Award Data

Empirical-based mathematical framework and computer algorithms, for representing human perception and cognition processes and limitations, which influence the recognition of salient information about rapidly changing events.

Objectives and Intellectual Merit: The infrastructure of modern civilization is a set of complex systems1 that dynamically interact across multiple layers of abstraction. Researchers from many disciplines2 are designing analytical tools for predicting the global and local behaviors of these complicated, multi-layer networks. Easily usable, available (open source) and inter-operated tools are neede ...

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA) has been supporting research of energetic materials and incendiaries as payloads for weapons to defeat targets containing chemical and biological agents. Several universities and Navy labs have been involved in this research, and have narrowed down on a few material formulations that are efficient biocides. These formulations contain a chemical ingredient ...

Terrorist use of radioactive nuclear materials via nuclear and/or radiological dispersion devices (dirty bombs) is a serious threat. Therefore, it is critical to detect the proliferation of nuclear material. Critical challenges facing this objective include: (a) high sensitivity detection of signature emissions (e.g., gamma rays) from common radioactive isotopes behind shielding, and (b) cost-effe ...

With missions surrounding counterproliferation, nonproliferation and WMD reduction, the stakes for DTRA are incredibly high. Effectively conducting this work involves cooperation and coordination across a wide range of military and government organizations throughout the United States and the world. The decentralization of threats has led to an explosion in the sources and types of data needed to ...

At the completion of the research and development effort a Li foil multi-wire proportional counter (MWPC) neutron detector with more than 625 cm^2 of active area will be included in a portable radiation detection system. The system is expected to have an intrinsic thermal neutron detection efficiency of 55% or greater and gamma-ray rejection ratio (GRR) of 1.0x10^-8 or better. A gamma-ray spectrom ...

As the carry and protective gear of the modern war fighter increases, the burden on the human body will necessarily increase. In our present TALOS MkIII project, we are developing lower body augmentation to preserve speed and agility while bearing this weight. Yet we cannot ignore the impact of this weight on the upper body: in this project we propose to develop an upper body exoskeleton with p ...