cartome.org

13 June 2001

FY02 Solicitations:
Dual Use Science and Technology (DU S&T) Topics

Selections from Air Force topics:
Advanced Aircraft Control Station using Cursor-Control Technology
Digital Watermarking for Automated Multi-Level Security
Array Based Laser Radar Algorithms and Techniques for Topographical Mapping
Development of a Dedicated Bird Detection Airport Radar
Sensors Enabling Technologies
Software GPS Receiver on a Chip

Advanced Aircraft Control Station using Cursor-Control Technology

02-HE-02

OBJECTIVE: Develop a revolutionary aircraft information display suite featuring PC-based software with a cursor-based windowed environment, large format fused multi-sensor simulation, modular use of alternative control (e.g. eye tracking or foot inputs), modular use of alternative information channels (e.g. helmet mounted displays HMDs, including night vision goggles -- NVGs), audio displays, and tactile displays and a low cost motion base. Such a device will prove of great value to not only the USAF (e.g. UAC control stations) but also to the general aviation and commercial aviation markets. The product to be generated would be a low-cost flight simulator that can be used to train aircrew for spatial disorientation recognition and countermeasures as well as the use of HMDs and NVGs in the maneuvering environment. A successful transition to military training systems as well as to the commercial aviation market is anticipated. The application to the commercial market would be as a general aviation-training device for situational awareness as well as spatial disorientation.

DESCRIPTION: Recent developments in display hardware (e.g. large flat-paneled displays) and improvements in PC software have now made it possible to generate aircraft control stations that can effectively integrate large amounts of electronic sensor data (global position, terrain imaging, etc.) in a standard computing environment. What is still lacking is a flexible method to integrate alternative information channels and intuitive displays to counter loss of situational awareness and spatial disorientation. Integration of advanced large-screen displays, a graphical user interface with cursor control, and multiple inserts into a multi-sensor information presentation environment, as well as the integration into a low cost motion base are required. The type and capability of the motion base will be developed in conjunction with an AFRL trade study on functional requirements and available systems. These developments are typically presented at conferences including the Human Factors, SPIE, AIAA (Simulation), and Aerospace Medical Assoc conferences.

The benefits of such an intuitively based aircraft control station include increased situational awareness, reduced pilot workload, reduced risk of pilot spatial disorientation, and the ability to maintain proficiency on complex tasks with less training.

ESTIMATED FEDERAL FUNDING CONTRIBUTION: $0.125M
ESTIMATED PROGRAM DURATION: 48 months
GOVT TPOC: Dr. Tamara Chelette, AFRL/HEPA
PHONE: (937) 255-5742
FAX: (937) 255-9687
EMAIL: tamara.chelette@wpafb.af.mil

Send proposals for this Topic Area to:
CPOC: Dave Box, AFRL/MLKH
2310 8^th Street, Bldg 167
WPAFB, OH 45433-7801
EMAIL: james.box@ws.wpafb.af.mil
PHONE: (937) 656-3674
FAX: (937) 255-6277

02-IF-02

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this effort is to improve the robustness, capacity, and performance of digital watermarking algorithms, to significantly improve automated multi-level-security (MLS) data management for operational Air Force organizations.

MILITARY BENEFIT: MLS is a stated requirement for USAF organizations across the board. Prior efforts have developed MLS guard systems to manage the distribution of information across multiple security levels, but these systems are manpower-intensive. Ongoing efforts are aimed at automating this process, for complex digital data types, through the use of digital watermarking (DW) processes for key insertion, access control, and tampering detection. However, optimization of the automation, in terms of robustness and efficiency (throughput speed) requires improvement of the DW algorithms. The improvements specified under this effort will significantly improve effective use of a DW-implemented, automated MLS for air and space operations.

COMMERCIAL APPLICATION: The control and safeguarding of proprietary, digital intellectual property (IP), especially imagery products offered for sale over the WWW, is a significant issue for the electronic commerce industry engaged in this field. Similar to multi-level security, DW algorithms can provide the means to automatically control access to imagery products, so that customers can receive the products and be able to open and use them over the WWW, but only if they are authorized (based on the payment or business arrangement). The improvements to be made to DW algorithms under this effort will render these processes a highly marketable utility for this industry.

