Award Data

Structural health monitoring (SHM) is an emerging technology leading to the development of systems capable of continuously monitoring structures for damage, with minimal human intervention. There are several components required to design a successful SHM system, including sensors, communication and power systems. Current SHM efforts have focused mainly on sensing methods for damage detection, howe ...

Sensor management in support of situation assessment (SA) presents a daunting theoretical and practical challenge. Scientific Systems Company, Inc. of Woburn MA and its subcontractor, Lockheed Martin Tactical Systems (LMTS) of Eagan MN, propose a foundational, joint control-theoretic approach to SA and SA sensor management that is based on three innovations: (1) a ``dynamic situational significanc ...

SI2 Technologies, Inc. (SI2) proposes an innovative approach to the design and manufacture of conformal arrays for air vehicles. Our approach is to integrate the antenna with the aircraft structure to maximize electronic and structural performance while minimizing the system weight and volume. This approach is economically and technically possible through the application of SI2’s novel System ...

This proposal describes the impetus towards the development of low cost and high performance SiGe (Silicon Germanium) based millimeter wave power amplifier ICs for phased array transmit applications. We have developed innovative millimeter wave power amplifiers designs in Phase I for Q-band and in Phase II, we will fabricate, test, and productize these designs in a low cost commercial SiGe HBT (he ...

ABSTRACT: Composite materials are increasingly adopted into Aerospace application due to their superior specific strength/stiffness, resistance to fatigue and ability to reduce part-count. Furthermore, it has been demonstrated that by introducing carbon nanotubes (CNTs), multi-functional capabilities can be achieved by virtue of their high conductivity and piezoresistive nature. During the prop ...

ABSTRACT: In collaboration with Sandia National Laboratory, Physical Sciences Inc (PSI) proposes to design, develop, and demonstrate a Frequency Agile Terahertz Sensor (FATS) for trace explosives residue detection. The critical frequency agile terahertz (THz) detector is based on an electronically tunable plasmonic grating-gate technology developed by our collaborators at Sandia. The Phase I ...

ABSTRACT: The epitaxial liftoff of multi-junction structures provides a means to build photovoltaic devices that are flexible, light weight, and highly efficient. However, current approaches to increasing the AM0 efficiency of multi-junction structures are reaching practical limitations due to the complexity of the device design. The objective of this Phase II SBIR program is to develop innovat ...

Characterization of retinal damage mechanisms from ultrafast lasers requires measurement and correction of ocular aberrations because non-linear optical effects dominate this regime. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) has successfully completed a Phase I program to show feasibility and initiate the development of an adaptive optics laser irradiation and imaging system. A line-scanning laser ophthalmosco ...

ABSTRACT: Busek proposes to develop a flight-prototype piezo microvalve useful for micro chemical thrusters that require precisely metered flow rates. Deriving from a flight-qualified Busek microvalve and a successful proof-of-concept Phase I laboratory prototype, this proposed valve will be small, lightweight, and ready for flight qualification. It can linearly actuate thrust up to the 100 mN d ...

The desired outcome of this STTR project is the development of compact, stand-alone, economical, and rugged pulse shaper units that can be used to control chemical reactions, and have a wide range of applications based on molecular control for detection of chemical and biological threats, explosive, and toxic chemicals. In addition, these units will enable a broad range of fundamental studies. Dur ...