal and estimate the location of the emitter. Output will integrate with the Android Tactical Assault Kit (ATAK), a government owned mapping application, for communicating with the soldier. All members of a squad of 9 soldiers will have the receiver and will be networked through Bluetooth.

PHASE I: Phase I must show the feasibility of the technical approach through a demonstration of the preliminary designs including breadboard or demonstration board of electronic components, signal processing, electronic integration with uniform, armor, or soldier kit, and detailed plans for placement as well as size, weight and power. The sensor should capture sufficient information to identify the GSR system from a library of waveforms. It must also be able to find angle of arrival and estimate of the location relative the user. The system must perform for signals in the X and Ku Bands (8-18 GHz). It is not necessary to demonstrate the integration of the technology into a complete system, however, the planned technical approach and feasibility for system integration for Phase II must be included. Phase I deliverables will include, (1) a final report detailing technical approach, design, implementation, tests, data analysis, conclusions, and proposed path for integration with the soldier’s kit. (2) All test data. (3) A working breadboard prototype with software. Phase I deliverables do not have to be implemented on ATAK but this will be a requirement of subsequent phases.

PHASE II: Phase II will produce a prototype of a soldier worn radar early warning receiver that identifies and locates a Ground Surveillance Radar (GSR) threat. The system shall discriminate the threat from other radio frequency (RF) sources. The system shall be a low profile integrated part of the soldier’s kit rather than an additional item mounted on the warfighter. The system shall intercept and identify a GSR threat at a distance greater than its maximum range of detection for a single dismounted person. The system shall find the angle of arrival of the GSR signal and estimate the location of the emitter. Assume that the system is worn by all members of a 9 soldier squad. Location estimations shall improve as successive samples are collected and from aggregation of data from the detectors worn by all members of the squad. Software shall be implemented on the ATAK mapping platform and display to the user an estimation of the GSR location and detection range. The system must be ruggedized to operate in all operationally relevant environments, -30 – 125ºF high and low humidity, rain, dust, fog, etc. However, it must still be a low profile integrated part of the uniform, armor or kit rather than an additional item mounted on the warfighter. The system must operate in a cluttered RF environment with many signals and sources of electromagnetic interference. The final deliverable must also include an assessment of viability of producing the developed technology including an estimated system price.Phase II deliverables will include, (1) a critical design review in which the contractor will provide in depth details on the design or their prototype system. (2) 4 copies of the prototype soldier worn radar detector system implemented on a smart phone running ATAK. (3) Source code for the ATAK application. (4) A final report detailing technical approach, design, implementation, tests, data analysis, and conclusions. (5) All test data.

PHASE III: Phase III will demonstrate the operability, and reliability in field tests. It will be used to warn soldiers of the presence of a GSR threat, identify the threat while discriminating it from other RF signals, estimate location and range of the GSR source, arrogate data from sensors worn by all members of a 9 soldier squad to refine location estimation, display threat information to the user through an ATAK application, and relay information back to higher level command and control. The result of this research will be the integration of counter radar technology into the soldier’s existing uniform, armor or kit which will improve their survivability and lethality through a multifunctional materials that minimize additional burden.

KEYWORDS: Radar, Radar Detector, Radar Early Warning Receiver, Wearable Electronics

References:

1. THALES Observer 80, https://www.thalesgroup.com/sites/default/files/database/document/2019-03/2019_GO80_leaflet.pdf;2. “SR Hawk Ground Surveillance Radar”, https://www.srcinc.com/pdf/Radars-and-Sensors-SRHawkV2E.pdf;3. THALES SQUIRE Ground Surveillance Radar, https://www.thalesgroup.com/sites/default/files/database/d7/asset/document/03_p185749_thales_squire_leaflet.pdf

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Human Systems

OBJECTIVE: To reduce soldier and civilian mortality from COVID-19 and other viruses by reducing post-hyperimmunity period immune suppression.

DESCRIPTION: Serious illness or trauma often induces a hyperimmune response, which marshals the body defenses to fight off the illness or effects of the trauma and promote survival.However the hyperinflammatory period is often followed by a period of immune suppression.During this period of immune suppression the patient often succumbs to the effects of microorganisms that would normally be easily neutralized.There is evidence to suggest that the intensity of the hypoimmune phase can be suppressed with compounds that are already part of the human diet and have already been demonstrated to be safe.The intent of this STTR call for proposals is to demonstrate and validate that increasing the amount of specific compounds in the human diet can improve survivability after COVID-19 infection, or to demonstrate that those humans that already consumed increased amounts of specific dietary factors have an increased survival rate.The ultimate intent is to then use that data and knowledge to prescribe specific dietary interventions to improve survival in humans facing severe biological challenges, whether civilians facing challenges such as COVID-19 or soldiers on the battlefield facing a wide variety of severe challenges such as IED injuries and trauma.

PHASE I: The investigators will obtain anonymized samples from COVID-19 patients and measure the levels of the candidate compound(s) in serum or other samples.Samples will be normalized by age, sex and other known risk factors and then mortality and recovery data will be gathered and used to determine whether higher levels correlate with increased survival.Data from phase I should clearly indicate that a phase II investment is justified.

PHASE II: In phase II the investigators will gather more samples if necessary.If the data supports human intervention trials then the investigators will obtain the necessary IRB approvals for a human trial.By the end of phase II the investigators will have either determined that 1)human mortality from challenges such as COVID-19 is reduced by dietary interventions that reduce the post hyperinflammatory period immune suppression or 2)COVID-19 survival cannot be increased by targeted altering of the human diet prior to infection.

PHASE III: In phase III it is anticipated that successful phase II work will lead to recommendations to increase the intake of specific dietary compound(s) to reduce mortality from COVID-19 and other severe infections.Although levels could be increased by increasing consumption of certain foods, it is likely that a pharmaceutical would also be created, tested and marketed as protection against COVID-19.

KEYWORDS: COVID-19, hyperimmunity, immune suppression

References:

Bortolotti P, Faure E, Kipnis E.Inflammasomes in tissue damages and immune disorders after trauma.(2018)Front Immunol.16;9:1900.; Bouras M, Asehnoune K, Roquilly A.Contribution of dendritic cell responses to sepsis-induced immunosuppression and to susceptibility to secondary pneumonia. (2018) Front Immunol. 13;9:2590.; Conti P, Ronconi G, Caraffa A, Gallenga CE, Ross R, Frydas I, Kritas SK. Conti P, et al.Induction of pro-inflammatory cytokines (IL-1 and IL-6) and lung inflammation by Coronavirus-19 (COVID-10 or SARS-CoV-2): anti-inflammatory strategies. (2020) J. Biol Regul Homeost Agents. 34(2):1.; Channappanavar R, Perlman S.Channappanavar R, et al. (2017)Pathogenic human coronavirus infections:causes and consequences of cytokine storm and immunopathology. (2017) Semin Immunopathol. 39(5):529-539.; Mehta P, McAuley DF, Brown M, Sanchez E, Tattersall RS, Manson JJ;COVID-19: consider cytokine storm syndromes and immunosuppression.(2020)Lancet 16:S0140-6736(20)30628-0.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials

OBJECTIVE: This topic shall investigate hierarchical phase change materials that can be used for the enhancement of thermal, mechanical, and/or electromagnetic properties.

DESCRIPTION: Long Range Precision Fires (LRPF) as one of the Army Modernization Priorities seeks to develop technologies that increase weapon system range. Projectiles fitting this new paradigm must survive high-g and high-temperature environments; therefore, novel materials with enhanced thermal and mechanical properties are required to meet these emerging needs. Phase Change Materials (PCM) can address these issues by undergoing structural or phase transformations, thus allowing for the absorption of heat or mechanical stress; indeed such materials have been implemented in applications for such a purpose [1, 2]. Typical solid-liquid PCM suffer from several disadvantages [3]; therefore, other approaches such as solid-solid phase transitions and strongly correlated electron systems are attractive due to the reversible nature of their phase transitions [4, 5]. In order to ensure the survivability of internal components under the aforementioned extreme conditions, novel material design approaches are required to enable novel and/or passive coatings for LRPF platforms. To this end, this topic seeks novel solutions exploiting the phase change properties of materials in order to provide platform protection against a broad range of extreme environmental threats that are unique to the LRPF mission.

PHASE I: Phase I will focus on designing hierarchical PCM that can be synthesized and implemented as passive/active coatings or structural elements to enhance the survivability of LRPF platforms against extreme environments. The design should be informed by fundamental studies of a broad materials library that includes but is not limited to: nanostructured inorganic, organic, and/or hybrid inorganic/organic composites including low dimensional materials. The combination of physical approaches and novel nanomaterials should enable properties such as high heat capacity, thermal conductivity and mechanical strength; electromagnetic properties shall also be considered. Phase I will result in design methods, modeling and simulation analyses and material trade-off considerations for achieving the objectives. Prototype material structures will be synthesized to demonstrate the desired properties and identify the potential for implementation on LRPF platforms.

PHASE II: Modeling and simulation will be utilized to elucidate the physics behind the novel materials’ properties which enable survivability against a range of extreme conditions including high-g and high temperature. The expected technology development work will include detailed investigations into the desired materials and their properties and performance in the desired application in the context of user requirements in conjunction with the Army; strong consideration will be given to the reliability and robustness in the context of real-world LRPF platforms. The successful phase II will deliver prototype material systems to the Army for testing in various extreme environments as well as independent characterization of the material properties.

PHASE III: Phase III will entail further research and refinement of the results of Phase II with the goal of developing an all-encompassing solution for the survivability of LRPF assets against extreme environmental conditions. Throughout the effort, coordination with the stakeholders in the U.S. Army as well as in other services in order to facilitate the requirements definition and technology transition processes will be undertaken. Potential dual-use/commercial applications will be identified and strategic partnerships fostered for development of said applications.

KEYWORDS: Long Range Precision Fires, hierarchical materials, phase change materials, long range, extended range, nanomaterials, low-dimensional materials

References:

1. Ling, Ziye et al. “A hybrid thermal management system for lithium ion batteries combining phase change materials with forced-air cooling”. Applied Energy. 2015.; 2. Kalnaes, Simen et al., “Phase change materials and products for building applications: A state-of-the-art review and future research opportunities,” Energy and Buildings. 2015.; 3. Fan, Liwu et al. “Thermal conductivity enhancement of phase change materials for thermal energy storage: A review,” Renewable and Sustainable Energy Reviews. 2011.; 4. Fallahi, Ali et al. “Review on solid-solid phase change materials for thermal energy storage: Molecular structure and thermal properties. Applied Thermal Engineering. 2017.; 5. Muramoto, Kei et al. “VO2-dispersed glass: A new class of phase change material”. Scientific Reports. 2018. DOI:10.1038/s41598-018-20519-6

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials

OBJECTIVE: To develop a methodology and a facility to measure attenuation and backscatter of a microwave-obscuring aerosol.In addition the system must be able to effectively disseminate small quantities.

DESCRIPTION: Smoke and obscurants play a crucial role in protecting the Warfighter by decreasing the electromagnetic energy available for the functioning of sensors, seekers, trackers, optical enhancement devices and the human eye.Recent advances in materials science now enable the production of precisely engineered obscurants with nanometer level control over particle size and shape.Numerical modeling and many measured results on metal nanorods affirm that more than order of magnitude increases over current performance levels are possible if high aspect-ratio conductive particles can be effectively disseminated as an unagglomerated aerosol cloud.By gaining a better understanding of the absorption and scattering properties of materials that are currently only available in lab scale quantities, future research can be better directed into areas that show the greatest promise.

PHASE I: Develop a methodology to measure attenuation and backscatter for a microwave-obscuring aerosol.Describe the test fixture required to prepare an experimental material sample, disseminate it, produce an aerosol and measure its attenuation, backscatter and concentration.Provide descriptions of the instrumentation/hardware required to scan from 2 – 40 GHz, produce an aerosol and make the measurements.Entire system should fit within a 15-feet wide by 15-feet long by 10-feet high room.

