Submission of proposals
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A02-112 TITLE: Urban Positioning, Ranging and Identification (ID) TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Electronics ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM Soldier OBJECTIVE: Develop a navigation system for use by a squad of dismounted soldiers in Urban Environments. The system should be able to determine range through walls and provide the location and identification of a member of the squad within a building. The improved blue force situation awareness (SA) provided by this system to the Objective Force Warrior & Future Combat Systems (FCS) would improve survivability by providing positive IDs and locations for all forces within a building, tunnel, cave, or urban canyon. Additionally, it would improve the squad’s agility and versatility by not requiring direct eye contact among squad members. DESCRIPTION: As a minimum, the system should provide the relative position and ID of each member of the squad. The system should operate through common construction walls so as to provide the position and identifications of squad members in adjacent rooms. The system should be capable of being referenced to the Global Positioning System (GPS), when it is available in the area. The system should minimize the increase in the detectability that the squad had entered the building and should not permit non-squad members to benefit from or interfere with its operation. The system should be small, light weight and use a minimum of electrical power. As a goal the size, weight, and power requirements should approximate that of a Star TAC cellular phone. PHASE I: This effort would examine the viability of candidate technologies to meet the requirements in the Description paragraph. The examination may take the form of analytical or simulation studies and/or experimentation with a breadboard model. PHASE II: A prototype system will be designed and sufficient units for testing will be constructed. These units would be tested in a laboratory and in a field test. The field tests should demonstrate the required capabilities in buildings made of different construction materials. PHASE III: There is a broad range of applications for the above technology. It would have application to Small Unit Operations (SUO) in Urban Terrain, Special Forces conducting clandestine operations within buildings as well as general Dismounted Army operations in cities and towns. The application to Terrorist Operations is twofold; first it could be used as a tag to track terrorists or their vehicles; second, it could be used by rescue workers to keep track of each other during recovery operations. There is a third application area in the civil sector. This type of product could be sold commercially to keep track of small children in Malls and Stadiums. REFERENCES: 1) This SBIR directly aligns with the goals of the Battlespace Tactical Navigation, Science and Technology Objective (BTN STO) and the Dismounted Warrior Command, Control, Communication, Computers, and Intelligence (DWC4I STO). It also has obvious application to the Land Warrior, and Objective Force Warrior development programs. KEYWORDS: Navigation, Tags, Situation Awareness, Combat Identification, ID, Tracking, Special Operations, Small Unit Operations, Positioning A02-113 TITLE: “Meaning Based, Context Sensitive” Search Engine TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems, Human Systems ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM Soldier OBJECTIVE: Develop a “user-centered” context-sensitive search engine for the Objective Force (OF) warfighters to make meaning-based queries to the distributed worldwide infosphere repositories and databases with a view to discovering a precise list of highly relevant matches in the time-critical warfighter information environment. DESCRIPTION: Current and emerging technologies are expected to equip and enable warfighters to be more responsive, versatile, agile and survivable through information and knowledge dominance innovations aimed at knowledge acquisition, storage and retrieval. Many of these approaches will require a goal centered, person-centered system, which requires personalization, prioritization and contextulization to allow a warfighter/individual to access, retrieve, store, index, display, publish, manage, and share all relevant updated information tailored to a specific mission need. (Reach back static/dynamic, near real time information could include warrior’s own information/ knowledge file, repositories of information files to include medical, educational, military files, historical archives, distributed databases, maps, multi-media and interfaces (with global networks, computers or other humans). Examples include: 1: The ability to have outreach and "reachback" for Objective Force commanders and units engaged in collective training and actual operations in a time-stressed decision-making environment. Specifically, reachback to relevant past successful cases can help commanders and units in time-stressed with decision-making. At any time, any location access, using desktop or wireless, handheld web devices, commanders and units on the move can collaboratively plan and execute operations. Real- time “reachback “ can also support access to historical missions/engagements thereby allowing the commander