Award Data

Neutron multiplicity can provide effective detection and identification of shielded Special Nuclear Materials based on analysis of the time correlated neutron multiplicity distribution. RMD is developing two key materials for such applications: Cs2LiYCl6:Ce (CLYC) scintillator and dual-mode plastics.  CLYC offers efficient thermal neutron detection and excellent separation between gamma and neutr ...

The Defense Threat Reduction Agency, DTRA, currently uses technologies capable of detecting IEDs using airborne sensors that are demonstrated as reliable. These systems are only used for detection purposes and are not capable of neutralizing the IED. Due to IEDs being located in remote, dangerous, and hostile locations, there is high casualty risk for personnel to manually neutralize the target by ...

Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs) are a dangerous and effective weapon system that today’s military warfighters and innocent civilians regularly experience. IEDs are created with randomly assembled materials and their payloads may include projectiles, biological toxins, and other dangerous items that can cause injury or death to personnel and equipment. Detection and neutralization of these we ...

In cooperation with the Joint Improvised-threat Defeat Organization (JIDO) and the U.S. Army, IMSAR LLC demonstrated its radar systems' ability to successfully detect IED emplacements from the RQ-7B Shadow Unmanned Aerial System (UAS). As part of the Army’s ShadowSAR program, IMSAR operated and maintained these Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) sensors for 4 ½ years in support of Operation Endurin ...

As more of our enemies expand the number and complexity of their underground facilities, the need to improve the tools that provide consistent situational awareness (SA) increases accordingly. For complex missions such as these, we require a family of systems (FoS) that have different capabilities, and can address various mission needs. Robotic Research proposes creating a unique, small platform ( ...

Small multirotor Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) are well suited for sensing and situational awareness missions in closed, confined, and constrained (C3) environments. However, autonomous navigation of small VTOL UAVs is very challenging in C3 environments. Current state of the art navigation methods uses vision and LIDAR to build a map, localize, and plan paths. These methods tend to be computati ...

In response to the DTRA182-002 solicitation, we propose CANTEAN: Cave and Narrow Tunnel Exploration and Navigation, a flying system that employs the use of low-SWaP sensors and processors using advanced algorithms for rapid navigation and mapping of unknown, subterranean areas as part of a heterogeneous team. Bio-inspired obstacle avoidance and navigation and the efficient exchange and merging of ...

GreenSight Agronomics (GSAg) is proposing to develop a man-portable, fully autonomous aerial mapping system to satisfy the goal of the solicitation: quickly and completely mapping a confined space with no human guidance. The vehicle will have a 400 mm frame size to provide an ideal balance between maneuverability, flight time, and payload capacity. We have chosen the Pixhawk platform running ArduP ...

This is a proposal to develop a unique, Ultrashort Pulsed Off-axis Digital Holography (USPODH) system, enabling the high frequency imaging of detailed 3D structures within aerosol fields under harsh thermodynamic conditions and high optical depths where ordinary imaging is essentially useless. Many powerful imaging methods have failed to provide this capability because noise from multiple scatteri ...

There is a need to improve the understanding of physical and chemical processes involved in the evolution of chemical warfare agent (CWA) simulant aerosols and vapors that are interacting with combustion, deflagration, and detonation products. However, the measurement of aerosols and vapors is very challenging because of limited knowledge of the photophysics at varying temperatures and pressures, ...