Award Data

Increasingly, clandestine tunnels under our southern and northern borders continue to be a problem for illicit smuggling operations. The Q-Track Geospatial Underground Tracking System (GUTS) provides real time positioning of robotic equipment and first responder personnel operating in a GPS and short range radio-frequency denied areas. GUTS is capable of deployment in a variety of underground envi ...

We propose a metamaterial-enhanced microbolometer with strong absorption over a narrow band that is dynamically tunable over the 8-10 micron band. A single-layer photonic metamaterial consisting of a thin metal film perforated with a 2-D array of dielectric apertures will be deposited on an amorphous-Silicon layer acting as an absorber and bolometer. The metamaterial, in conjunction with planar di ...

Hyperspectral imaging systems acquire the spatial and spectral information of the image scene simultaneously, and thus find important applications in remote sensing, military surveillance, and target identification. Most contemporary hyperspectral imaging systems operate at UV/VIS/NIR (ultra violet/visible/near infrared) spectrums. However, in many cases, especially in military applications, (hype ...

Currently, the accepted standard experimental model for measuring protective efficacy against botulism is the Mouse Lethality Neutralization (MLN) assay. Botulism poisoning is a life threatening condition that is not only a public health concern, but could also be a potential biological weapon. With seven serotypes of botulinum neurotoxins, there is need for an alternative to the MLN assay due t ...

Current high-throughput platforms rely on labeled substrates that produce detectable spectroscopic signals upon reaction for monitoring enzyme catalytic activity. Add to that the high price tag for these instruments, ranging from several hundred thousand to millions of dollars, and there is a clear need for alternate solutions for a label-free, low-cost, high-throughput enzyme screening platform. ...

Current drug discovery and development efforts are severely limited by expensive animal trials and oversimplified in vitro models. Results obtained from in vitro models are not predictive of in vivo toxicity owing to significant difference from the in vivo physiological conditions. In this context, we propose to develop and demonstrate a novel microfluidic device that reproduces the physiological ...

Organophosphorus chemical warfare nerve agents (OP-CWA) are attractive to terrorist groups and rogue states as an inexpensive and accessible technology for chemical warfare. OP-CWA and organophosphate pesticides cause severe neurological symptoms and death by inhibiting the enzyme acetylcholinesterase (AChE); the resulting excess acetylcholine accumulates and overstimulates the human or animal bo ...

Software capable of generating synthetic fingerprint, face, and iris images may provide tremendous value to DHS organizations, USG components, and commercial organizations involved in development, testing, and operation of biometric systems. Such software could support cost-effective performance evaluation of new algorithms, optimize the speed and accuracy of deployed biometric systems, and reduce ...