Air force 17. 1 Small Business Innovation Research (sbir) Phase I proposal Submission Instructions

PHASE I: The effectiveness of various candidate concepts will be evaluated. Preliminary designs will be modeled and fabrication feasibility of those designs will be evaluated. Shortcomings in fabrication and critical technology that would require additional development during Phase II will also be identified.

PHASE II: A prototype FPA will be developed and tested to verify key performance parameters.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: FPA will be packaged for space constrained airborne environments, and inserted into larger overall sensor.

REFERENCES:

1. J. Stafford, B. Duncan, and D. J. Rabb, "Range-compressed Holographic Aperture Ladar," in Imaging and Applied Optics 2015, OSA Technical Digest (online) (Optical Society of America, 2015), paper LM1F.3.

2. Stephen Crouch, Brant M. Kaylor, Zeb W. Barber, and Randy R. Reibel, "Three dimensional digital holographic aperture synthesis," Opt. Express 23, 23811-23816 (2015).

3. Brandon Redding, Allen Davis, Clay Kirkendall, and Anthony Dandridge, "Measuring vibrational motion in the presence of speckle using off-axis holography," Appl. Opt. 55, 1406-1411 (2016).

4. A. Rouvie et al., InGaAs Focal Plane Array developments and perspectives, Infrared Technology and Application XLI, Proc. of SPIE, Vol. 9451 (2015).

KEYWORDS: focal plane array, detector, ROIC, SWIR, LADAR, LIDAR, digital holography

AF171-130

TITLE: Small Unmanned Aircraft System (SUAS) 5-Inch Gimbal with Full Motion Video and Hyperspectral

TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Battlespace, Electronics, Sensors

OBJECTIVE: Develop a gimbal capable of collecting full motion video and hyperspectral measurements suitable for Small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (SUAS) platforms.

DESCRIPTION: SUAS are proliferating across the DoD. They fit into the USAF Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) strategy by providing local persistence, operation in contested environments, and low probability of detection. As the utility of SUAS is demonstrated, demands on their performance increases.

SUAS gimbal performance is typically limited to full color full motion video (FMV). The technology is limited to target detection and identification (det/ID) by image analysts and algorithms using spatial and color information alone. Hyperspectral imaging (HSI) sensors collect additional spectral information from scene imagery that can be used to detect and identify targets using spectral information alone. Combined hyperspectral data and FMV allows for improved det/ID performance through spatial and spectral processing. However, typical HSI systems are not appropriate for the cost, size, weight, and power (C-SWaP) requirements of SUASs.

This effort will provide a 5” diameter gimbal suitable for a Common Launch Tube-deployed SUAS of less than 50lbs operating at a typical slant range of 1500ft and altitude of 200 feet and higher. The gimbal shall provide full-color, NIIRS-6-quality (T) [NIIRS-7 or better (O)], visible-band images and full-color FMV with visible through near infrared (VNIR) hyperspectral measurements collected across the same field-of-view (FOV) as the FMV with roughly the same ground sample distance (T). The system should be able to operate in a staring mode. Note, due to the SWaP constraints, solutions may include point spectrometers that can be scanned to various parts of the FOV to collect spectral information from various objects in the scene based upon user/software cueing. The system shall provide the operator with situational awareness, target det/ID and tracking (T).

The gimbal FMV shall achieve at least NIIRS 6 (T) with desired NIIRS 7 or greater (O) performance. The spectrometer shall cover a visible-to-near infrared (VNIR) spectral range of 400-1000nm with 5nm spectral resolution (T) with an objective system including the shortwave infrared (SWIR) 1000-2500nm with 15nm spectral resolution (O). The FMV imagery shall be visually lossless after transmission (T). The transmitted chip/frame rate shall be 0.25 hertz (T), 2 hertz (O). Ground coverage of the FMV shall be sufficient to fully encompass the rear aspect of a vehicle (T), 20 x 20 feet (O) at range.

FMV and NIIRS 6 capability should be provided simultaneously (O). The FOVs shall be operator-steerable over a large part of a lower hemisphere field of regard (T). The imaging system(s) shall have the provision for non-uniformity correction (NUC), color balance, dynamic range, gamma, aperture and exposure control with no or limited operator intervention (T). The spectrometer system should be NUC-ed at a minimum (T) with preference to calibration to spectral radiance (O). The resulting data stream shall allow transmission over existing SUAS-capable encrypted digital data links (T). It is not expected that full spectral data cubes will be transmitted over data links, but rather detection cues and/or associated spectral signatures resulting from on-board real-time processing.

This effort will not develop entirely new gimbal structures, but will develop a payload, and processing capability. An off-the-shelf gimbal or mature prototype is the expected starting point. This gimbal shall support typical SUAS maneuvering and fly-ins, and shall compensate for disturbances due to gusts and air turbulence. The gimbal should provide accurate line-of-sight pointing data, on-gimbal inertial measurement, and interface to platform GPS (T).

PHASE I: Identify the hardware requirements for a NIIRS-6-capable 5” gimbal with spectrometer covering the solar reflective portion of the spectrum, including stabilization, optics, and focal plane array. Consider software approaches and algorithms as appropriate. Conduct a SRR. Prepare a preliminary design of the payload, identify existing 5" gimbal structures to use for the payload, and hold a PDR. Use modeling and simulation to justify performance.

PHASE II: Perform detailed design of the gimbal payload. Conduct Critical Design Review. Continue modeling and simulation to improve system performance. Based on these results, build and incorporate FMV + spectral payload into appropriate 5" gimbal. Provide all review board / safety of flight data required by USAF approval authorities. Conduct a Test Readiness Review. Evaluate gimbal performance in laboratory (T), tower (T), on a motion base (O) and flight test (O) environments. Flight test on contractor asset preferred. Use of government equipment and facilities for laboratory characterization and tower testing may be applicable for this effort but not required.

PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Refine design based on outcomes of tests and customer feedback in Phase II; develop a manufacturing plan and/or select a partner for production of 5” gimbals.

REFERENCES:

1. Air Force Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) Flight Plan 2009-2047,http://archive.defense.gov/DODCMSShare/briefingslide/339/090723-D-6570C-001.pdf.

2. USAF Intelligence Targeting Guide,http://fas.org/irp/doddir/usaf/afpam14-210/part13.htm.

3. Tube-launched UAV:https://www.researchgate.net/publication/267377594_Design_of_a_Tube-Launched_UAV

4. Common Launch Tube:http://www.systima.com/

KEYWORDS: SUAS, Imaging, NIIRS, hyperspectral, compact, gimbal