to make informed decisions, and save lives. Via interface to distributed databases, to include medical, educational, occupational specialty records, archived DoD lessons learned repositories, and multi media resources, a warfighter-centered system could significantly enhance and improve cognitive readiness, organizational performance, and quality of life of warriors at all unit echelons 2: The DoD Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) (see http://www.adlnet.org) whose vision is: "To ensure all Americans access, anytime and anyplace, to high quality education and training tailored to their individual learning and workplace needs.” This objective could be greatly enhanced with a warfighter-centered system to enable individuals to manage this self-directed learning, track progress, store reference materials, certify progress, and interface with different learning systems. 3: Pocketsize wireless computers could provide warfighters with access to vast amounts of knowledge (from their own stored knowledge repositories, from external sources, or from live Subject Matter Experts). However, this will require an individual-centered system to manage personal repositories and interface with external sources. 4: Organization-centered Knowledge Management (KM) is a major thrust in corporations and the military, but most of an organization's knowledge resides in its people. These individuals need a standards-based, person-centered systems that allow them to collect, store, retrieve, share and utilize this knowledge for their own purposes, plus provide others with access to it. 5: Interpersonal dialog and communications increases warfighters awareness and performance by drawing on the experience and knowledge of others or by creating teams to complete tasks, plans and missions. However, such interfacing is complex and time-constrained. Intelligent agents could help with this function, but this requires a person-centered system to store information, set profiles, priorities and manage one's own agents, and interface with others. 6: The core issue is that the web provides access to the information world, but finding precise and relevant information/knowledge remains an elusive goal. Offerors should show how proposed products will provide significant benefits to users, encourage their adoption, and work with existing services and products. Components should be designed to be 'plug and play.' PHASE I: Conduct a study of the proposed innovation for purposes of showing technical feasibility, benefits, and marketability. The proposed system should perform some appropriate number of the functions cited in the example above, which could include enabling an individual (in various places, with various network connections) to search and retrieve information/knowledge, catalog, store, and manage multiple distributed Knowledge repositories for later use by self or others. Demonstrate in concept, “ Meaning Based” search matches with sufficient filtering to such query requests based on individual’s profile, preference, experience and personalization. Provide a one stop shop to capture and learn new knowledge. Find an interface with Subject Matter Experts; manage own learning, knowledge, and performance processes, maintain a reasonably accurate model of knowledge, or certify achievement of any of these capabilities. It is essential in Phase I to show how this system will be able to interface and to work along with other existing and emerging systems (e.g., content objects, Learning Management Systems, Institutional Information systems, etc.), plus how it has the potential to establish a foot hole of user utilization and gain dual-use product sales. Deliveries will include a technical study/plan and marketing study/plan. PHASE II: Evolve and complete development of proposed prototype system or components, which should have dual-use market potential. Show compatibility with commercial components. Prototype should be mature enough to perform functionalities cited and attract either commercial venture capital for full product release, or additional government funding for implementation as part of government systems. PHASE III: Commercialization signs of a person-centered information system has huge market applications and is currently visible in the market. Commercializing capabilities may include functionalities such as personal, family financial matters, finance records, educational, entertainment arena as well as medical and health related matters and many more. REFERENCES: 1) DoD Advanced Distributed Learning (ADL) Network Home Page http://www.adlnet.org 2) ADL Sharable Courseware Object Reference Model (SCO-RM) http://www.adlnet.org/ADL-TWG/documents.htm