PHASE II: Fabricate, test and demonstrate a measurement system that meets the specifications developed in Phase I and with expanded capability for 2 – 150 GHz.Demonstrate that system can measure attenuation and backscatter of known materials (to be supplied by Army) to within 10% of published quantities.Prepare a cost estimate for building the system in quantity.

PHASE III: The microwave measurement system developed in this program can be used by research and development organizations to evaluate obscurant materials.It has application in other DoD interest areas including electronic warfare, foreign item evaluation, meteorology and pollution control.It can be used by numerous organizations to establish and publish electromagnetic spectrum data for a variety of new materials used in disparate industries (signal suppression, EMI shielding, etc.).

KEYWORDS: Microwave, attenuation, backscatter, concentration, dissemination, obscurants

References:

1. Bohren CF, Huffman DR: Absorption and Scattering of Light by Small Particles. Wiley-Interscience, New York, 1983.;2. Shanna KK: Fundamentals of Microwave and Radar Engineering. S. Chand & Co Ltd, 2011;3. Newsom, R. K., and Bruce CW. "Orientational Properties of Fibrous Aerosols in Atmospheric Turbulence." Journal of Aerosol Science 29.7 : 773-797, 1983;4. Alyones S, Bruce CW, and Buin AK. "Numerical Methods For Solving the Problem of Electromagnetic Scattering By a Thin Finite Conducting Wire." IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation 55.6: 1856-1861, 2007.;5. Bruce, CW., et al. "Millimeter-Wavelength Investigation of Fibrous Aerosol Absorption and Scattering Properties." Applied Optics 43.36: 6648-6655, 2004.;6. Waterman PC, "Scattering, Absorption and Extinction by Thin Fibers", J. Opt. Soc. Amer., vol. 22, no. 11, pp. 2430-2441, 2005; 7. Hart M and Bruce CW, "Backscatter Measurements of Thin Nickel-Coated Graphite Fibers," in IEEE Transactions on Antennas and Propagation, vol. 48, no. 5, pp. 842-843, 2000.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Bio Medical

OBJECTIVE: To explore the feasibility and effectiveness of a Wireless Physiological Status Monitoring Nanorobotic (Nanobot) capability that can be ingested by a casualty to provide streaming vital signs data.

DESCRIPTION: In the Multi-Domain Operation of 2030, all indications are that future operations will be significantly different than the recent past. The need for U.S. forces to use more innovative ways to overcome peer and near-peer challenges to outmaneuver adversaries. This different kind of warfare has already arrived with the hybrid warfare in the Middle East and Eastern Europe, which is leading to the next fight to be with violent intensity.American power and security will be challenged by peer and near-peer actors.To be ready, U.S. forces must effectively innovate and adapt concepts for the Multi-Domain Operation to shape the fight.The U.S. military can no longer expect technology superiority in a Multi-Domain Operation and with expectation that communication and cyber systems will be compromised.In this environment, the service’s medical commands need to commence research into Virtual Health capabilities for the forward operational medics and corpsmen.These forward medical providers will be isolated, over tasked with casualties, and with limited supplies; innovative medical capabilities to support distributed operations will be a need for Prolonged Field Care in treating casualties for 24-72 hours before medical evacuation can occur.The need to monitor multiple casualties wirelessly will be essential and machine learning predictive algorithms will be a requirement in a no-communication prolonged care environment.The Medical Capabilities provided by this Nanobot system will enhance medical personnel to continuously monitor multiple casualties at the same time, plus the data being presented will be used in upcoming Machine Learning Predictive Algorithms. The algorithms will provide medical personnel the tool to predict a patient’s status and provide up to 20 minute warnings when things are not going well. Also with machine learning tools and artificial intelligence, the medic will be provided treatment options to keep the casualty alive until evacuation to a higher level of care. In a no communication prolonged care environment, evacuating casualties maybe under medical personnel’s care from 24-72 hours. The Nanobot system is another tool to enhance medical personnel’s ability to monitor and treat multiple casualties during limited resources availability at the point of injury location.

PHASE I: Researchers will quantitative stage to identify and investigate futuristic capabilities of using medical nanobot technology that can be ingested to provide vital signs data wirelessly from the soldier/marine to a medic’s/corpsman’s End User Device (EUD) and provide feasibility documentation.Also, researchers will send out Requests for Information through the BAA to get an understanding of where industry and academia is on nanobot technology.These single or multiple nanobots will act as a physiological status monitor that will be ingestible and function for 24-72 hours or longer providing a wireless status of the soldier’s health.The possible concept will be that the soldier will have the medical sensor nanobot ingested prior to the mission, the medic then will be able to monitor the soldier’s condition during the patrol and if the soldier is injured.The medical data coming wirelessly from the physiological status monitor will be received by the medic’s EUD which can be viewed by the medic and be alerted by predictive algorithms by any abnormal readings or anomalies.This Phase will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed approach through successful demonstration of breadboard concept of a Personal Status Monitor (PSM) Nanobot sensor, and will inform success criteria and performance metrics for the Phase II system design.RESEARCH INVOLVING ANIMAL OR HUMAN SUBJECTS:The SBIR/STTR Programs discourage offerors from proposing to conduct Human or Animal Subject Research during Phase I due to the significant lead time required to prepare the documentation and obtain approval, which will delay the Phase I award.All research involving human subjects (to include use of human biological specimens and human data) and animals, shall comply with the applicable federal and state laws and agency policy/guidelines for human subject and animal protection.Research involving the use of human subjects may not begin until the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command's Office of Research Protections, Human Research Protections Office (HRPO) approves the protocol. Written approval to begin research or subcontract for the use of human subjects under the applicable protocol proposed for an award will be issued from the U.S. Army Medical Research and Materiel Command, HRPO, under separate letter to the Contractor.Non-compliance with any provision may result in withholding of funds and or the termination of the award.

PHASE II: From the results of the Phase I feasibility and effectiveness, develop a preliminary design of the PSM Nanobot system to develop a conceptual prototype that can possibly be taken to the field for initial concept demonstration of the technology with medics to provide usability and feasibility feedback toward the future development of the PSM Nanobot system.If a field research study and data collection event is possible, the medics attending can provide their guidance, feasibility of use, and recommendations on the continued development of the device. Consider developing a ruggedization plan for Phase III and Advance developmentDevelop a commercialization plan.If an IRB is required during Phase II, submit an IRB package to US Army MRDC HRPO/IRB.

PHASE III: A single PSM Nanobot sensor may not have the capability to monitor all vital signs needed, a teaming concept of multiple PSM Nanobot sensor may need to be explored. The PSM Nanobot swarm would designated a specific Nanobot to track a specific vital sign, i.e. one PSM Nanobot just reporting ECG, another PSM Nanobot just reporting Blood Pressure, etc.Swarming is actually a central concept to agility. It is not something that is done "when there are problems". Swarming, in its simplest form, means that teams work collaboratively on items (stories) and work them to completion. Continue development and refinement of the prototype PSM Nanobot sensor, explore additional concept of deployment, add additional capabilities to the PSM Nanobot swarm as recommended during the field research study and data collection events, and continue the capability that is ruggedized, complies with space, weight, and power specifications informed by the Phase II medic field evaluations and moves the prototype capability towards advanced development/acquisition.Refine the development of a commercialization plan that may include development of different pathways, including both military and private sectors.If required; submit an Institutional Review Board (IRB) package for approval for possible research involving human subjects or human use.Evaluate the impacts of PSM Nanobot sensor on a patient/casualty.While, the planning for the Phase III work needs to be oriented towards technology transition to Acquisition Programs of Record and/or private sector commercialization, we also use SBIRs and STTRs as enabling technology input to our longer term Science & Technology Research ProgramsThe end-state of this research is to provide a near-production ready capability that can allow continuous streaming of medical sensor data/vital signs wirelessly to a Medic’s End User Device. The medical data being transmitted to the Medic’s EUD will enhance the medic’s ability to continuously monitor multiple patients at a distance and with the capability of Artificial Intelligence and Machine Learning, this capability can provide predictive algorithms to alert the medic if life threating conditions will occur and take step to rectify the situation.

KEYWORDS: Nanorobots, Swarms, Teaming, Personal Status Monitoring, medical sensors

References:

1. https://newatlas.com/nanobot-micromotors-deliver-nanoparticles-living-creature/35700/;2. http://www.microscopemaster.com/nanobots.html;3. https://singularityhub.com/2017/03/07/4-ways-scientists-hope-nanobots-will-make-you-healthier/;4. https://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2015/08/nanobot-treatment-doctors-cancer/400613/;5. Mobile Devices and Health, by Ida Sim, M.D., New England Journal of Medicine, 05Sep19

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials, Electronics, Nuclear, Sensors

OBJECTIVE: Improve radiation detector capabilities by reducing the size, weight, and power requirements of the associated electronics.Other performance characteristics may be enhanced.

DESCRIPTION: Over the past decades significant improvements have been made to materials that detect radiation.Over the same time, development with electronics components, circuits, and systems has improved even more dramatically.However, much of the development with electronics has not been successfully applied to radiation detection systems.Just as with consumer applications, these developments have the potential of providing users of radiation detectors with desired system improvements such as lower weight, smaller size, reduced power consumption, and better heat management.Other functional improvements could be improved signal-to-noise and additional computational resources. This topic seeks the development of integrated circuits (IC) for 1) gamma detector read out and/or 2) gamma spectral signal analysis.The developed solution should not be designed around or for any proprietary system but must be able to integrate with any detector head for the detection material it was designed around using common inputs, outputs, and commands.The deliverables need not be just an IC but could also be the IC integrated into a circuit, however, the IC must be designed such that it could be readily engineered into another system for improved capability.The project must demonstrate the form and/or functional improvement, such as those mentioned above, that would be gained by this effort. Applications for which this development could be applied include, but are not limited to: • Front end data acquisition • Multi-channel analyzer • Elemental and isotopic identification processing • Associated detector control circuitry • Enhanced gain stabilization and calibration • Pulse shape analysis

PHASE I: Development of the design approach to include risk reduction followed by design.  The design should have simulated electrical performance and estimated power consumption by the end of Phase I.  This phase should demonstrate the ability to meet the performance goals agreed upon in the Statement of Work (SOW).  Consideration should be given to the use of standard practices available for high volume /low cost manufacture.  The phase I deliverable is a final report detailing overall system design, circuit level simulation results, and choice of circuit manufacturing process.

PHASE II: Phase II projects should develop a prototype device.  At least one IC fabrication should be performed, although more may be required to reduce development risk.  The prototype should be characterized and tested in a laboratory environment.  The prototype should demonstrate the capabilities as agreed upon in the SOW.  The phase II deliverable is a final report.  Samples for delivery to the Government for internal testing or integration into systems may be negotiated.

PHASE III: The ICs developed would have wide commercial applications including for power plant, environmental, and incident management monitoring.  Finalize and commercialize IC for use by customers (e.g. DTRA, industry). Although additional funding may be provided through DoD sources, the awardee should look to other public or private sector funding sources for assistance with transition and commercialization.

KEYWORDS: Integrated Circuit, ASIC, Gamma, Detector

References:

[1] ​Samuel J. Murray, Joseph A. Schmitz, Sina Balkir, and Michael W. Hoffman, “A Low Complexity Radioisotope Identification System using an Integrated Multichannel Analyzer and Embedded Neural Network.” 2019 IEEE International Symposium on Circuits and Systems. (2019): 1-5. [2] ​Vernon, Emerson et al. “Front-End ASIC for Spectroscopic Readout of Virtual Frisch-Grid CZT Bar Sensors.” Nuclear Instruments and Methods in Physics Research Section A: Accelerators, Spectrometers, Detectors and Associated Equipment 940 (2019): 1–11. [3] G. Knoll, Radiation Detection and Measurement, Wiley, 2010.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics

OBJECTIVE: Design and implementation of high-speed III-V quantum photodetectors for the mid- or long-wavelength infrared on commercially available substrates which provide bias-controllable internal current gain with limited excess noise.

