Award Data

Target detection and recognition is a challenging problem because of changes in appearance, viewing direction, occlusion and other covariates. Systems that can accurately and efficiently detect and track objects can provide several benefits in surveillance, monitoring and other applications. As part of this effort, we propose to develop a robust learning-based approach to detect, track and recogni ...

The objective of this program is to develop, demonstrate and implement a low reconfigurable, reliable Free Space Optical (FSO) link supporting high bandwidth communications for satellite to satellite or satellite to ground communication. The FSO Transceiver (Transmitter/Receiver) to be implemented will be small Size, Weight, Power and Cost (SWaP-C) such that it can be easily carried by compact spa ...

Materials for thermal protection are required to protect structural components of space vehicles during the re-entry stage, missile launching systems, and solid rocket motors (SRMs). Polymer resins that have high char retention (e.g., phenolic resins) are the most common matrices in the composite materials for rigid thermal protection systems (TPSs) due to their tunable density, lower cost, and hi ...

Additive manufacturing (AM) systems, especially metal AM, bring revolutionary capabilities, but suffer from a lack of understanding of the defects that exist within the components. In this research, based on selective experimental study and numerical simulations, we will develop an empirical database of defects and their effects on mechanical properties using Laser Powder Bed Fusion (LPBF) technol ...

Qualtech Systems, Inc. (QSI), in collaboration with VU proposes to develop a state-of-the art HMS system featuring: (1) Low Hardware cost by leveraging industrial-grade computers ruggedized to military specifications (2) Low Software cost by leveraging QSI’s COTS TEAMS software with real-time monitoring and diagnosis capabilities (3) Vibration and Shock Analysis and its impact on vehicle and cre ...

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 ...

The introduction of computer vision in precision-guided ammunition will potentially increase their targeting capabilities, in particular for moving targets such as tanks, vehicles and mobile command posts. EO/IR cameras offer a relatively inexpensive, low-SWaP payload solution which, combined with latest advances in SIMD hardware (GPUs), are finally starting to allow running sophisticated visual g ...

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 ...

The Air Force needs tunable laser systems with high average power in the mid-infrared region of the spectrum for military applications including defense against heat-seeking missiles.Currently-fieldedlaser systems, based on nonlinear frequency conversion in periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN), have limited optical power at wavelengths between 4 m and 5 m because of intrinsic absorption in th ...

This effort proposes to develop situational awareness methodologies for mission critical ship system based on the state-of-the-art probabilistic knowledge graph (KG) and deep learning. The proposed KG approach can incorporate various data fusion technologies for analysis of unstructured data (text, images, etc.) and structured data (signal feeds, database items, etc.) for automated decision suppor ...