4) Learning Objects Metadata specification, http://ltsc.ieee.org 5) Quality System for Technology-Based Lifelong Learning, http://ltsc.ieee.org/wg19/index.html 6) http://call.army.mil KEYWORDS: Information Models, User Centric Information, Personalization, adaptive indexing, dynamic content-driven multicast modeling, Knowledge Management, Visualization, Electronic, Distributed Distance and Web based Learning, Wireless Application Protocol, XML Army topic A02-114 has been withdrawn from the solicitation A02-115 TITLE: Decision Making Systems Using Wireless Handheld Location Specific Applications TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Information Systems ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM, Soldier OBJECTIVE: Develop web-enabled location-specific (automatically sense users location) decision aiding software using push/pull database techniques for a long-range (i.e., satellite reachback) wireless handheld system. The primary focus will be to be develop location specific military software applications that can retrieve relevant information from remote sources based on the user's current location. These handheld-compatible applications should automatically retrieve (either push or pull) remote database information that is relevant to the warfighter based on his current location and/or situation awareness. This software will be hosted on a Web-enabled long-range wireless handheld system (i.e., personal digital assistant, Web phone), preferably with reachback communications capability (long distance communications greater than 800 km.). No current hardware platform with these unique capabilities exists and this will have to be developed following an R&D phase. There will be significant R&D trade-offs in developing both the hardware and software for this unique system. Protocol transmission issues, transmission efficiencies, and unique apporaches to push/pull information to a mobile warfighter with intermittant communications connectivity will have to be addressed. Techniques to sense when communications capability is present and pre-send (push) information during these optimum times will have to be developed. System should have a minimum graphic capability to display color maps. Additional system features such as voice translation, image capture/transmission, and speech recognition should be considered. Innovative features and capabilities without seriously impacting size, weight and power will receive the most consideration. This system will enable the warfighter to use an extremely lightweight device to understand first (Objective Force objective) by extracting real-time situation awareness and intelligence information from remote sources and databases and displaying this information on his portable device. At the completion of this effort, a small self-contained prototype system consisting of warrior specific software loaded on several handheld devices communicating through wireless long range with a central server should be demonstrated and delivered. This system should leverage existing commercial devices, protocols, operating systems and development languages where posssible (as part of good engineering design practices), but there will still be significant R&D with the integration and adaptation of innovative approaches to solve the unique protocol and push/pull data issues for someone with limited communications connectivity. Data retrieval from XML files and Oracle databases is a plus. Reachback communications can be achieved by satellite or other innovative means. A color display on the target devices for map display is not required, but is a plus. System may incorporate unique security features for wireless handheld devices developed under another effort. PHASE I: Develop a concept, systems architecture (software and hardware) and systems integration approach for a military decision aid system hosted on a long range wireless handheld device that leverages commercial handheld devices and industry standard software and protocols. A transportable communications infrastructure that can be brought to the battlefield is a plus, but not a requirement. Determine appropriate command and control functions for the warrior that can be performed using this device and map out an implementation scheme to develop some or all of these software applications. Discussions with the user community will be necessary to determine the most useful information to be displayed on this device. PHASE II: Develop a new and unique long-range wireless handheld system to be used by the individual warrior in a battlefield environment consisting of new command and control software, prototype hardware devices, and an appropriate central server to communicate with the portable devices. This system, as a minimum, should be able to retrieve database information from a central source over a long range (> 800km.) wireless link. The actual retrieval means will be an innovative use of push/pull techniques determined during significant research performed under Phase I. Retrieval of Oracle-based files and/or XML-type data is a plus. This system should leverage the location information of the specific device that is available with some systems (location data extracted from embedded protocol information) or employ a GPS capability to locate itself. Using this data, location-specific information of interest to the warrior should be retrieved (either push/pull technology) from a centralized source to assist the warfighter in his battlefield operations. PHASE III: Commercial use of the data retrieval applications includes mobile sales force data entry/retrieval, tracking of shipments and business traveler use in remote locations for location specific information. It can also be used by industrial security forces and homeland security. REFERENCES: 1) Dismounted Warrior C4I Science and Technology Objective, Concepts for the Objective Force - U. S. Army White Paper, KEYWORDS: wireless handheld computing devices, WAP, XML, databases, situation awareness, personal