DESCRIPTION: III-V infrared materials have undergone a rapid technical maturation. Superlattice-based absorbers have enabled access to infrared wavelengths beyond those available via bulk III-V alloys while remaining strain balanced to large commercially-available substrates.The simultaneous development of unipolar barriers and the nBn architecture has largely controlled unwanted shunt currents. As a result, high uniformity, large format (greater than HD) focal planes have been demonstrated using a commercial foundry business model1. The wide design space available for band engineering with III-V material systems offers flexibility for the design of future sensor systems. Alongside higher pixel density for improved size, weight and power, future sensors will incorporate additional capabilities to achieve improved target detection at range. Detectors which can internally amplify their received photocurrent enable technologies such as range-gating for removal of obscurants/clutter or 3D imagery for computer vision or navigation. At the same time, these sensors should still be able to be used in a traditional passive imaging mode for situational awareness. A drawback to internal detector gain is that it typically introduces an additional source of noise due to the uncertainty in the stochastic amplification process. HgCdTe, the incumbent avalanche photodiode technology in the midwave infrared (MWIR), has exceptionally low excess noise due to fortuitous electronic band structure at the alloy compositions in question2. Competing III-V materials will need to be designed to prevent or limit excess noise. This could be achieved at the material level3 (e.g. through engineering of carrier ionization coefficients) or preferably at the device level (e.g. by engineering amplification to occur deterministically only at certain locations via device architecture). The level of gain delivered by the device should be controlled by the applied bias and should operate in a linear mode – Geiger mode detectors are inappropriate for this imaging application. A final consideration is that detectors should have response times suitable for frame rates which would achieve range resolution on the order of tens of centimeters4. Existing III-V commercial infrastructure, including growth foundries and focal plane array processors, will enable rapid adoption. Suitable technologies can be transitioned for insertion into future U.S. Army and other DoD systems, delivering multi-tasking sensors capable of multiple missions to the Warfighter. These sensors will enable improved target identification compared to traditional passive sensors, obscurant penetration, clutter rejection, and ranging for autonomous navigation and would directly benefit the Future Vertical Lift and Next Generation Combat Vehicle modernization priorities. Additionally, devices could have commercial applications in safety and security monitoring, aircraft warning systems, and in autonomous vehicles.

PHASE I: Determine the feasibility of novel absorption and multiplication material combinations compatible with commercial growth on GaSb or GaAs substrates which would be capable of linear-mode internal gain (> 10) with response times suitable for range-gated imaging of man-sized targets (< 0.5 nanoseconds) with limited excess noise (equivalent McIntyre model |k| < 2).

PHASE II: Execute growth, characterization, and fabrication plans developed in Phase I. Design layer growth recipe for MWIR or LWIR sensitive avalanche photodiode technologies determined in Phase I. Provide growth strategy with any experimental parametric variations to growth foundry for fabrication. Characterize growth efficacy (photoluminescence, crystallinity, defect density). Process large area test devices suitable for cryogenic testing. Demonstrate effectiveness of sensor at unity gain via quantum efficiency and dark current characterization. Quantitative metric goals will depend on targeted cutoff wavelength; preference will be given to proposals designed for >9µm operation. Demonstrate a linear-mode internal gain greater than 10 with response times below 0.5 nanoseconds and limited excess noise lower than a McIntyre model |k| = 2. Characterize gain and dark current as a function of bias and demonstrate transition between passive imaging mode and gained mode. Develop mini-arrays for small-pixel characterization. Investigate feasibility of small-format focal plane array development including specific features required for a compatible read-out integrated circuit.

PHASE III: Mature technologies developed in Phase II for potential commercial uses in law enforcement, rescue and recovery operations, maritime and aviation collision avoidance sensors, autonomous vehicles, homeland defense, and other infrared detection and imaging applications. Multi-functional sensors such as those proposed in this topic would be useful for a wide range of military applications. For ground vehicle systems, this technology would enable the fusion of passive imagery for wide-angle situational awareness with near-simultaneous range-gating for clutter rejection and obscurant removal to improve detect/ID probability at long range. For rotary aircraft, this sensor technology could function in a dust/fog-penetrating situational awareness camera with range information for pilotage/landing assist.

KEYWORDS: Infrared detectors, long wavelength infrared (LWIR), material growth, III-V material, avalanche photodiodes, gain, LADAR

References:

1. Ting, D.Z., Soibel, A., Khoshakhlagh, A., Höglund, L., Keo, S.A., Rafol, B., Hill, C.J., Fisher, A.M., Luong, E.M., Nguyen, J. and Liu, J.K., 2017, May. Antimonide type-II superlattice barrier infrared detectors. In Infrared Technology and Applications XLIII (Vol. 10177, p. 101770N). International Society for Optics and Photonics.;2. Beck, J., Wan, C., Kinch, M., Robinson, J., Mitra, P., Scritchfield, R., Ma, F. and Campbell, J., 2006. The HgCdTe electron avalanche photodiode. Journal of electronic materials, 35(6), pp.1166-1173.;3. Marshall, A.R., Tan, C.H., Steer, M.J. and David, J.P., 2009. Extremely low excess noise in InAs electron avalanche photodiodes. IEEE Photonics Technology Letters, 21(13), pp.866-868; 4. McManamon, P., 2012. Review of ladar: a historic, yet emerging, sensor technology with rich phenomenology. Optical Engineering, 51(6), p.060901.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials

OBJECTIVE: Develop and demonstrate a cost-effective method to produce linear ring opening metathesis polymers of poly(dicyclopentadiene).

DESCRIPTION: Recent work on ring opening metathesis-based polymers (ROMP) like poly(dicyclopentadiene) (pDCPD) and poly(ethylidene norbornene) (pENB) have shown remarkable high velocity impact performance 1, which is relevant for soldier and vehicle protection applications. Tailoring of the non-covalent interactions in crosslinked ROMP polymers with polar monomers has resulted in remarkable control over polymer modulus and strength 2, while linear non-polar ROMP polymers (i.e., those that are not crosslinked like pENB) have shown remarkable toughness and high velocity impact performance 3. This impact performance, however, can be degraded by oxidative or thermally driven crosslinking due to aging 4. Linear pDCPD that is resistant to crosslinking during aging would be particularly attractive due to the low cost of DCPD monomer, low polymer density, reasonable modulus and yield strength, high glass transition temperature, and low susceptibility to water degradation. So, ideal ROMP chemistries would involve linear polymerization of pDCPD along with the ability to tailor the polymer polarity and include stabilizing additives.Currently available commercial strategies for polymerizing pDCPD result in crosslinked networks of polymers upon reaction facilitated by Grubbs catalyst or tungsten-based catalysts. These crosslinked systems have the following drawbacks: (1) they cannot be used in solvent-based processing (e.g., for composite prepreg production) due to insolubility in solvents and (2) high levels of crosslinking reduce the fracture toughness and can result in poor high velocity impact behavior. Furthermore, using monomers other than dicyclopentadiene (e.g., those that only linearly polymerize such as ethylidene norbornene) result in large increases in cost, making the materials no longer competitive with conventional structural resins. In contrast, linear poly(dicyclopentadiene) is expected to have the following decided advantages: (1) excellent high velocity impact performance and toughness, (2) potential for solution-based processing into composite prepregs and (3) the potential for polymerization of polar-group containing monomers (e.g., 5-norbornene-2-methanol) or post-processing heteroatom functionalization through secondary mechanisms.Thus, we seek the development of novel techniques or novel use of existing techniques that can be used to synthesize linear ROMP polymers, specifically pDCPD and other monomers like 5-norbornene-2-methanol that are stable and resistant to environmentally driven crosslinking. This method must be usable with solvent and without solvent (neat) to allow for the full breadth of polymer processing options. The method should also provide a long shelf life for the linear pDCPD (i.e., it should prevent ambient crosslinking of linear polymers).

PHASE I: The offeror(s) shall develop a technique to synthesize linear polymers of dicyclopentadiene (100%) and co-polymers of otherROMP-capable monomers (e.g., 50% DCPD and 50% of another monomer) both in solvent and in the absence of solvent (i.e., neat). The offeror(s) shall demonstrate the use of the solvent-less version of the method to fabricate 6 inch by 6 inch by 0.25 inch thick plates of material. The offeror(s) shall perform rheological or mechanical measurements of the entanglement molecular weight of the synthesized polymers and target overall polymer molecular weights that are 100 times higher than the entanglement molecular weight. The offeror(s) shall also perform a preliminary short (days to weeks) study of the environmental aging of the synthesized polymers to identify the mechanisms involved in undesirable crosslinking (e.g., oxidative aging or aging due to exposure to sunlight).

PHASE II: The offeror(s) shall expand the method developed in Phase I to the use of ROMP monomers containing polar functional groups (e.g., hydroxyl, carboxylic acid, epoxy) and surface-active groups (e.g., trimethoxysilane, thiols, phosphonic acids), again achieving both solvent-based and solvent-less synthesis. Alternatively, the offeror(s) may develop a method of functionalizing linear pDCPD post-synthesis with the groups listed above using a scalable, cost effective method. The offeror(s) shall further demonstrate the processability of the material by solvent casting 12 inch by 12 inch sheets of linear pDCPD and other linear ROMP polymers to thicknesses of 20-500 microns. 3D printing is not desired and will not be considered. Due to the unsaturated nature of pDCPD and other polymers, the offeror(s) will determine the longer term (months-years) aging characteristics of their fabricated polymers and develop means of arresting or mitigating aging (e.g., by using stabilizing additives or including such stabilizers in the polymer itself) .

PHASE III: The offeror is expected to aggressively pursue opportunities to market the method developed herein for use in adhesives, prepregs, consumer products, fiber reinforced composite applications, and electronic encapsulants in both military and commercial applications.

KEYWORDS: Polymerization, composites, manufacturing processes, fabrication, durability, ballistics, protection

References:

Knorr Jr, D. B.; Masser, K. A.; Elder, R. M.; Sirk, T. W.; Hindenlang, M. D.; Yu, J. H.; Richardson, A. D.; Boyd, S. E.; Spurgeon, W. A.; Lenhart, J. L., Overcoming the structural versus energy dissipation trade-off in highly crosslinked polymer networks: Ultrahigh strain rate response in polydicyclopentadiene. Composites Science and Technology 2015, 114, 17-25.; Elder, R.; Long, T.; Bain, E.; Lenhart, J. L.; Sirk, T., Mechanics and nanovoid nucleation dynamics: Effects of polar functionality in glassy polymer networks. Soft Matter 2018.; Long, T. R.; Elder, R. M.; Bain, E. D.; Masser, K. A.; Sirk, T. W.; Yu, J. H.; Knorr, D. B.; Lenhart, J. L., Influence of molecular weight between crosslinks on the mechanical properties of polymers formed via ring-opening metathesis. Soft Matter 2018, 14 (17), 3344-3360.; Richaud, E.; Le Gac, P.Y.; Verdu, J., Thermo-oxidative aging of polydicyclopentadiene in glassy state. Polymer Degradation and Stability 2014, 102 (4), 95-104.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials

OBJECTIVE: Develop and integrate innovative materials and technologies to enable lowering the operating temperature of high power solid-oxide fuel cells to 300-600 °C.

