Award Data

High Precision Devices, Inc. (HPD) proposes to continue and complete development of the 25 kW Flowing Water Optical Power Meter for Laser Measurements begun under a Phase I SBIR award. In the proposed Phase II work described, HPD will complete mechanical and electrical subsystems, apply a ceramic carbon nanotube coating to the internal surfaces of the optical head, complete development of control ...

Greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions to the atmosphere are primary drivers of global climate change and hence there is a crucial need to quantify their sources and sinks. A general technique to constrain source and sink strengths is the analysis of the relative proportions of isotopic variants of GHG's. These measurements must be performed with extremely high precision. The gold standard technique, i ...

There are currently no inexpensive observing systems that detect temperature, salinity and currents under the ocean's surface - all important factors in predicting the intensity of hurricanes. Boston Engineering proposes to develop the Multi-Purpose Above Surface/Below Surface Expendable Dropsondes (MASED). Our design builds on the highly successful air dropsondes already in use, combined with a ...

To capture critical weather and SST data in the Tropical Cyclone Boundary Layer (TCBL), Piasecki Aircraft proposes to evaluate existing meteorological sensor packages, integrate new off-the-shelf MEMS sensors, and design an air-launched UAS to improve the resolution of observations captured in the TCBL. Capturing latent and sensible heat fluxes can be achieved reliably with a powered UAS (compare ...

Climate variability and the increased frequency of climate-related risks are redefining how communities address urban development and planning, Better storm risk assessment will lead directly to better preparedness which will save lives, reduce costs, and increase resiliency. Riverside proposes a data integration and visualization tool that will enable communities to assess climate-related risks, ...

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has become a primary diagnostic tool in scientific research and clinical imaging. Despite the excellent image quality that can be obtained with today’s MRIs, images acquired using different MRI systems and during longitudinal studies are not reproducible, and hence can be difficult, if not impossible, to compare. To address this issue, a standardized test of the ...

The mechanics of single photons can be used to entangle information carry quantum states, allowing for quantum computation or random number generation. Quantum communication utilizes the quantum nature of single-photons to retain information, particularly in the form of quantum key distribution protocols. High-efficiency, low-noise single photon detection at high efficiency is critical for the app ...

During the Phase I program, Aurora conducted a comprehensive survey of potential platforms that included government owned and furnished UAVs and manned aircraft as well as Aurora’s Centaur Optionally Piloted Aircraft (OPA). The survey concluded, in part, that UAVs offer a significant improvement in data collection capability when compared to manned aircraft that are currently fielded by NOAA. ...

NorthWest Research Associates proposes to develop a prototype system to forecast solar flares for NOAA/Space Weather Prediction Center. Many activities and technological systems prevalent in today’s society—air traffic control and air travel, the power grids, communications, deep-water drilling operations, human spaceflight—are vulnerable to the effects of flares from our Sun, which can sud ...

THERE IS A REQUIREMENT FOR A RELIABLE, SECURE METHOD FOR RETRIEVAL OF DATA FROM MOORED INSTRUMENTATION ARRAYS. THESEARRAYS, WHICH CONTAIN CURRENT METERS, TIDE GAUGES, TEMPERATURE SENSORS, AND OTHER OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTRUMENTS, ACQUIRE AND STORE DATA OVER A PERIOD OF WEEKS OR MONTHS AND THEN ARE RETRIEVED, THE RESTORED DATA RECOVERED, AND THE INSTRUMENTS REDEPLOYED. RETRIEVAL AND DEPLOYMENT IS AN EXP ...