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 ...

Through the execution of our Phase 1 effort, Nutronics, Inc. and Montana State University developed an improved means to optimize the Pellizzarri cost functional for coherent imaging using digital holography. Our algorithm developed during the Phase 1 effort accelerates convergence times by a factor of 20-40 for the majority of scenarios evaluated. Our proposed Phase 2 effort has a two-fold focus: ...

Training can now be delivered on a large scale through emerging platforms, but training must be engaging to be effectively utilized. Key to providing training that makes a difference in the field is an understanding of how to induce high levels of engagement during learning and the ability to objectively assess engagement in real-time so that interventions can be tailored during training to optimi ...

Current continuous wave (CW) and pulse mid-wave infrared (MWIR) lasers have design and performance limitations that constrain their usability in some critical Air Force applications. There is an important need to create a new class of MWIR laser sources with less drawbacks and higher pulse energies and CW powers. The proposed work will demonstrate the technical feasibility of an innovative MWIR la ...

Research is currently identifying new biochemical markers to help monitor cognition and stress in the human body and enhance human performance. Traditional biometric markers like heart rate, temperature, oxygen partial pressure, blood glucose, electrolyte concentration, and others have been correlated with cognition and stress states. However, the correlation is indirect. Molecular biomarkers with ...

The imaging vibrometer development will be based on a representative Directed Energy (DE) aperture assumed to be 30 cm. This effort will provide both DE and Combat IDentification (CID), modes for relative short range DE operations, and an ISR Combat IDentification (CID) mode for operation at extended range. A combination of analytic derivations and wave optics simulations will be used to define a ...

The Air Force seeks three-dimensional bioprinted tissue that can accurately replicate complex multi-cell function and that can be integrated with biosensors. To address this need, Spectral Energies in collaboration with Prof. Khademhosseini of the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA) proposes to develop an organ-on-a-chip system. The organ-on-a-chip system will be capable of accurately mod ...

Spectral Energies proposes to design a multisensory diagnostic suite for measurements within elevated-pressure RDEs. This sensor will utilize tunable-laser absorption spectroscopy to measure temperature, pressure and H2O concentrations in the annulus of a rocket-RDE and background-oriented schlieren imaging system for flow density gradient imaging to provide time resolved information about the sho ...

The objective of the proposed Phase-II effort by Spectral Energies LLC is to design and develop a fiber-coupled hyperspectral thermal LWIR imaging sensor suite to provide reliable, accurate 2D surface temperature measurements with high flexibility in practical gas turbine engines and propulsion systems. During the phase-II efforts, our team will work with fiber manufacture on custom designing of a ...

Assess the feasibility of a novel technology which automatically generates human-understandable explanations of an artificial intelligence (AI) algorithm’s decisions – for example, a deep neural network’s (DNN’s) classification decisions. Our technology, called EMERALD (Explainable Machine Reasoning through the Application of Linked Data), is designed to improve trust a ...