DESCRIPTION: Advanced power sources are needed to provide electric power, which is critical to mission success, to soldiers during long-term missions especially in remote locations.Lightweight Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) have been demonstrated that can provide power from gaseous and liquid fuels and offer the potential to provide this power from a wide variety of fuels including complex hydrocarbons, which are generally not amenable for use with other fuel cell technologies.Currently, solid oxide systems are too large, require long start times, and have low cycle lives.This is largely driven by the requirement of operating at very high temperatures (800 -1000 °C) in conventional solid oxide fuel cells.Recent breakthroughs with triple conducing oxide perovskite and double perovskite materials such as BaCo0.4Fe0.4Zr0.1Y0.1O3-δ, NdBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+ δ, andPrBa0.5Sr0.5Co1.5Fe0.5O5+δ have shown significant promise at low temperatures (300-600 °C) and power densities ranging from 650 to 1100 mW/cm2.Extremely high power densities of 2 W/cm2 at 650°C have been demonstrated from a bilayer-electrolyte LT-SOFC. These remarkable breakthroughs in low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell materials offer an opportunity to develop new high performance 300W LT-SOFC system that is capable of running hydrocarbon fuels, such as propane, and operating at 300-600 °C.This topic is focused on research to develop and integrate these new materials into solid oxide fuel systems to decrease weight and start up times while increasing cycle life.A lightweight (less than 3 kg) 350W+ (>150 W/kg system) low-temperature solid oxide fuel cell system is desired for a multitude of missions ranging from dismounted solider power, UAV power, to silent watch applications. This technology could be used in a variety of roles including: direct power to Army systems or to charge lithium-ion rechargeable batteries which would significantly reduce the logistical burden (weight and volume) for dismounted soldiers by reducing the number of batteries required for extended mission time as well as for a myriad of civilian electronics applications.

PHASE I: In phase I a sub scale multicell stack using triple conductive oxide materials will be developed and evaluated using propane fuel. Stack performance data shall be evaluated and preliminary results from the stack should support the potential to develop a 3kg 300W+ system that operates below 600 °C, with a power density above 650 mW/cm2 and specific power150 W/kg.Provide a detailed conceptual design of a 350W+ power system based upon the results generated in these efforts.

PHASE II: Based on the results from the successful phase I program, design, construct, assemble and evaluate a high performing 2.5kg 300W LT-SOFC system that operates below 600 °C, with performance degradation 4%/1000h, and lifetime 5000 hours under 350W+ power operation.Power density should be above 650 mW/cm2 and specific power150 W/kg.Pursue the development of a system capable using liquid fuels, such as diesel or JP-8.Deliver 2 units to the Army for evaluation.Assess cost and manufacturability of demonstrated technology.

PHASE III: Robust low-temperature SOFC power systems with high power densities will significantly impact both military and commercial applications, accelerating product development, particularly for lightweight portable power devices. Because the market and the number of devices in the commercial sector is much larger than the military market, widespread usage of this technology will drive down the cost of devices for the military. Demonstrate achievements from the SBIR effort to show applicability to field conditions and compatibility with JP-8.Likely sources of funding if the phase III program if successful include: CERDEC, PEO Soldier and PEO Combat Support and Combat Service Support Product Manager Mobile Electric Power Systems

KEYWORDS: Low temperature solid oxide fuel cell (LT-SOFC), Protonic ceramic fuel cell (PCFC), Solid oxide fuel cell (SOFC), Fuel cell, Soldier power.

References:

Duan, C. et al. Readily processed protonic ceramic fuel cells with high performance at low temperatures. Science 349, 1321–6 (2015); Duan, C. et al. Highly efficient reversible protonic ceramic electrochemical cells for power generation and fuel production. Nat. Energy 4, 230–240 (2019).; Kim, J. et al. Triple-conducting layered perovskites as cathode materials for proton-conducting solid oxide fuel cells. ChemSusChem 7, 2811–2815 (2014).; Choi, S. et al. Exceptional power density and stability at intermediate temperatures in protonic ceramic fuel cells. Nat. Energy 3, 202–210 (2018); Strandbakke, R. et al. Gd- and Pr-based double perovskite cobaltites as oxygen electrodes for proton ceramic fuel cells and electrolyser cells. Solid State Ionics 278, 120–132 (2015).; Vøllestad, E. et al.Mixed proton and electron conducting double perovskite anodes for stable and efficient tubular proton ceramic electrolysers. Nature materials 18, 752–759; S. McIntosh and R. J. Gorte, “Direct Hydrocarbon Solid Oxide Fuel Cells “, Chem. Rev. 2004, 104, 4845-4865.; P. Boldrin, et al,” Strategies for Carbon and Sulfur Tolerant Solid Oxide Fuel Cell Materials, Incorporating Lessons from Heterogeneous Catalysis “, Chem. Rev. 2016, 116, 13633-13684.; E. D. Wachsman and K. T. Lee, “Lowering the Temperature of Solid Oxide Fuel Cells”, Science 2011, 334, 935-939.; J. S. Ahn, et al, “High-performance bilayered electrolyte intermediate temperature solid oxide fuel cells” Electrochemistry Communications 2009, 11, 1504–1507.; Y. Zhang, et al, “Recent Progress on Advanced Materials for Solid-Oxide Fuel Cells Operating Below 500 °C”, Adv. Mater. 2017, 29, Article No. 1700132, 1-33.; J. Patakangas, et al, “Review and analysis of characterization methods and ionic conductivities for low-temperature solid oxide fuel cells (LTSOFC)”, J. Power Sources 2014, 263, 315-331.; L. Fan, et al, “Nanomaterials and technologies for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells: Recent advances, challenges and opportunities”, Nano Energy 2018, 45, 148-176.; A. M. Hussain, et al, “Highly Performing Chromate-Based Ceramic Anodes (Y0.7Ca0.3Cr1-xCuxO3-d) for Low-Temperature Solid Oxide Fuel Cells”, ACS Appl. Mater. Interfaces 2018, 10, 36075-36081.; M. Li, et al, “A niobium and tantalum co-doped perovskite cathode for solid oxide fuel cells operating below 500 °C”, Nature Communications 2017, 8, Article No. 13990, 1-9.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics

OBJECTIVE: Develop a Distributed Tactical Communication System with beamforming to support low probability of detection (LPD) and interception (LPI) with anti-jam (AJ) properties under congested and/or contested radio frequency (RF) conditions.

DESCRIPTION: Based on the Army Modernization Priorities there is an urgent need to support communications in a contested and congested electromagnetic environment.Distributed beamforming offers the potential to maximize signal-to-noise ratio at the intended recipient while minimizing the residual signal in the environment that can be observed by adversarial sensors.Some current approaches leverage an advantaged node (or base station) that can communicate to a single cluster of dismounts acting as a distributed antenna array.The Army seeks more general approaches that support distributed beamforming between multiple clusters of dismounted nodes (i.e. squad-to-squad, platoon-to-platoon) that can function without the aid of a base station. The proposed approach should keep scalability in mind and account for a wide range of use cases including reach back communications to a distant vehicle that could act as a base station when available.The effort shall focus on balancing scalability while maintaining LPD/LPI and AJ capabilities.The described objective of the topic is tied to Army’s Non- Traditional Waveforms (NTW) effort and will address the gaps that exists now in the NTW approach.This proposed topic directly supports, the Army’s Network Modernization Priority with application to several other Army Priorities (e.g. fire support for Long Range Precision Fires).Based on the prior research [1, 2, 3, and 4], the objective of the new technology to be developed under this STTR topic shall include: • Utilizing both receive and transmit beamforming techniques • Support dismount clusters (Squads) with atleast 11 participants spaced 5m to 100m apart • Communicate with the base which is mounted on a vehicle at a distance of greater than 2-5 kms. • Support squad to squad communication where the squads may be separated by 500 m or more • Scale to a variety of dismounted combat team formation which can support dismounted IBCT, ABCT, and SBCT • Provide voice and data modes • Latency not to exceed 100 msec (lower the better) • Scalable to support a network of up to 50 nodes • Defined frequency range which can be supported with the proposed technical approach

PHASE I: Conduct a feasibility study that identifies and addresses the problems that must be overcome in order to successfully demonstrate the above listed capabilities. Demonstrate the feasibility at the bench level resulting in a TRL 4. Deliver a final report that covers the outcome of this study, performance specifications, any models developed, and future plan details.

PHASE II: Fabricate proof-of-concept prototype hardware to test, demonstrate and validate the feasibility of a beamforming system with the performance specifications listed above. These should be provided to a Government facility to assess performance of the system. The final report, TRL 5 prototype systems (5 units), prototype specifications and operation guide, and test reports will be delivered.

PHASE III: Productize the above system that can be demonstrated at TRL 6 by partnering with DOD vendor(s). This technology also has potential commercial applications, such as law enforcement and first responder communications, to enable range extension between clusters of low-power devices. These devices may be operating from low prime power constraints or may face transmit power restrictions due to FCC compliance. Such use cases are expected to expand with the emergence of the Internet of Things..

KEYWORDS: Dismounted Tactical Communication, LPI / LPD Communication, congested or contested RF environments Communication, AJ Communication

References:

1. D. Mudumbai, D. R. Brown, U. Madhow and H. V. Poor, "Distributed Transmit Beamforming: Challenges and Recent Progress," IEEE Communications Magazine, vol. 47, no. 2, pp. 102-110, 2009.;2. T. P. Bidigare, U. Madhow, D. R. Brown, R. Mudumbai, A. Kumar, B. Peiffer and S. Dasgupta, "Wideband Distributed Transmit Beamforming using Channel Reciprocity and Relative Calibration," in Asilomar Conference on Signals, Systems, and Computers, Pacific Grove, CA, 2015.;3. B. Peiffer, R. Mudumbai, A. Kruger, A. Kumar and S. Dasgupta, "Experimental Demonstration of a Distributed Antenna Array Pre-synchronized for Retrodirective Transmission," in Information Science and Systems (CISS), Princeton, NJ, 2016.;4. R.D. Dybdal and K.M.Soohoo, “LPI/LPD Detection Sensitivity Limitations”, 2014 IEEE MILCOM pp 1657-1662

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems

OBJECTIVE: To develop integrated circuits based on nanoscale CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology for operation at deep cryogenic temperatures with low power consumption and enhanced noise performance

DESCRIPTION: Digital electronic computer based on CMOS (complementary metal oxide semiconductor) technology is the driving force that fuels the modern data and information era. As the scaling of CMOS technology is quickly approaching its physical limit, energy scaling is becoming its bottleneck. Conversely, the advantages of operating CMOS transistors at cryogenic temperature (cryo-CMOS) have always intrigued CMOS circuit designers. A number of performance figures of merit of a CMOS process are improved when operating at low temperature without scaling down device sizes. Outstanding characteristics have been reported for advanced CMOS technologies operating at cryogenic temperature in terms of on-state current, leakage current, subthreshold swing, and transconductance. This is particularly attractive for high performance computing applications. The performance gain achieved from cooling down a CMOS integrated circuit should be judged against the cost and inconvenience of refrigeration in the context of its application. However, there are specific applications where CMOS circuits designed to operate at cryogenic temperature are advantageous. Cryogenic electronics plays an important role in sensing applications such as infrared focal plane arrays, space borne electronics, high-energy physics experiments, metrology, and astronomical detectors, and so on. Cryo-CMOS also finds its applications in the study of Quantum phenomena where low temperature is essential for minimizing thermal fluctuations. Qubits for quantum information processing typically operate at the temperature range of 10-100mK while the associated control electronics is implemented at room temperature. This approach becomes increasingly challenging and less cost-effective as the number of qubits grows. Control electronics operating at cryogenic temperatures placed right next to quantum circuits can drastically reduce interconnection complexity and noise level, and result in enhanced reliability and compactness, potentially paving the way for realizing practical quantum computers. Even though Cryo-CMOS can be traced back to the 1960s, earlier research were performed on process nodes with large feature sizes resulting limited performance in terms of power consumption and noise. Development of nanoscale CMOS process with high intrinsic frequencies (ft, fmax ~100s GHz) offers new opportunities for realizing high performance cyro-CMOS circuits. This has led to recent demonstration of circuit blocks for quantum processing controllers (an LNA using 160-nm CMOS and a microwave oscillator using 40-nm) operating at 4 K. Device characterization at 4 k for a 28-nm bulk CMOS process has also been published recently . Despite these progresses, many challenges remain for developing deep cyro-CMOS circuits. At the device level, unfavorable effects such as higher threshold voltage, hysteresis, kink effects, mismatch, and hot-carrier lifetime degradation become non-negligible at deep cryogenic temperatures, and must be considered and mitigated. Current refrigeration technologies have also limited cooling power with 1mW at below 100mK and 1W at 4K, and thus prevent the use of large-scale cryo-CMOS circuits. Finally, lack of cryogenic device characterization, physical and compact circuit models and process design kits (PDKs) for circuit design simulators must also be overcome. This STTR topic will address device issues in order to enable development of cryo-CMOS technology.