DESCRIPTION: DW algorithm refinements required under this effort are in the following areas: (1) Extending digital watermarking technology: improving the capacity, improving robustness to geometrical transformations, such as scaling, rotation, cropping, and general non-linear transformations; (A successful and efficient solution to geometrical deformations has not yet been described in the research literature, but is a necessary improvement for optimal use of DW in the military and commercial applications described above); (2) Optimizing the speed to achieve real-time performance, for both embedding and extracting the digital watermark; (3) Defining the security of the watermarking scheme, including formulating approaches to resist possible attacks and countermeasures, estimating the probability of failure to detect a watermark, and the probability of detecting a non-existing watermark under such attacks or countermeasures; (4) Applying DW to more complex data types, including types such as NITF, video, audio and MS Office products, to facilitate the MLS transfer of multi-type data products.

Innovations in both the structural and behavioral characteristics of DW algorithms are anticipated to be necessary to achieve significant improvements in the requirements areas listed above. The goal is to achieve upwards of a three-fold improvement in the first three requirements areas, compared to current DW algorithm performance. The goal, for the fourth requirement area is to achieve demonstrable proof of the ability to handle the additional listed data types. Proposers may address any or all of the stated requirements.

ESTIMATED FEDERAL FUNDING CONTRIBUTION: $0.15M
ESTIMATED PROGRAM DURATION: 30 months
GOVT TPOC: Richard J. Simard, AFRL/IFEC
PHONE: (315) 330-1798
FAX: (315) 330-2022
EMAIL: richard.simard@afrl.af.mil

Send proposals for this Topic Area to:
CPOC: Ms. Elaine Newman, AFRL/IFKPC
26 Electrnic Parkway
Rome, NY 13441-4514
EMAIL: Elaine.Newman@rl.af.mil
PHONE: (315) 330-2830
FAX: (315) 330-2304

02-SN-01

OBJECTIVE: This program will develop the ability to use laser radar to provide precise and timely topographical maps for both commercial and military purposes. The military benefit would be the demonstration of technology that would provide long-range air to ground search capability with a robust and powerful combat identification capability. The commercial benefits are extensive and include a wide array of commercial terrain mapping applications including urban mapping, resource development and land management.

DESCRIPTION: The changing nature of the modern military and commercial environments drives information requirements and sensors to ever-greater precision and timeliness. This program would demonstrate array based laser radar for topographical mapping. An array based system would provide a hundred times better scan area coverage than could a single point scan, while providing image based context information for enhanced map registration. Areas of concentration include scene/array based registration techniques combined with GPS/INS geolocation data, automatic feature extraction algorithms to take advantage of array based 3D laser radar imagery, array based detector performance and optimization, and scan format/scan area rate optimization. Any techniques or algorithms that automate or greatly reduce the processing required to achieve final mapping data products will have a dramatic impact on military and commercial operations. Two particularly important military applications are battlefield characterization and imaging for combat identification. These same technologies would greatly enhance commercial mapping applications.

ESTIMATED FEDERAL FUNDING CONTRIBUTION: $0.3M
ESTIMATED PROGRAM DURATION: 24-36 Months
GOVT TPOC: Michael Salisbury, AFRL/SNJM
PHONE: (937) 255-9614 x222
FAX: (937) 255-6489
EMAIL: Michael.Salisbury@wpafb.af.mil

Send proposals for this Topic Area to:
CPOC: Mickey Dickman, AFRL/SNK
2310 8^th Street, Bldg 167
WPAFB, OH 45433-7801
EMAIL: michele.dickman@wpafb.af.mil
PHONE: (937) 255-3614
FAX: (937) 255-3985

OBJECTIVE: The potential hazard due to bird and other wildlife strikes at civilian airports and Department of Defense (DoD) facilities has increased dramatically over the last decade. In the general area of bird strike mitigation, the U.S. Air Force (USAF) has been very proactive and has sponsored development of two tools, the Avian Hazard Advisory System (AHAS) and the Bird Avoidance Model (BAM). These two advisory systems work well to map and predict average bird strike risks. In FY2000, as a result of a Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) review of these tools, it was concluded that a real-time bird strike hazard detection and warning sensor system was urgently required. For non-military operations, data indicate that 90% of bird strikes occur at airports, and below 3000 feet. As such, the real-time detection of bird hazards is necessary to protect aircraft at and around airports.

