Award Data

LADAR light reflection from a target is highly dependent of the spectral reflectivity and texture properties of the surface. Such dependencies could be exploited for target recognition based on surface characterization with appropriate imaging conditions and processing algorithms. Target surface light reflection is characterized by the Bidirectional Reflectance Distribution Function (BRDF), which ...

The Army has a clear need for a small unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) capable of autonomously accompanying a single soldier or vehicle. Such a UGV would help solve both logistical problems of soldiers needing to transport more equipment and supplies than they can carry in a backpack, and tactical problems of scouting unsafe areas. Multiple designs for such UGVs exist; however, they require active re ...

In this program, Omega Optics and the University of Texas at Austin propose to develop an on-chip surface-enhanced Raman scattering (SERS) spectrometer array for single molecule detection. The sensitivity of the SERS spectrometer comes from the 5-nm gap between gold nanowires, which can achieve 108 enhancement factor (EF) for the Raman scattering signals. Especially, these gold nanowires are preci ...