Award Data

MZA partnered with the University of Notre Dame proposes to conduct high-fidelity computational fluid dynamics (CFD) simulations providing volumetric time-resolved aero-optical disturbance modeling for rotary-wing aircraft flow dominated by wing-tip vortices. We will develop detailed wave-optics models of a baseline Navy helicopter beam director including engineering-level simulations of the beam ...

Complex software systems are typically developed by disparate engineering teams working concurrently. At the same time, software requirements are frequently dynamic, evolving even during active development cycles. Discrepancies between how software is defined and how it is implemented at the modular level can cascade into critical system errors when modules are integrated. More troubling is that i ...

Decision making is driven by context. Context can be hard to operationalize and harness to the design of decision support systems. Modern military task displays often omit important context which can lead to singificant errors. This problem is exemplified in undersea warfare and specifically contact management for safe littoral navigation. In littoral navigation, workload may be high and team memb ...

The focus of our Intelligence and Intuition for Enhanced Decision Making (I2EDM) Phase 1 research is to provide efficient and timely automated production and dissemination of information products in support of doctrinal Decision Points for the Company and below in austere environments. Operating in the Cloud, I2EDM will continuously fuse tactical information with human intuition and experience to ...

High power microwave (HPM) sources have been developed over the past few decades for many important DoD missions ranging from electronic warfare to intentional EMI to impulse radar. In this proposal, we describe an integrated program that seeks to develop innovative solutions based on mesoband source and antenna technology to improve the effectiveness of HPM-based BMD systems. Our research will ...

A military without good leadership is a mob. Identification, preparation, guidance and mentoring of potential leaders are critical functions across all services. Leadership training and support can be substantially improved by refinement of theories and models on what constitutes good leadership, and what enables individual to be effective leaders. DoD needs better models of how leaders learn, ...

Ziva Corporation in collaboration with UCSB will assess the feasibility of developing a directly modulated polarization switching laser based on the Vertical Cavity Surface Emitting Laser (VCSEL) geometry with a 3dB frequency of at least 10 GHz. This will be a major breakthrough in the ability to cost effectively fabricate directly modulated lasers (even in 2-D arrays) with polarization diversity ...

A need exists for polarization interrogating and discriminating Ladar systems to detect and discriminate defilade targets. In the proposed effort, Aerius, and our partner at the University of Illinois, will apply photonic crystal technology to extend Aerius’ high power, high wall plug efficiency, Vertical-Cavity Surface-Emitting Laser (VCSEL) results to develop a stable polarization switched VC ...

Chemical agents in aerosol form have been identified as a major threat, and there is now interest in applying the long wave infrared frequency agile laser sensor to detection of this important agent form. If successful, it would be possible to perform detection of chemical agent vapors and aerosols and biological aerosol agents with a single dual-use sensor. To accomplish this, it is critical to ...

This Phase I STTR proposal will demonstrate nanostructured “metal-black” coatings to enhance absorption by thin film solar cells. The problem is that silicon has low absorption due to its indirect gap. The opportunity is that nano-scale metallic scattering centers increase the effective optical path length and enhance the solar electric-field strength in thin-film solar cells, leading to more ...