digital assistants, web-enabled phones, web-enabled cell phones, satellite phones A02-116 TITLE: Self Regulating Fuel Cell/4 Cell Li-Ion Battery Hybrid TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Electronics ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM-Soldier OBJECTIVE: Develop a hybrid with a small Proton Exchange Membrane (PEM) fuel cell, or any fuel cell technology with similar characteristics, closely coupled with the Li-ion battery (open circuit voltage of 16.8 volts) associated with both the Landwarrior system and contemplated for the Objective Force Warrior. The hydrogen source for the PEM fuel cell should be safe to handle and can be delivered from reversible metal hydride storage (assume 1.2% hydrogen for a 400 watt hour system) or any other suitable and economically viable system. The hydride system (even if only projected) is to be included in the overall calculations for the energy density of the FC system. The resulting system is intended to satisfy the Objective Force's critical need for a sustainable power source capable of powering the many electronic devices necessary to give the soldier a "revolutionary increase in operational capability". DESCRIPTION: For the purposes of this topic, the average power consumption from the hybrid system will be fifteen (15) watts. What is desired is a fuel cell system that is connected in parallel with the battery, with minimum electronic controls, and a light fuel cell stack providing quiet operation. A preferred embodiment of the hydrogen source connection to the fuel cell is that of a snap on/snap off cartridge easily replaceable/accessible by the user. With the battery in parallel, the fuel cell does not have to meet the peak power demand (max 40 Watts). However, this mandates that the voltage of the fuel cell cannot exceed 16.8 volts (max recharging voltage of the Li-ion battery) and that the fuel cell must deliver at least 15 watts at 15.0 volts to maintain charge on the battery. The key factors are minimum system weight and size (assumed to be not bigger than the BA 5590 battery, 4.4x2.45x5.4 inches and 2.2 pounds; and preferably of similar size to the Li-ion battery envisioned for the future, 5.125x5.185x1.57 inches and 2 pounds, so that hybrid system without the battery has the maximum energy density, operates quietly (ambient air) and has the overall low cost to manufacture. The last factor implies a design compatible with mass fabrication of the fuel cell stack at low cost. The cost for the system should eventually be comparable to the cost of rechargeable lithium batteries required for the duration of a 72 or 96 hour mission. PHASE I: The contractor shall perform the necessary electrical/thermal/electro-chemical analysis to define the requirements for various subsystem performance with the battery fixed on a 16.8 volt Li-Ion battery. Survey fuel cell and hydrogen storage technologies/manufacturers for availability of subsystems to meet the objectives. Perform feasibility analysis to forecast the system performance in terms of weight and volume versus energy and power consumption. Identify and propose fail safe methods/strategies to overcome the safety issues that must be resolved as a result of the hybrid combination of Li-Ion batteries and fuel cells. Prepare a trade-off analysis of adding additional control electronics to reduce system weight/size and cost. Prepare a Phase I report summarizing the analyses supporting the proposed design of the prototype system to be fabricated in Phase II. The contractor shall also deliver to the Government, two fuel cell systems identified as the fuel cell subsystem for development in Phase II. PHASE II: The contractor shall design and fabricate the prototype proof of concept developed in Phase I. Initial testing shall be conducted and reported to confirm acceptable subsystem performance. The integrated system shall be tested to the evolving power consumption demand of both the Landwarrior and that envisioned for the Objective Force Warrior. Two prototype systems shall be delivered to the Army for evaluation and a final report summarizing the Phase II analyses. PHASE III: Potential commercial applications of fuel cell - battery hybrids are envisioned in many applications where fuel cells are being considered as a power source to augment batteries. These applications include powering laptop computers, cell phones, PDAs, etc. The experience gained from the systems analysis necessary to perform this task is directly transferable to meeting similar commercial needs for high energy dense power sources. REFERENCES: 1) Atwater, P. Cygan and F. Leung, "Man portable power needs of the 21st century: I. Applications for the Dismounted Soldier, II. enhanced capabilities through the use of hybrid power sources", Journal of Power sources 91 (2000), pp. 27-36. 