PHASE I: Develop Low-temperature device characterization and modeling.Perform both DC and RF measurements on MOSFETs with different technology nodes and structural types (including bulk-MOSFET, finFET, FD-SOI) across the whole temperature region from room temperature to cryogenic temperature at 4 K or lower; extract the temperature-dependence of key parameters including Ion, Ioff, SS, Vt, RS, Cj, and S-matrix; investigate low-temperature effects including substrate freeze-out, kink effect, Vt mismatch, SS saturation, etc.; develop physics-based device models to match characterization; develop compact circuit models for use in circuit simulators. Phase I research will help identify one or more existing CMOS foundry processes for designing and fabricating cryo-CMOS prototype circuits in Phase II. The chosen processes must be thoroughly characterized and modeled during Phase I.

PHASE II: Design, fabricate and characterize prototype cryo-CMOS circuits against the CMOS foundry processes chosen in Phase I. The target operating temperature is at least 4 k, or lower. Prototype circuits to be demonstrated should include a low noise amplifier (LNA) and a microwave oscillator. The following metrics should be designed for operation at 4 K. The LNA should have >1GHz bandwidth, >60 dB gain, <0.1 dB noise figure across the bandwidth, and <80 mW total power dissipation. The oscillator should operate at 10 GHz, <1 KHz RMS frequency noise, <-140 dBc/Hz phase noise at 10 MHz offset, and <100 mW total power dissipation. Fabricate the circuits and characterize them at both room temperature and 4 K. Produce a process design kit (PDK) for deep cryogenic circuit against the CMOS foundry processes used in Phase II. Explore optimizing device layout within the processes for improving performance.

PHASE III: Qualify a dedicated cryo-CMOS process with a trusted foundry. Explore modifying the fabrication process flow to optimize performance at low temperature. Potentially approaches could include: optimize gate work function and channel doping to shift Vt towards smaller value; gate/oxide/channel engineering for interface states reduction; source/drain contact engineering; channel thickness optimization and back-gated FD-SOI device structure design; interconnect and contact material optimization for low temperature operation. Explore cryo-CMOS for digital applications. Undertake reliability testing. Produce a process design kit (PDK). Commercialize the technology via a trusted foundry for technology availability to the defense and military markets.

KEYWORDS: Quantum computing, CMOS, low power electronics, low noise, cryogenic

References:

B. Patra et al., "Cryo-CMOS circuits and systems for quantum computing applications," IEEE Journal of Solid-State Circuits, vol. 53, no. 1, pp. 309-321, 2017.; A. Beckers, F. Jazaeri, and C. Enz, "Cryogenic MOS transistor model," IEEE Trans. Electron Devices, vol. 65, no. 9, pp. 3617-3625, 2018.; H. Homulle, F. Sebastiano, and E. Charbon, "Deep-cryogenic Voltage References in 40-nm CMOS," IEEE Solid-State Circuits Letters, vol. 1, no. 5, pp. 110-113, 2018.; A. Beckers, F. Jazaeri, and C. Enz, "Characterization and modeling of 28-nm bulk CMOS technology down to 4.2 K," IEEE Journal of the Electron Devices Society, vol. 6, pp. 1007-1018, 2018.; K. Das and T. Lehmann, "Effect of deep cryogenic temperature on silicon-on-insulator CMOS mismatch: A circuit designer’s perspective," Cryogenics, vol. 62, pp. 84-93, 2014.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials, Nuclear, Sensors

OBJECTIVE: To investigate and develop fast scintillation materials that can be operated under nuclear battlefields for nuclear search, identification, and dose rate estimation.The new scintillators must have ultra-fast decay time, with very limited to no slower decay components, good luminosity, and capable of radioisotope identification.Demonstrate materials performance in prototype detector and develop a cost model and commercial production path.

DESCRIPTION: Most radiation detection systems utilize scintillators as detectors.However in high dose rate environment the majority of scintillators are too slow and often subject to radiation damage.Hence, the alternative sensors used under these conditions are often limited to GM-tubes or silicon diodes.While simple and effective, these detectors have their drawbacks: They provide count rates only rather than spectroscopic information which leads to inaccurate isotope identification and dose rate estimation [1]. In addition, the high dead time under high radiation environment will result in the loss of triggers, or lead to detector paralysis. The inoperability of the advanced scintillators at high dose environment has severely limited the mission capabilities in search and identification of radioactive materials in the nuclear battlefield.In order to improve radioisotope identification and dose rate estimation for very high dose rate environment, new detector materials are sought.Potential solutions include the development of fast and high radiation-tolerant spectroscopic scintillators.Such scintillators shall possess very fast decay time (shorter than 5 ns), very low to absence of slower decay components, high enough light yield (> 1,000 photons/MeV) to allow the detection of photons down to 60 keV, sufficient energy resolution for spectroscopy based dose measurement, and high enough radiation hardness to survive and operate in intense dose rate environment, up to 1,000 cGy/h.Examples of existing fast scintillators include halide scintillators [2], e.g. BaF2, CLYC, etc.These scintillators decay with < 1 ns time constant and have good luminosity of ~2,000 photons/MeV.However, these scintillators often have slower scintillation decay components that would create significant baseline detrimental for the detector under high radiation fields.In addition, halides are also prone to radiation damage during prolonged exposure to high radiation doses.Oxides, on the other hand, can be radiation hard and provide fast decay time, such as PbWO4 (PWO) commonly used in high energy physics experiments [3].PWO has high density and fast decay time, but the light yield is not high enough [4].Even more interesting are the rare earth oxides, such as Lu2O3, have exhibited much higher light yield and faster decay time than PWO.These oxides are often prepared in the form of ceramic scintillators, which makes them more robust and radiation hard than single crystals [5].To leverage the ongoing research momentum in fast and radiation hard scintillator materials, DTRA seeks innovative ideas for ultra-fast scintillation materials capable of achieving high count rate with sufficient energy resolution for dose evaluation and isotope identification at both low dose rate environments and nuclear battlefield conditions.The materials must be rugged and can operate over DoD’s wide range of environments.Phase I development must demonstrate feasibility of selected materials to provide high count rate, acceptable energy resolution for reliable dose calculation and isotope identification, and adequate radiation hardness.Phase II development will further optimize the down selected materials to achieve the following performance thresholds {objectives}: 1) Decay time: < 5 ns {< 1 ns} 2) Light yield: > 1,000 photons/MeV {> 2,000 photons/MeV}3) FWHM energy resolution at 662 keV: 10-15% {7-10%, or approaching that of NaI:Tl} 4) Capable of operating in high dose rate environment: up to 1,000 cGy/h {3,000 cGy/h} 5) Materials unit cost: less than the cost of PWO {similar to the cost of the NaI:Tl} 6) Materials must be environmentally rugged for DoD applications 7) Neutron detection: optional {required} The materials performance must be demonstrated in the prototype detector configuration by the end of Phase II program.

PHASE I: Identify the scintillator materials and their potential.Demonstrate pathways for meeting the Phase II performance goals through feasibility studies at the end of Phase I.Demonstrate radiation hardness capabilities.By the end of the Phase I, single or multiple candidate materials shall be down selected for further development in Phase II.

PHASE II: Further optimize the selected material(s) to produce detector-size samples at the targeted performance parameters.Demonstrate the performance in prototype detectors that accomplish the goals of reliable gamma-ray (and/or neutron) detection and identification under both low dose rate environments and fallout conditions.The detectors shall demonstrate radioisotope identification capabilities consistent with ANSI N42.34 [6].Demonstrate ability to measure dose/dose rate under fallout conditions accurate to ±20% or ±15 cGy.Develop manufacturing and commercialization plans for implementing the research in production and dissemination of the scintillators, respectively.

PHASE III: Further optimize the selected material(s) to produce detector-size samples at the targeted performance parameters.Demonstrate the performance in prototype detectors that accomplish the goals of reliable gamma-ray (and/or neutron) detection and identification under both low dose rate environments and fallout conditions.The detectors shall demonstrate radioisotope identification capabilities consistent with ANSI N42.34 [6].Demonstrate ability to measure dose/dose rate under fallout conditions accurate to ±20% or ±15 cGy.Develop manufacturing and commercialization plans for implementing the research in production and dissemination of the scintillators, respectively.

KEYWORDS: scintillation materials, high radiation field, dose measurements, gamma-ray detection, radio-isotope identification, RIID

References:

[1] National Urban Security Technology Laboratory for the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate, June 2016. Radiation Dosimeters for Response and Recovery Market Survey Report. Homeland Security​[2] P. Rodnyi, Core-valence luminescence in scintillators, Rad. Meas., Vol. 38, p. 343, 2004. ​[3] P. Lecoq and M. Korzhik, Scintillator developments for high energy physics and medical imaging, NIM A Vol. 47, p. 1311, 2000. ​[4] L. van Peiterson, et al., Charge transfer luminescence of Yb3+, J. Lum Vol. 91, p. 177, 2000. ​[5] T. Yanagida, et al., Optical and scintillation properties of transparent ceramic Yb:Lu2O3 with different Yb concentrations, Optical Material, Vol. 36, p. 1044, 2014. ​[6] ANSI N42.34, American National Standard Performance Criteria for Hand-Held Instruments for the Detection and Identification of Radionuclides.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform

OBJECTIVE: Develop a software package that ensures geometric fidelity is not compromised for the generation of a computational electromagnetics (CEM) mesh formed by high-order curved elements. Apply the software package to model large-scale problems (thousands of wavelengths long in each dimension) using exact physics methods.

DESCRIPTION: The field of computational electromagnetics (CEM) came to existence in the middle 1960s. Since that time, there has been substantial progress in the mathematical aspects of CEM as well as in taking advantage of advances in computer technology. The combination of these two has resulted in electromagnetic modelling and simulation (EM&S) software that can successfully address a variety of EM scenarios. There are still, however, problems of large electrical size that current CEM technologies cannot address. One example of interest is the radiation characteristics of installed antenna arrays coupled with radomes with the cavity-like structures where the array resides (and other objects within that cavity) and with the external structure of the aircraft platform. Another example of equal importance is the signature of maritime targets in a variety of sea states. The computational domain in this case can be enormous especially for near-grazing incidence. It is not possible to address such problems with sufficient accuracy using approximate (high frequency) methods; moreover, near-field parameters of interest may not be obtainable at all by such methods as, for example, the driving point or the mutual impedance of a platform installed antenna array. Exact-physics methods, on the other hand, generate such a large number of unknowns that would challenge even the largest computer clusters. For these reasons, there has been a movement in recent years in both time-domain and frequency-domain, toward high-order algorithms that use large cell sizes (~10 wavelengths) to minimize the number of cells in the volume computational domain and thus the computational burden for solving very large problems that are in thousands of wavelengths in each dimension [Refs 1-2]. While using such large cell sizes, however, it is imperative to use high-order curved elements [Refs 3-6] instead of many small, flat facets to capture the geometry with the necessary fidelity. For targets with small- and large-scale geometric features, the process of creating high-order, curved elements is still in a state of infancy to guarantee no grid crossovers and no negative Jacobian in any cell in the computational domain.Develop methods for generating curved volume meshes for complex targets that will conform to a prescribed geometry and be suitable for use with high-order solvers. This should lead to more robust and computationally efficient EM tools to predict the near- and far-field characteristics of large-scale problems that involve complex structures, installed antenna arrays, radomes and interior regions accurately. The number of unknowns generated should be such that the solver could run in low-level clusters (128-256 cores and 2-4 GB standard memory size per core). A graphical user interface (GUI) that encompasses the entire computational process that includes the preprocessing tools for geometry import and generation of high-order curved elements, high-order processing tools, and a comprehensive set of post processing tools for data output and visualization, should intelligently guide the user through any projected application. The design of the GUI should consider ISO/IEC 25022:2016 usability metrics.While the main thrust of this SBIR topic is to develop a high-order mesh generation capability, there is also interest in producing an integrated high-order CEM environment. The environment must be capable of addressing large-scale problems accurately and efficiently, while utilizing minimal computational resources. The process of combining high-order curved elements with high-order solvers and large cell sizes (up to 10 wavelengths) must be demonstrated through test problems, such as a perfect electric conductor (PEC) sphere of 100-wavelength in diameter.

