Award Data

Free Space Optical (FSO) communication systems provide many benefits for satellite communications, including high data rates and low Size, Weight and Power (SWaP) compared to traditional RF communication systems.Additionally, FSO systems operate without RF emissions and are inherently immune to RF interference and jamming.The narrow optical beams and small Field-of-View of the optical receivers al ...

Signature Research, Inc. (SGR) and Michigan Technological University (MTU) propose a Phase I STTR effort to develop a learning algorithm which exploits the spatio-spectral characteristics inherent within IR imagery and motion imagery.Our archive of modelled and labeled data sets will allow our team to thoroughly capture the variable elements that will drive machine learning performance.The overall ...

Increased workloads and operational pressures can degrade human analysts cognitive performance, jeopardizing their ability to safely and effectively carry out mission-critical tasks. To avoid overload and maximize the potential of human operators, a method for conducting real-time evaluation of cognitive state, combined with means to dynamically enhance performance, is required. Novel technologies ...

Because of rising demand for human analysts and more efficient processing of increasingly large and challenging amounts of intelligence, human limitations on mental workload, cognitive fatigue, and attentionor task engagement, need to be accurately monitored in real-time in order to provide sensitive detection of impaired cognitive states. It is a challenge to continuously monitor these cognitive ...

CONCUR develops a computational framework for assessing and characterizing urban environments stability or fragility in response to volatility and stress, identifying specific weaknesses as well as key tipping points which could lead to rapid systemic failure. CONCUR explicitly models urban environments as emergent complex systems, focusing attention on the critical triggers that could lead to rap ...

Methods for interconversion between cell types (cellular reprogramming) are currently discovered through resource intensive trial and error. Experiments may test a multitude of transcription factors to identify correct combinations that influence cell fate. In addition, reprogramming approaches commonly use stem cell intermediates such as induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs), which are generated ...

The Biomagnetics Micro Dosimetry System (BMDS) program will design, model, and simulate a microdosimetry system that can measure and create a three dimensional map of weak radiofrequency signals in biological organisms. The heart of the BMDS project is the front end called a Quinc, that delivers very sensitive, broad band measurements with high spatial resolution.The Quinc based front end is a val ...

Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes the development of a composite laminate cathode coating based largely on consumer off the shelf (COTS) industrial materials functionalized to possess a low work function, negative electron affinity surface. The cathode coating is applicable to any surface of a spacecraft, regardless of shape or material, and allows passive one wire operation for spacecraft cha ...

Currently networks are not taking advantage of the inherent benefits of high multi-beam directional networking. For example, the current MADL implementation simply daisy chains the nodes in the network creating multiple single points of network failure (of course retaining self-healing properties.) The Fuse Directional Cross-Layer Networking Solution (DCLNS) optimized architecture features a robus ...

On this effort Toyon Research Corp. and The Pennsylvania State University are developing deep learning-based algorithms for object recognition and new class discovery in look-down infrared (IR) imagery. Our approach involves the development of a hybrid classifier that exploits both transfer learning and semi-supervised paradigms in order to maintain good generalization accuracy, especially when li ...