2) R. Gundala, J. Weidner, and R. White, "Optimal Sizing of a Li-ion Battery, a Fuel Cell and a Capacitor for a Hybrid Power System", 2001 Joint International Meeting - the 200th Meeting of the Electrochemical society, Inc. and the 52nd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry, http://www.electrochem.org/meetings/past/200 abstracts/symposia/b1a/0156.pdf 3) D. Tarnowski, H. Lei, C. Peiter and M. Wixom, "Response of Hybrid Power Supplies Combining Ultracapacitors with Direct Methanol Fuel Cells", 2001 Joint International Meeting - the 200th Meeting of the Electrochemical Society, Inc. and the 52nd Annual Meeting of the International Society of Electrochemistry, http://www.electrochem.org/meetings/past/200/abstracts/symposia/b1a/0080.pdf KEYWORDS: hybrid, power, Fuel Cell, battery, capacitor, Proton Exchange Membrane, Li-Ion batteries A02-117 TITLE: Thermal Management System for Cooling and Heating of Transit Cases TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Materials/Processes ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PM, Warfighter Information Network-Terrestrial 0BJECTIVE: The objective of this effort is to design, develop, prototype, and demonstrate a thermal management system for use with transit cases that will maintain necessary operating temperatures, allowing the transit case to be used in harsh environments. DESCRIPTION: Transit cases are becoming more and more common in the Army for transporting sensitive electronic equipment. This equipment can range from field computers and monitors to cameras and communication devices that are used by soldiers on the battlefield. Extreme temperatures can cause this equipment to malfunction during operation, and with today’s battlefields taking place in areas such as the war on terrorism a thermal management system is necessary to maintain constant working temperatures during operating times. Current transit case companies offer A/C units for adaptation to their own products, but generally these are too large and heavy to meet the Army’s weight and size requirements and use hazardous refrigerants. Furthermore, the units can only be used on a specific manufacturer’s transit case and the case must be modified for the unit to be installed. The government desires a thermal management system that can be adapted to many types of transit cases. This system cannot use gas compression technologies or technologies that use hazardous materials. Army requirements for this system include reduced power usage, weight, and size as well as being able to operate in the environmental conditions the transit case was made for. It must not interfere with the electronic equipment inside the transit case. The system must be able to maintain a constant working temperature for both cold and hot environments. The system resulting from this SBIR will allow the objective force to operate more effectively on the battlefield by expanding the areas in which transit case equipment can operate and by reducing the weight and size of current thermal management systems. PHASE I: The contractor shall design a Transit Case Thermal Management System (TCTMS) for cooling and heating of transit cases during operation as described above that shall be easy to operate and require minimal operator interaction. Specifically, the TCTMS should work in transit cases with a shock-mounted chassis that carries rack mountable COTS equipment, and range from 3U to 15U high. The TCTMS does not have to operate during transit time when the transit case is not in operation. The contractor shall perform a feasibility analysis of the design to demonstrate that it can meet the above requirements. This analysis shall include technology issues, environmental issues, operational issues, power, size, weight, and any other pertinent issues. The contractor shall also develop a test plan during phase one that will enable comprehensive testing of the device during Phase II. PHASE II: The contractor will develop, fabricate, and demonstrate the fully operational TCTMS prototype designed in Phase I. The contractor must provide a minimum of three configurations using contractor-provided transit cases to demonstrate the prototype’s ability to mitigate heat loads comparable to those produced by rack mounted COTS equipment. The contractor must show that the prototype meets government environmental requirements that are in place for transit cases. PHASE III: Commercial applications include thermal management systems in automobiles and other mobile workstations. This technology may also be used in other small areas that normal A/C units cannot fit as well as environmentally sensitive areas. Thermal management systems have the potential to cut energy cost and lessen the impact on the environment. REFERENCES: 1) http://www.edak.com/Milex/milex.html 2) http://www.ecscase.com 3) http://www.hardigg.com KEYWORDS: thermal management, cooling, heating, transit cases Directory: osbp -> SBIR -> solicitations solicitations -> Army sbir 09. 1 Proposal submission instructions dod small Business Innovation (sbir) Program solicitations -> Navy sbir fy09. 1 Proposal submission instructions solicitations -> Army 16. 3 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions solicitations -> Air force 12. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions solicitations -> Army 14. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions solicitations -> Navy small business innovation research program submitting Proposals on Navy Topics solicitations -> Navy small business innovation research program solicitations -> Armament research, development and engineering center solicitations -> Army 17. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions solicitations -> Navy 11. 3 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Proposal Submission Instructions Download 1.78 Mb. 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