DESCRIPTION: Under this effort, dedicated bird detection airport radar will be developed and prototyped for use at and around airports and military airfields. The operational requirements on any detection system includes the following: 1) Provide full coverage of the airport � from ground level to 3000 feet AGL, and to a distance of 15-20 nautical miles from the airport; 2) Provide real-time bird hazard detection declarations, (detect birds that represent a risk at airports, such as migratory birds, resident populations, birds of prey, roosting birds, etc); 3) Operate continuously; 4) Be low cost, transportable, self-contained, and readily deployed at airports; 5) Not interfere with any air traffic control or communications equipment. The dedicated bird detection airport radar should have the following characteristics: 6) Provide for the detection of birds in a three-dimensional coordinate system (altitude determination is a critical parameter that is currently lacking when using existing radar sensors); 7) Track and display recent bird activity; 8) Reject ground clutter returns; 9) Detect low flying bird activity at and around runways and taxiways; 10) Provide radar data in easily usable formats, such as for inputs to GIS-based airport bird strike risk reduction models. The FAA is concurrently developing these prediction models to map, in real time, risk levels at airports. Alternatively, equipment (including signal and/or data processing hardware) that hosts off of existing radar sensor systems, and offers a capability to meet the requirements established above will be considered.

ESTIMATED FEDERAL FUNDING CONTRIBUTION: $0.3M
ESTIMATED PROJECT DURATION: 24 to 36 months
GOVT TPOC: Michael C. Wicks, AFRL/SNRT
PHONE: (315) 330-2556
FAX: (315) 330-2528
EMAIL: Michael.wicks@afrl.af.mil

Send proposals for this Topic Area to:
CPOC: Ms. Elaine Newman, AFRL/IFKPC
26 Electrnic Parkway
Rome, NY 13441-4514
EMAIL: Elaine.Newman@rl.af.mil
PHONE: (315) 330-2830
FAX: (315) 330-2304

02-SN-05

OBJECTIVE: Develop affordable, advanced Sensor technology that can be applied to both commercial and military Space and Airborne Systems. These technologies, which range from devices to complete systems, must also have other commercial applications, such as telecommunications, imaging and surveying, and medical.

DESCRIPTION: Air and space sensors are needed to give a complete and timely picture of the battlespace, enable a timely precision response, and enhance the warfighter�s survivability. Areas to be focused on: airborne and space-based radars, including advanced antenna designs and low cost digital receivers; active and passive electro-optical systems, including multi-spectral and hyper-spectral sensors and multi-function laser radars; navigation aids, including inertial navigation components and satellite-based global positioning; and automatic target recognition and sensor data fusion.

Research and development for providing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance sensing capabilities for airframes that sustain a "continued presence" are also a priority.

ESTIMATED FEDERAL FUNDING CONTRIBUTION: $1M
ESTIMATED PROGRAM DURATION: 24 to 36 months
GOVT TPOC: Samuel J. Rosengarten, AFRL/SNOX
PHONE: (937) 255-6453 x 4121
FAX: (937) 656-4676
EMAIL: samuel.rosengarten@wpafb.af.mil

Send proposals for this Topic Area to:
CPOC: Mickey Dickman, AFRL/SNK
2310 8^th Street, Bldg 167
WPAFB, OH 45433-7801
EMAIL: michele.dickman@wpafb.af.mil
PHONE: (937) 255-3614
FAX: (937) 255-3985

OBJECTIVE: Develop software methodologies to acquire, track, calculate user position, and improve receiver performance under stringent signal conditions. Implement these software algorithms on a signal-processing chip for real time operation.

DESCRIPTION: Hostile and dynamic environments currently degrade GPS receiver performance, which inhibits current GPS receiver technology to track GPS navigational signals. A software receiver will provide much more robustness and flexibility than current hardware based receivers, which are limited by current hardware implementation constraints. GPS signals are normally weak buried under the noise, and interference intentional or unintentional, will make it worse. By using software to perform tasks normally done by the hardware portion of the current receivers, innovative new approaches can be applied to improve acquisition and tracking ability within a software receiver. Air Force Research Laboratory (AFRL) under its in-house program has been working on weak signals acquisition and tracking. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) has expressed concern coping with the interference, in other areas the software receiver can be effective including foliage penetration and position location inside buildings. Since one of the strengths of a software receiver is its flexibility, these techniques can be applied to military application with minimum modifications.

ESTIMATED FEDERAL FUNDING CONTRIBUTION: $0.25M
ESTIMATED PROGRAM DURATION: 24 to 36 months
GOVT TPOC: Keith Graves, AFRL/SNRP
PHONE: (937) 255-6127 x 4354
FAX: (937) 656-7135
EMAIL: keith.graves@afrl.af.mil

Send proposals for this Topic Area to:
CPOC: Mickey Dickman, AFRL/SNK
2310 8^th Street, Bldg 167
WPAFB, OH 45433-7801
EMAIL: michele.dickman@wpafb.af.mil
PHONE: (937) 255-3614
FAX: (937) 255-3985