Award Data

72679-Radioactively contaminated surfaces within Department of Energy and commercial nuclear facilities endanger workers and create problems with waste handling and disposal. Current methods for removing these radiological contaminants are expensive, use hazardous chemicals or dangerous rotating machinery, release removed materials into the airspace surrounding the jobsite, and generate considera ...

72275-With the ever-present threat of terrorist attacks on American soil, it is increasingly important to monitor pre-nuclear-event warning signs and provide post-nuclear-event assessment for use in consequent management and emergency response. In particular, major urban centers are potential targets of nuclear attacks, ¿dirty bomb¿ attacks, and chemical/biological agent attacks. This project ...

In this three Phase program, ADA Technologies proposes to develop and demonstrate a novel, active trace explosives sampling system/method that will be easily adapted for use with existing commercially available explosive detection sensors. This will lead to a generic-interface sampling device that will directly couple with currently deployed trace explosives detection sensors. The active samplin ...

72212-The uniform dispersion of nanoceramic filler particles within a polymer matrix, for producing high quality polymer/ceramic nanocomposites, is a very time-and energy-intensive process. The development of efficient methods for uniformly dispersing nanoceramic inclusions, which are well-adhered to the polymer throughout the polymer matrix, and for fabricating parts from such composites at low ...

Reliable and sensitive detection of biowarfare agents (BWAs) such as Bacillus anthracis, Yersinia pestis, Francisella tularensis, ricin, botulinum toxin, etc. is an important challenge for both military operations and domestic anti-terrorism efforts. We are proposing to develop a biomimetic polymer coating, containing receptors for BWA targets, that becomes fluorescent when exposed to samples con ...

72599-Our nation¿s increasing dependence on foreign oil is a threat to our economic stability and security, and continues to boost our trade deficit. A significant increase in renewable, cleaner-burning biofuels, such as biodiesel, offers the potential to address all of these issues. However, biodiesel market penetration is severely limited by high feedstock (vegetable oil) costs associated wit ...

The Phase I effort demonstrated the feasibility of a low cost IR imaging system for use in high lethality, fire-and-forget projectiles. The imaging system was designed specifically for the Army's Light Fighter Lethality (LFL) Autonomous Seeker Projectile. The Phase I work combined two innovative technologies, an optical systems design process and a moldable IR material, to create a low cost opti ...

The use of visible and long wave infrared (LWIR) sensors is limited in many covert environments by their unacceptably high reflectivity. The high reflectivity makes these systems susceptible to detection by search CW laser systems. There are many traditional methods for reducing optical reflection, but most adversely affect the final system image quality and are not cost effective for large volu ...

To continue increasing the capabilities of technology, it is important to develop new materials and components. However, the development cycle of a new material or component can be very time consuming and costly. We propose to implement a modular architecture for a Virtual Systems Integration Lab (VSIL) that allows designers to quickly create simulations for their systems. The VSIL can increase th ...

The ability of remote robotic vehicles to effectively achieve their targeted tasks is dependent, in large part, on how well they can be controlled. The human machine interface and related controls are critical to successful tele-operated and semi-autonomous operations. In Phase I, AnthroTronix, Inc. showed the feasibility of two interface concepts for robot control: 1) An instrumented glove w ...