Award Data

Optically pumped magnetometers provide very high performance but they cost tens of thousands of dollars, and they are large and power hungry. Recently we successfully developed and commercialized laser pumped magnetometers with size, weight and power consumption that is an order of magnitude below current state-of-the-art without sacrificing performance. In this project, the focus will be on produ ...

Innovations in materials and nanoelectronics have made it possible to measure electromagnetic signals with unprecedented precision and near quantum limited sensitivity. Magnetic field sensors such as superconducting quantum interference devices (SQUIDs) have been theoretically explored by the Air Force for high frequency direction finding (HFDF) applications. The objective of this project is to fa ...

Environment-security researchers and practitioners must overcome several technical challenges in the course of their efforts. In the absence of an open-community platform, each researcher or institution compiles and curates their own data repositories, analytical tools, and computational environments. This results in significant duplication of effort, limits the replication and validation of resea ...

Automatic high-value target trackers have a number of uses, including real-time sensor slewing on user-nominated targets, offline forensic investigations into where a specific target traveled, and assisting with automated missions running on remote platforms. Instead of automatically tracking all targets within a scene, it can be beneficial to focus on a single or small number of critical targets ...

Automatic Speech Recognition (ASR) allows trainees to practice verbal communication skills in representative training environments without the need for human role players. However, these technologies have yet to become a feature of most training systems. Building on Phase I work, SoarTech along with our academic partners at UC Davis, proposes developing Soliloquy, a novel interface that allows non ...

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 ...

On-site activated decontaminants will revolutionize chemical and biological decon because the activated solution is produced on demand, without the limitations of traditional pre-made mixtures. TDAs system uses electrical activation to convert battery power into reactive chemicals that quickly destroy chemical and biological warfare agents. Prior to activation, the decontaminant mixture can be saf ...

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 ...

Large aerospace composite structures currently require autoclaves and ovens to achieve desired performance which are expensive to purchase, costly to operate, and often limit part size and production rate. Ovens and autoclaves rely on convective heating which is inefficient, consumes large amounts of energy, and can be difficult to predict. Alternative cure processes using external heaters or hot ...

For this research program, Mainstream will collaborate with Colorado State University (CSU) to develop a nanostructured heater capable of curing aerospace grade composites out-of-autoclave (OOA). The use of autoclaves is the primary cost driver in composite manufacturing due to size limitations, long processing times, and inefficient energy usage. Therefore, the Navy is looking to develop a nanost ...