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Control-Configured Concepts for Low Cost Air Cargo Delivery

Award Information
Agency: Department of Defense
Branch: Special Operations Command
Contract: USZA22-02-P-0616
Agency Tracking Number: S021-0068
Amount: $94,480.00
Phase: Phase I
Program: SBIR
Solicitation Topic Code: N/A
Solicitation Number: N/A
Timeline
Solicitation Year: N/A
Award Year: 2002
Award Start Date (Proposal Award Date): N/A
Award End Date (Contract End Date): N/A
Small Business Information
20 Joyce Rd
Arlington, MA 02474
United States
DUNS: 061935057
HUBZone Owned: No
Woman Owned: No
Socially and Economically Disadvantaged: No
Principal Investigator
 David Dugail
 Research Engineer
 (617) 968-4552
 dugail@mit.edu
Business Contact
 James Paduano
Title: President
Phone: (617) 968-4552
Email: jdpaduan@netzero.net
Research Institution
N/A
Abstract

"The objective of this proposal is to develop a low-cost air cargo delivery systemthat combines a very simple airframe/pallet design with a low-cost "embeddedelectronics" guidance system. Although various airframe possibilities will beconsidered, all will be UAV-type systems, guided based on feedback informationrather than data acquired before the drop (using dropsondes, for instance). Ourgoal is to provide an alternative to winds aloft estimation, making the costtractable through a low cost embedded avionics package (EAP) developed by MIT andcommercialized by Nascent Technology Corporation (NTC). During Phase I we will showthat guiding a drop vehicle using low-cost on-board electronics, rather thangathering information before a parachute drop can achieve longer range, higheraccuracy and higher survivability. In addition, we hope to use very simple airframedesigns to reduce cost, subsequently applying flight augmentation and automaton-based UAV guidance methods (also recently developed at MIT) to maintain performance. This proposal is for a new method for military, humanitarian, and disaster reliefairdrop that is more accurate, enabling airdrop in locations previously unavailable(cities, exceedingly rough terrain, oil platforms, ship-at-sea emergencies). Costreduction, increased accuracy, and increased survivability of airdrop are sought.In addition, successful development of a low-cost avionics system would haveapplications in o

* Information listed above is at the time of submission. *

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