PHASE I: Develop and demonstrate procedures for high-order mesh generation from a hybrid linear element mesh, while retaining computer aided design (CAD) geometry fidelity. Develop a preliminary software package design that can create a high-order (up to 10th order) curved elements for a complex geometry. Demonstrate the process of combining high-order, curved elements with high-order solvers and large cell sizes (up to 10 wavelengths), for test problems such as a PEC sphere of 100-wavelength diameter, and provide accuracy measures when compared to Mie series solution for bistatic radar cross section. The Phase I effort will include plans for software to be developed in Phase II.

PHASE II: Complete the development of the software package from Phase I, compatible with existing high-order CEM software tools (time and frequency domain). The delivered software package, compatible with Windows and Linux OS platforms, must predict near-field and far-field characteristics of complex systems. Ensure the high-order curved elements preserve the small- and large-scale critical features of the geometry. Implement the tool(s) with a GUI for problem setup and results analysis. Ensure that the GUI design emphasizes ease-of-use in the context of configuring, visualizing, and executing on arbitrary complex targets. Port codes on clusters of central processing units and/or graphical processing units (CPUs/GPUs). Test and demonstrate the resulting codes on cases of interest.

PHASE III: Complete development of the CEM software application suitable for transition and for commercial use. The CEM software application will have widespread use in the DoD, industry and academia for analysis of highly complex electromagnetic problems.

KEYWORDS: Computational Electromagnetics, Modeling, Curved Surfaces, Software Applications, High-Order Solver, Electrically Large, Perfect Electric Conductor, PEC: Electromagnetic Fields

References:

1. Hesthaven, J. & Warburton, T. “Nodal Discontinuous Galerkin Methods.” Springer: New York, 2000. https://link.springer.com/book/10.1007/978-0-387-72067-8#about2. Huttunen, T., Malinen, M. & Monk, P. “Solving Maxwell's Equations Using The Ultra Weak Variational Formulation.” Journal of Computational Physics, 2007, pp. 731-759. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S00219991060047123. Fidkowski, K. & Darmofal, D. “A Triangular Cut-Cell Adaptive Method for High-Order Discretizations of the Compressible Navier-Stokes Equations.” Journal of Computational Physics, 2007, pp. 1653-1672. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S00219991070007574. Sanjaya, D. & Fidkowski, K. “Improving High-Order Finite Element Approximation Through Geometrical Warping.” American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics, 2016, pp. 3994-4010. https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/1.J0550715. Persson, P.-O. & Peraire, J. “Curved Mesh Generation and Mesh Refinement Using Lagrangian Solid Mechanics.” 47th AIAA Aerospace Sciences Meeting Including the New Horizons Forum and Aerospace Exposition, Orlando, 2009.https://arc.aiaa.org/doi/abs/10.2514/6.2009-9496. Xie, Z., Sevilla, R., Hassan, O. & Morgan, K. “The Generation of Arbitrary Order Curved Meshes for 3D Finite Element Analysis.” Computational Mechanics, 2013, pp. 361-374. https://link.springer.com/article/10.1007/s00466-012-0736-4

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S):

OBJECTIVE: Develop a computational tool which integrates geomaterials chemistry and microstructure in 3D in order to predict bulk electromagnetic responses to various remote sensing modalities.

DESCRIPTION: This work focuses on the need to predict the electromagnetic properties of geomaterials such that computational prototyping of sensors and analysis procedures can be performed on an array of different material compositions to predict material response to a variety of remote sensing modalities. The needs focus on informing multi-physics based tools with 3D geo-material microstructures that include a heterogeneous mixture of chemical compositions, phases, particle size distributions, and porosity in their microstructures. Based on 3D solid microstructures with representatives volumes on the scale of centimeters and heterogeneity modeled on the scale of millimeters to 10s of micrometers, prediction of bulk electromagnetic properties is needed.The goal of this work is to develop a computational tool that utilizes 3D microstructures of geomaterials such as concrete, rock, and soil with identification of phase, chemistry, porosity, particle size, and texture distributions and predict the electromagnetic properties and response to a variety of sensing modalities. Targeted sensing modalities span a wide range of the electromagnetic spectrum from visible to microwave and radar. As such, prediction of material properties including electrical, magnetic, and thermal is necessary. In addition, this will require an understanding of the propagation of various energy forms into and out of the material being interrogated.

PHASE I: Demonstrate the feasibility of integrating at least three different geomaterial types (e.g., concrete, rock, soil, or multiple or one or more types) that exhibit variations in chemistry, phase composition, and microstructure into a 3D model that predicts electromagnetic properties. The model may be a meso-scale multi-physics based model that discretely represents each phase or some other means to obtain bulk electromagnetic properties in a multi-phase heterogeneous material. Demonstrate the use of this model to predict basic electromagnetic properties including electrical, thermal, and magnetic properties. Demonstrate the use of these properties, along with the 3D modeled microstructure, to predict the response of each material to one specific remote sensing modality such as an infrared or microwave spectrum. Deliver a report documenting the initial research activities under Phase 1 including the material analysis, simulations using the developed tool, and their initial demonstration to predict material response to various remote sensing modalities. The most effective tool will directly utilize 3D solid models of material microstructures including assigned phase structures and compositions to accurately predict electromagnetic properties. Tools that effectively predict properties when compared with physical measurements will be determined and proposed for Phase 2.

PHASE II: Advance the computational tool beyond initial versions developed under Phase 1 and exercise against a variety of geomaterials to predict response to a variety of remote sensing modalities. With materials supplied by the Government (three concretes, two rock types, and three soils), characterize and initialize the developed multi-physics modeling tool with material microstructures, constituent properties, etc and determine each material’s electromagnetic properties. Compare predictions of properties determined using the developed computational tool with physical measurements of these properties. Predict material response to contact and non-contact remote sensing modalities including hyperspectral, radar, etc. Then predicted responses should be validated against physical sensing systems using bench-scale experiments.Deliver a reporting document that includes a description of each material, the characterization performed to ascertain the material’s microstructure, chemistry, particle size, or other relevant features, how these are integrated into the electromagnetic property prediction tool, and example uses of the tool to predict response to various remote sensing modalities. All algorithms, materials, experimental design, etc should be documented along with the performance of developed tools against each problem set examined.

PHASE III: The work has a broad range of applications of infrastructure and environmental sensing. In addition to applications for military infrastructure material assessment, the development technology will be useful for general infrastructure assessment such as civilian bridges, dams, urban environment monitoring, etc. General tools that enable the fast-running computational prediction of material electromagnetic properties also have a broad range of applications in the field of geomaterials such as agricultural and environmental needs along with the extension of these technologies to other fields and material types.

KEYWORDS: geomaterial; electromagnetic; microstructures; computational; prototyping; multi-physics

References:

1. L Sandrolini, U Reggiani, and A Ogunsola, Modelling the electrical properties of concrete for shielding effectiveness prediction, Journal of Physics D: Applied Physics, 40 (17) 2007.;2. MI Khan, Factors affecting the thermal properties of concrete and applicability of its prediction models, 37(6) 2002.;3. HC Rhim, O Buyukozturk, Electromagnetic Properties of Concrete at Microwave Frequency Range, 95(3) 1998.;4. MQ Chandler, WL Lawrimore, M Edwards, RD Moser, JD Shannon, JL O’Daniel, Mesoscale Modeling of Cementitious Materials: Phase 1, USACE ERDC Technical Report ERDC/GSL TR-19-25 2019.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Air Platform

OBJECTIVE: Develop and fully validate an accelerated burn-in process for high power continuous wave (CW) Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) that minimizes burn-in time.

DESCRIPTION: Quantum Cascade Lasers (QCLs) capable of delivering several watts of CW optical power in a high-quality beam in the emission wavelength range between 4.6 to 5 microns are of great interest to the Navy for a number of existing and emerging defense applications. The high price of Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) QCLs is one of the main hurdles impeding widespread use by the U.S. warfighter. The Navy has recently initiated several programs to reduce QCL fabrication cost. However, post-production laser failure is one of the main contributors to the high price of QCL-based products. To avoid costly integration of defective high power QCLs into infrared system platforms, devices with short life expectancies must be screened out at an early fabrication/packaging stage. To minimize QCL fabrication cost, a large decrease in infant mortality of the QCLs reaching post-production must be achieved at either the chip or chip-on-submount levels.Accelerated burn-in testing for diode lasers is typically done at an elevated current and/or temperature and laser degradation models are used to predict their long-term reliability based on observed changes in measured laser characteristics [Refs 1-2]. In contrast to diode lasers, a well-accepted burn-in process for QCLs does not exist [Refs 3-6]. The main goal for this STTR topic is to develop and experimentally validate an accelerated QCL burn-in process that is effective in screening out devices with infant mortality and accurately predicts lifetime [Ref 7] for high power QCLs suitable for DOD applications, while at the same time minimizes required burn-in time. The later requirement is critical for total cost QCL minimization by a factor of 5 in large volume applications.

PHASE I: Design and develop a QCL degradation model. Collect accelerated burn-in data for a statistically significant number of multi-watt continuous wave QCLs. Demonstrate that the new model is consistent with collected experimental data. Develop Phase II work plan that refines and further validates the model.

PHASE II: Build a multichannel QCL burn-in setup and collect long-term burn-in data for at least thirty devices under normal operational conditions. Demonstrate that the new accelerated burn-in process is an effective tool for screening out devices with infant mortality and for accurately predicting lifetime for high-power QCLs. Fully validate and document accelerated burn-in process for QCLs that requires minimal burn-in time.

PHASE III: Test and finalize the technology and methodology based on the research and development results developed during Phase II. Develop a cost-effective process for manufacturing high-reliability QCLs to be transitioned and integrated into Directional Infrared Counter Measures (DIRCM) systems for field deployment in a Navy platform.Commercialize the technology based on the burn-in process developed from this program for law enforcement, marine navigation, commercial aviation enhanced vision, medical applications, and industrial manufacturing processing.

KEYWORDS: QCL, Burn-In Process, Thermal Load, Reliability, Mid Wave Infrared (MWIR), Brightness

References:

1. Johnson, L. “Laser Diode Burn-In and Reliability Testing.” IEEE, 2006. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/15935432. Lam, S., Mallard, R. & Cassidy, D. “Analytical Model for Saturable Aging in Semiconductor Lasers.” Journal of Applied Physics, 2003, pp. 1803-1809. https://aip.scitation.org/doi/pdf/10.1063/1.15895943. Myers, T., Cannon, B., Brauer, C., Phillips, M., Taubman, M. & Bernacki, B. “Long-Term Operational Testing of Quantum Cascade Lasers.” SPIE, 2016. https://spie.org/Publications/Proceedings/Paper/10.1117/12.2015479?SSO=14. Myers, T., Cannon, B., Taubman, M. & Bernacki, B. “Performance and Reliability of Quantum Cascade Lasers.” SPIE, 2013. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/9836/98362J/Long-term-operational-testing-of-quantum-cascade-lasers/10.1117/12.2223129.short?SSO=15. Razeghi, M. “Quantum Cascade Lasers Ready for IRCM Applications.” SPIE: Edinburgh, 2012. ttps://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/8543/854304/Quantum-cascade-lasers-ready-for-IRCM-applications/10.1117/12.956504.short6. Lyakh, A., Maulini, R., Tsekoun, A. & Patel, C. “Progress in High-Performance Quantum Cascade Lasers.” SPIE, 2010. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/journals/Optical-Engineering/volume-49/issue-11/111105/Progress-in-high-performance-quantum-cascade-lasers/10.1117/1.3506192.short7. “MIL-STD-810G: Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests.” Department of Defense, 2008. Everyspec. http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810G_12306/

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Electronics, Ground Sea, Air Platform

OBJECTIVE: Develop and package an uncooled vertical cavity surface emitting laser (VCSEL) that operates error free in a fiber optic transmitter at no less than 100 gigabits per second binary non-return to zero serial for air platform fiber optic link applications.

DESCRIPTION: Current airborne military (mil-aero) core avionics, electro-optic (EO), communications and electronic warfare systems require ever-increasing bandwidths while simultaneously demanding reductions in space, weight and power. The replacement of shielded twisted pair wire and coaxial cable with earlier generation length-bandwidth product multimode optical fiber has given increased immunity to electromagnetic interference, bandwidth, and throughput, and a reduction in size and weight on aircraft.For Ethernet, the serial rate using binary non-return to zero signaling for multimode fiber links has increased from 1 gigabit per second in 1998 to 25 gigabits per second in 2015 [Ref 1]. To meet commercial sector demands for higher aggregate bandwidth capacity, optical interconnects based on 850 nanometers (nm) VCSELs have evolved to higher lane rates, more parallel architectures, and more advanced modulation formats [Ref 2]. Digital fiber optic transmitters employing VCSELs have been shown to operate reliably at extended temperatures (-40 to +85-degrees Celsius) without active cooling. Current digital fiber optic transmitters consist of an uncooled VCSEL operating at 850 nm wavelength and custom designed integrated circuitry (IC) to drive the VCSEL. The IC includes electrical waveform shaping to improve the signal response of the VCSEL. A slightly overdamped frequency response can limit the amount of optical overshoot and but can be effectively controlled with electrical pre-emphasis [Ref 3]. Oxide confined VCSELs have been matured for use in digital multimode fiber optic links up to about 50 gigabits per second [Refs 4-5]. Microwave and optical test procedures have evolved to characterize VCSEL responses including relative intensity noise, optical modulation response (scattering parameter 21 (S21)), and high-resolution optical spectra [Ref 6]. Research is ongoing exploring more advanced VCSEL technology [Ref. 7].Historically, avionics has mostly preferred the use of conventional binary non-return to zero serial/single lane links over higher numbered lane links, parallel links, pulse amplitude modulated links and wavelength division multiplexed links. To meet the expected growth in aggregate bandwidth required onboard future generation aircraft, new optical component technologies that enable much higher speed binary non-return to zero serial links will be required. It is envisioned that a VCSEL based transmitter operating in a single lane at no less than 100 gigabits per second at a yet to be determined or specified emission wavelength or optical fiber type can be enabled by the development of more advanced VCSEL technology. One aspect of this research is to specify the VCSEL bandwidth requirement, S21, for a VCSEL operating in a transmitter at no less than 100 gigabits per second. Another related VCSEL design consideration relates to the average fiber coupled power based on typical avionics link-loss power budget and link margin requirements, i.e., 5 connectors in series and 3 dB end-of-life margin [Refs 8-9]. Another related VCSEL design consideration relates to the reliability and technology readiness. Highly accelerated life testing can be used to assess VCSEL technology readiness [Ref. 10].It is anticipated that an uncooled VCSEL based transmitter and the corresponding receiver will include electrical equalization in order to achieve necessary performance. The VCSEL therefore must be capable of working with these electronic benefits. The desired high speed VCSEL mounted on a carrier in a fiber optic transmitter will be capable of transmitting error free digital data and video over optical fiber in a short reach (30 to 100 meters), binary non-return to zero serial link operating at no less than 100 gigabits per second. The uncooled VCSEL mounted on a carrier must perform reliably over a -40 degrees Celsius to +95 degrees Celsius temperature range, and maintain EO performance upon exposure to typical Naval air platform vibration, humidity, temperature, altitude, thermal shock, mechanical shock, and temperature cycling environments [Refs 11-14].

PHASE I: Design an uncooled high speed VCSEL and provide an approach for determining VCSEL performance parameters and testing. Demonstrate feasibility of the laser design, showing path to meeting Phase II goals. Design a high-speed VCSEL laser package prototype that is compatible with digital fiber optic transmitter interface circuitry and coupling to optical fiber. The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II.

PHASE II: Optimize the VCSEL and VCSEL package designs from Phase I. Build and test the VCSEL, and packaged VCSEL, to meet performance requirements. Characterize the VCSEL over temperature and perform highly accelerated life testing. If necessary, perform root-cause analysis and remediate VCSEL and/or packaged VCSEL failures. Deliver packaged VCSEL prototype for 100 Gb/s transmitter application.

PHASE III: Verify and validate the VCSEL performance in an uncooled 100 Gb/sec fiber optic transmitter that operates from -40 to +95 degrees Celsius for transition to military and commercial fiber optic transmitter manufacturing sites.Commercial sector telecommunication systems, fiber optic networks, and data centers optical networks could benefit from the development of high speed VCSELs.

KEYWORDS: Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser, VCSEL: Digital Fiber Optic Transmitter, Binary Non-return to Zero Signaling, 100 Gigabits per Second, Highly Accelerated Life Testing

References:

1. Larsson, A., Gustavsson, J., Westbergh, P., Haglund, E., Haglund, E., Simpanen, E., . . . and Karlsson, M. “VCSEL design and Integration for High-Capacity Optical Interconnects.” Optical Interconnects XVII, 2017, San Francisco: SPIE. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/10109/101090M/VCSEL-design-and-integration-for-high-capacity-optical-interconnects/10.1117/12.2249319.short?SSO=12. Szczerba, K., Lengyel, T., He, Z., Chen, J., Andrekson, P., Karlsson, M., . . . and Larsson, A. “High-Speed Optical Interconnects with 850nm VCSELS and Advanced Modulation Formats.” Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Lasers XXI, 2017, San Francisco: SPIE. https://www.spiedigitallibrary.org/conference-proceedings-of-spie/10122/101220G/High-speed-optical-interconnects-with-850nm-VCSELS-and-advanced-modulation/10.1117/12.2256992.short3. Tatum, J., Gazula, D., Graham, L., Guenter, J., Johnson, R., & King, J. “VCSEL-Based Interconnects for Current and Future Data Centers.” Journal of Lightwave Technology, 2014, pp. 727-732. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/69557044. Kuchta, D., Rylyakov, A., Schow, C., Proesel, J., Baks, C., Westbergh, P., . . . and Larsson, A. “A 50 Gb/s NRZ Modulated 850nm VCSEL Transmitter Operating Error Free to 90°C.” Journal of Lightwave Technology, 2013. https://vdocuments.site/a-50-gbs-nrz-modulated-850-nm-vcsel-transmitter-operating-error-free-to-90.html5. Feng, M., Wu, C.-H. & Holonyak, N. “Oxide Confined VCSELs for High Speed Optical Interconnects.” IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics, 2018. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/83194106. O'Brien, C., Majewski, M. & Rakic, A. “A Critical Comparison of High-Speed VCSEL Characterization Techniques.” Journal of Lightwave Technology, 2007, pp. 597-605. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/41428137. Deppe, D., Li, M., Yang, X. & Bayat, M. (2018). Advanced VCSEL Technology: Self-Heating and Intrinsic Modulation Response. IEEE Journal of Quantum Electronics. https://ieeexplore.ieee.org/document/83377288. “AS5603A Digital Fiber Optic Link Loss Budget Methodology for Aerospace Platforms.” SAE International, 2018. https://saemobilus.sae.org/content/as5603a9. “AS5750A Loss Budget Specification for Fiber Optic Links. SAE International, 2018. https://saemobilus.sae.org/content/as5750a10. “ARP6318 Verification of Discrete and Packaged Photonic Device Technology Readiness.” SAE international, 2018. https://saemobilus.sae.org/content/arp631811. “MIL-STD-810G: Environmental Engineering Considerations and Laboratory Tests.” Department of Defense, 2008.http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-810G_12306/12. “MIL-STD-883K: Test Method Standard Microcircuits.” Department of Defense, 2016. http://everyspec.com/MIL-STD/MIL-STD-0800-0899/MIL-STD-883K_54326/13. “MIL-STD-38534J: General Specification for Hybrid Microcircuits.” Department of Defense, 2015. http://everyspec.com/MIL-PRF/MIL-PRF-030000-79999/MIL-PRF-38534J_52190/14. “DO-160F: Environmental Conditions and Test Procedures for Airborne Equipment.” RTCA, 2010. https://my.rtca.org/NC__Product?id=a1B36000001IcnSEAS

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Bio Medical

OBJECTIVE: Develop and demonstrate a technology to enable rapid enrichment and isolation of bacteriophages (phages) with enhanced biofilm dispersal activity for the treatment of recalcitrant infections of the Warfighter in the post-antibiotic era.

DESCRIPTION: Multidrug-resistant organisms (MDRO) have spread worldwide and triggered a major public health crisis. U.S. military service members wounded in combat are susceptible to infection by MDRO, including biofilm-mediated infection, at a much higher rate than civilian population due to penetrating combat wounds being accompanied by foreign body inoculum (metal fragments, rocks, dirt), large zones of bone and soft tissue disruption, nerve damage and localized ischemia (tourniquet /edema). Biofilms may begin to form in wounds in as little as a few hours post-infection, and their extracellular matrices provide the bacteria protection from the human host immune response and antibiotic therapy. Furthermore, the current concepts of war moving towards urban dense terrain (UDT) and multi-domain operations (MDO) are expected to generate complex wounds that will require advanced prolonged field care and stabilization when tactical evacuations to robust rear element medical care infrastructures are delayed. Such a delay in evacuation and limit on comprehensive care for combat wound orchestrate the ideal conditions for biofilm formation in severely traumatized tissue. To make matters worse, the potential for life threating infection by MDRO, particularly biofilm-mediated infection, is even higher under the MDO and UDT settings and the need for novel solutions is urgent. ESKAPEE pathogens (Enterococcus faecium, Staphylococcus aureus, Klebsiella pneumoniae, Acinetobacter baumannii, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Enterobacter spp., and Escherichia coli) frequently colonize healthy military personnel (1) and are causative agents of persistent infections of traumatic and burn wounds that are prone to biofilm formation and multidrug resistance (2).A scarcity in effective antibiotic therapy options warrants the development of alternative potent antibacterials, e.g. phages.Phages are natural viruses that specifically kill bacteria resistant to antibiotic treatment and have been shown to be able to disperse biofilms by their polysaccharide depolymerase activity and to efficiently kill bacteria in biofilms both in vitro and in vivo (3). Phages exhibit extraordinary specificity to target bacterial strains and can eliminate them without affecting normal microflora. In vitro studies have shown that bacteriophage can penetrate mature biofilms and cause bacterial cell lysis. A major advantage of phage therapy is the ability to exploit the constant natural evolution of phages to overcome phage resistance, infect and kill the host bacteria. Phages have demonstrated high efficacy against ESKAPEE infections in laboratory, domestic and farm animals and promising data in expanded access treatment of humans and even in recent clinical trials, especially in combination with antibiotics (4,5). Phages are becoming a very important adjunct therapy against MDR bacterial infections in civilian and military patients.The gold standard method for isolating phages is via planktonic growth of bacteria in the presence of a phage source (e.g., sewage). The phages isolated under such conditions would bind to and infect bacteria displaying receptors expressed during planktonic growth, which will not necessarily be the same receptors expressed during biofilm growth. Thus, taking these planktonic growth-isolated phages, assembling them in cocktails and attempting to treat biofilm-mediated infections could be a flawed methodology.The purpose of this STTR is to enable relatively rapid phage enrichment, screening, and isolation on biofilm of a permissive strain of interest. The end products of the system sought through this process are phages with enhanced biofilm degradation activity against strains of interest. This capability will drastically improve force health protection at large and will more directly enable the formulation of better therapeutic phage cocktails using diverse phages with broad killing spectra isolated from bacterial biofilms, to target biofilm-mediated infections.Users should have the freedom to select permissive and target screening strains of interest. The technology may be, but is not limited to, micro-filtration systems, microfluidics, centrifugation, nano-materials, gel or polymer matrix or any combination of relevant and novel technologies. The device can be a closed or open modular system. The following features will be critical to consider when proposing a technology:1) System should enable users to select and input permissive strains of choice for optimized biofilm formation, and to propagate phages on target strains of choice for activity assessment2) System should perform the enrichment on bacterial biofilms and isolate viable phages with enhanced polysaccharide depolymerase and biofilm dispersal activity 3) System should enable isolation of phages against multiple target strains of interest simultaneously 4) System should enable quantitative screening of phage activity against biofilms of multiple target strains of interest simultaneously 5) Portability of system is preferred but not a requirement 6) Reusable design of consumables are preferred features but not a requirement

PHASE I: This phase should focus on the design of a proof-of-concept prototype technology/device that enables phage enrichment (propagation) on biofilms to produce viable phage particles with enhanced anti-biofilm activity. During this phase, STTR performer should focus on maturing stable biofilm formation on at least, but not limited to, two strains (i.e. permissive strain) of choice on design of choice for screening phages. Phages can be isolated from sewage, environmental waters such streams and ponds, farm run-offs, and harbors.Anticipated components of new device may include, but not limited to, 1) a consumable that allows biofilm growth of permissive cell; 2) a sensor for a qualitative or quantitative assessment of anti-biofilm activity of phages compared to control; 3) a smart device to analyze and interpret data; 4) a method to recover and preserve phages for further testing and validation. System does not need be integrated at this stage but should have a workflow. However, at the end of this phase, working prototype(s) should demonstrate permissive strain input access, mature biofilm formation, and phage propagation capability of the system. Performance (i.e. turnaround time to enriched phages) should be compared to classical manual in vitro approaches over 24, 48, and 72 hrs. Ideally,with regards to portability, performer should also explain how the proposed device can be made suitable for use in a field environment with further development (i.e. the field- testable system should not exceed 30 lbs, self-contained and none of its dimensions should exceed 16 inches, with minimal battery operation for 12 hrs.) The size and cost of the consumable components should be no greater than the currently available fluidic biochips on the market. Provide a written plan for Phase II to reduce the size, simulate field use, and cost of the consumable component. The goal is to reduce size of consumable to less than $10 per test if performer is unable to design reusable consumables.

PHASE II: During this phase, the technology/device should be integrated into a system. The workflow from Phase 1 should be refined to expand on the proof-of-concept into a product that enables high-throughput screening of phages against biofilms of diverse MDRO strains of choice. STTR performer should address features listed as critical features of technology include quantitative assessment of anti-biofilm phage activity, portability of system and reusability of consumables.This testing should be controlled, rigorous, and reproducible. Here, STTR performer may choose, but not required, to coordinate with WRAIR subject matter experts to freely collaborate in optimizing and validating system. This phase should also demonstrate evidence of commercial viability of the product.

PHASE III: This phase should focus on scaling production, marketing of technology to distributors, and contracts. Accompanying application instructions, simplified procedures, and training materials should be drafted in a multimedia format for use and integration of the product into market. The end-state for this product is a commercially viable technology that will be incorporated to the preventive medicine and medical surveillance mission for Force Protection by the Department of Defense by establishing a National Stock Number (NSN) as the first step towards the potential inclusion into appropriate "Sets, Kits and Outfits" that are used by deployed medical forces in the Defense Acquisition System. Furthermore, performer should pursue a commercial path to democratize phage-harvest efforts across medical institutes, bio-pharma and educational institutes.

KEYWORDS: Bacterial Infections, Biofilms, Multidrug Resistance, Phages as Alternative Antibacterials, Environmental Samples, Phage Enrichment, Phage Screening and Separation, Phage Isolation, Therapeutic Phage Cocktails

References:

1. Vento TJ, Cole DW, Mende K, Calvano TP, Rini EA, Tully CC, Zera WC, Guymon CH, Yu X, Cheatle KA, Akers KS, Beckius ML, Landrum ML, Murray CK. Multidrug-resistant gram-negative bacteria colonization of healthy US military personnel in the US and Afghanistan. BMC Infect Dis. 2013;13:68. 2. Akers KS, Mende K, Cheatle KA, Zera WC, Yu X, Beckius ML, Aggarwal D, Li P, Sanchez CJ, Wenke JC, Weintrob AC, Tribble DR, Murray CK; Infectious Disease Clinical Research Program Trauma Infectious Disease Outcomes Study Group.Biofilms and persistent wound infections in United States military trauma patients: a case-control analysis. BMC Infect Dis. 2014 Apr 8;14:190. 3. Hansen, M. F., Svenningsen, S. L., Roder, H. L., Middelboe, M., and Burmolle, M. (2019). Big impact of the tiny: bacteriophage-bacteria interactions in biofilms. Trends Microbiol. 27, 739–752. doi: 10.1016/j.tim.2019.04.006 4. Romero-Calle D, Guimarães Benevides R, Góes-Neto A, Billington C. Bacteriophages as alternatives to antibiotics in clinical care. Antibiotics 2019; 8(3):138. 5. C. Rohde, J. Wittmann, E. Kutter Bacteriophages: a therapy concept against multi-drug-resistant bacteria Surg. Infect. 2018; 19: 737-744.

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Materials, Weapons, Air Platform

OBJECTIVE: Develop a novel high-performance alloy for structural components and repairs capable of being produced by Additive Manufacturing (AM), and that exhibits high strength, low density, high corrosion resistance, and improved process-ability traits. Tools such as integrated computational materials engineering (ICME), AM, accelerated testing concepts, and data mining to accelerate the development and qualification of the alloy should be used.

DESCRIPTION: Magnesium (Mg) is the lightest structural metal with a density that is 35% lower than aluminum, making it a prime candidate for light weighting in the aerospace and automotive industries [Ref 1]. The helicopter industry has capitalized on the low density of Mg in the past, mainly in transmission casings (e.g., H-60, H-53) [Ref 2]. However, most applications of Mg are non-structural or semi-structural due to the limited mechanical properties of legacy Mg alloys. Mg’s process-ability issues (i.e., flammability) and poor corrosion resistance further restricts the use of Mg on U.S. Navy (USN) aircraft [Ref 2]. In fact, many components manufactured from legacy Mg alloys corrode relatively quickly in-service, which leads to unscheduled maintenance to repair or replace those components. The various forms of AM can provide opportunities to repair those components or to build one-off replacements for them, which could help reduce life-cycle maintenance time and costs for USN aircraft. However, the legacy Mg alloys are currently limited to wrought/cast product forms due to Mg’s high oxygen affinity and low melting/evaporation points, which make it difficult to process with AM [Refs 2-4].A novel high-performance alloy for structural components and repairs that possesses high strength, low density, high corrosion resistance, and improved process-ability traits is sought. To decrease development time, an ICME framework should be used to design the alloy. The alloy should be designed to be produced in powder form, and to be processed using powder-based AM to further reduce development time [Ref 5]. Flammability and oxidation should be key design considerations to improve the process-ability of the alloy by reducing the risk of ignition during production and post-processing. The alloy should have a density comparable to that of a magnesium alloy (less than 0.0838 lb/in^3) and mechanical properties that meet or exceed the following:Specific Ultimate Strength: 700 ksi /(lb/in^3)Specific Yield Strength: 500 ksi /(lb/in^3)Ultimate Elongation: 8%.The alloy should have improved corrosion resistance and improved fatigue resistance in comparison to legacy Mg alloys such as AZ31 or WE43. Experimentally show the feasibility of the alloy design, and once the material composition has been refined, coupons should be produced and tested to verify the performance of the new, lightweight alloy.The results of this STTR effort could reduce lifecycle maintenance and costs for USN aircraft: the alloys created could be an alternative to conventional magnesium alloys, albeit with superior corrosion resistance and better process-ability for component maintenance/rework. This alloy could also reduce the logistical footprint of USN aircraft by providing the capability to replace cast Mg components with AM equivalent components without the high costs and lead-times associated with foundries. A new high-strength, lightweight alloy that is capable of being produced with AM would allow newly designed components to have increased structural efficiency (i.e., higher strength to weight ratios), and would enable the production of ultra-lightweight topology optimized parts.

PHASE I: Formulate a novel high-performance alloy using ICME tools and produce a sample batch of the alloy in powder form. Process the demonstration powder in a powder-based AM system and establish the feasibility of the alloy design by generating limited test data, such as static/fatigue strength data (per ASTM E8 and ASTM E466, respectfully), microstructural characterization (per ASTM E3, ASTM E112, and ASTM E407). The Phase I effort will include prototype plans to be developed under Phase II.

PHASE II: Refine the alloy composition through an iterative approach that includes modeling, AM fabrication, and testing of ASTM E8/E466 [Refs 6,7] coupons and prototype parts. Initiate the development of the material properties database for an optimized alloy design. Develop an optimized heat-treatment for the alloy if heat treatment is required to achieve desired properties.

PHASE III: Fully develop the design allowable database for the high-performance alloy. Demonstrate and validate the performance of the new material through component testing in a service environment. Transition the newly developed alloy for use in the fabrication of USN and commercial aircraft structural components.The high-performance alloy developed in this effort could be directly transitioned into applications for both commercial aerospace and automotive industries. Beyond aircraft applications, the missile and satellite industries are long-time users of magnesium components and could also benefit from an improved lightweight structural alloy. This effort would also produce the groundwork needed to develop additional AM-tailored materials for other commercial applications. For example, an excellent fit for an AM-capable magnesium is the biomedical industry. Magnesium offers properties that makes it suitable as a biodegradable metal [Ref 3], which would be useful in applications such as repairing fractured bones.

KEYWORDS: Additive Manufacturing, AM, Powder, Integrated Computational Materials Engineering, ICME, Magnesium, Material, Structure

References:

1. Luo, A. A. “Application of Computational Thermodynamics and Calphad in Magnesium Alloy Development.” 2nd World Congress on Integrated Computational Materials Engineering (ICME), 2013, pp. 3-8. https://link.springer.com/chapter/10.1007/978-3-319-48194-4_12. Czerwinski, F. “Controlling the Ignition and Flammability of Magnesium for Aerospace Applications.” Corrosion Science, September 2014, pp. 1-16. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0010938X140021823. Zumdick, N., Jauer, L., Kutz, T. & Kersting, L. “Additive Manufactured WE43 Magnesium: A Comparative Study of the Microstructure and Mechanical Properties with those of Powder Extruded and As-Cast WE43.” Materials Characterization, Volume 147, January 2019, pp. 384-397. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S10445803183246894. Pawlak, A., Rosienkiewicz, M. & Chlebus, E. “Design Experiments Approach in AZ31 Powder Selective Laser Melting Process Optimization.” Archives of Civil and Mechanical Engineering, Volume 17, Issue 1, January 2017, pp. 9-18. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/abs/pii/S16449665163009175. Dietrich, S., Wunderer, M., Huissel, A. & Zaeh, M. “A New Approach for a Flexible Powder Production for Additive Manufacturing.” Procedia Manufacturing, Volume 6, December 2016, pp. 88-95. https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S23519789163014826. “ASTM Standard E8/8a 16: Standard Test Methods for Tension Testing of Metallic Materials." ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2016. https://www.astm.org/search/fullsite-search.html?query=Standard%20Test%20Methods%20for%20Tension%20Testing%20of%20Metallic%20Materials&7. “ASTM Standard E466 15: Standard Practice for Conducting Force Controlled Constant Amplitude Axial Fatigue Tests of Metallic Materials." ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2015. https://www.astm.org/Standards/E4668. “ASTM Standard E3-11 2017: Standard Guide for Preparation of Metallographic Specimens." ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2017. https://www.astm.org/Standards/E3.htm9. “ASTM Standard E11213:Standard Test Methods for Determining Average Grain Size." ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2014, https://www.astm.org/Standards/E11210. “ASTM Standard E407(2015)e1:Standard Practice for Microetching Metals and Alloys." ASTM International: West Conshohocken, PA, 2015. https://www.astm.org/Standards/E407