Autonomy technologies are key and revolutionary technologies that are needed to fulfill weapon crew operations on the future digital battlefield. This project develops the intelligent software agents consisting of automation in multi levels, knowledge base, inference mechanism, and communication. The proposed intelligent software agents for battlefield not only takes advantage of innovative techniques of individual decision and control methodologies but also, more significantly, emphasizes the synergism among all subsystems to assure the overall system performance. In this project, design issues involved in the choice of a hierarchical intelligent control and health monitoring system architecture, and methods for interfacing elements of the resulting hybrid system are investigated. Efficient and adaptive computational schemes are developed by integrating planning and decision, soft computation, autonomous control, and discrete event control techniques to enhance accommodation of environmental and operational changes. A modeling, design, analysis, and simulation environment is established to implement the system architecture, and environment recognition and adaptation. The performance of the intelligent software agents will be demonstrated and evaluated for battlefield applications.The techniques and systems developed in this project provide technology that can be exploited in various military and commercial applications, such as manufacturing, precision machine tools, process control, smart highway systems, smart weapons, robotics, defense manufacturing and command and control. Directed energy weapon (DEW) systems can potentially become an important part of war fighting for the Army. Although much is known about the effects of millimeter/microwaves (HPMs), acoustics, and laser/white light on materials and entire systems, no general purpose computational tool exists to evaluate the lethality of individual DEWs. There is even less information available on the combined effects of two or more DEWs on military targets. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to remedy this situation by developing a Personal Computer Code for Combined Directed Energy Weapon Assessment (CDEWA Code). This new computer simulation model is envisioned to evaluate the target effects of DEWs by utilizing detailed geometric and material target models that have evolved over the years for detailed conventional and/or nuclear weapon effectiveness. The leveraging of these resources makes the task of creating CDEWA focus on developing the appropriate physical effects models. The complete CDEWA architecture would be developed for the entire set of DEWs and target scenarios in Phase I. The complete CDEWA would be designed, developed, implemented, tested and validated in Phase II.The Combined Directed Energy Weapons Assement (CDEWA) Code would have direct applications in government and industry for evaluating lethal on non-lethal DEW effectiveness. The DEWs include laser, high-power microwaves, acoustic and white light weapons. The CDEWA Code would be marketed as a software product applicable to industry and law-enforcement agencies. Advanced EFP warheads provide a number of modeling challenges that must be handled well to make designs feasible, but are very difficult to accomplish with current state of the art, general purpose solver technology. The principal challenge has recently moved to user interface problems as it takes too long for models to be prepared and parameter studies cannot be completed in a reasonable amount of time. Additionally, there are some challenges in EFP, particularly related to fracture and adaptivity, which are not addressed in any current solvers. Current Army acoustic ground sensors are able to detect, track, and classify single vehicles but have great difficulty in performing these functions when multiple closely spaced vehicles are involved. However, it is precisely this capability that is of greatest interest to field commanders, who want to know the numerical size of an enemy mechanized force. To meet this need, ORINCON proposes to develop acoustic algorithms capable of identifying and counting all vehicles within a 1000m square grid. During Phase I, we will define operational scenarios, evaluate alternative sensor configurations, analyze data from acoustic ground sensors, and develop and validate the required acoustic algorithms. This effort will build on previous ORINCON experience in acoustic detection and classification for the Army, Navy, and DARPA; adaptive beamforming for the Navy; and tracking and data fusion for a number of DoD customers. During Phase II, we will implement the recommended sensor configuration, fine tune the algorithms for real-time operation, and conduct a proof-of-principle demonstration in a target-rich field environment. Success during Phase II will allow for transition of these algorithms to other military battlefield surveillance and perimeter monitoring applications. Commercial applications also exist for airport and industrial security and highway traffic monitoring and control.The detection, classification, and counting algorithms for acoustic ground sensors developed for this SBIR will provide a significant enhancement to US Army battlefield awareness capabilities by providing field commanders with information necessary for decisions about fire missions. Our commercialization strategy involves multiple components, including transitioning of these algorithms to other military applications, such as perimeter monitoring, and potential inclusion of this software as a special option feature of our RIPPENr software package that we sell commercially. We also plan to investigate the civilian application, through license agreements, of these acoustic algorithms to airport and industrial security and highway traffic monitoring and control. Creare proposes to develop an intelligent, powered load handling system adapted to the rapid transport of artillery rounds between a support vehicle and a firing platform, or between vehicles. The semi-autonomous system mounts to the support vehicle and transfers loads directly between one crew member working in the bed of the vehicle and one crew member stationed near the weapon's breech. The Phase I effort will produce an engineering design package and a dynamic CAD simulation of the system in operation. The Phase II program will develop and demonstrate a prototype system and conduct extended testing over the full spectrum of applicable platforms, vehicles, and ammunition packaging configurations.The proposed system will reduce injury, reduce labor costs, speed the delivery of goods and materials, and improve the productivity of transportation assets. Commercial applications span the entire trucking and delivery spectrum, especially where product is packaged in manageable but heavy units, such as 80 lb sacks, and unloaded by hand. Transfers involving elevation change will be eased substantially. A heavy mortar platoon providing immediate indirect fire (IF) support to an Infantry or Armor Battalion (BN) generates and processes many time-critical and mission-critical events. The effectiveness of the platoon is directly related to its ability to deliver On Order missions and Final Protective Fires accurately and on-time, while exploiting terrain features providing cover and concealment for survivability. Recent advances in battlefield communications, the quality and availability of digital cartography, weapon systems technical architectures and intelligent aiding tools for coordinated tactical activity have created new opportunities for information exploitation to increase the operational tempo and combat effectiveness of the heavy mortar platoon as will be required for Future Combat System (FCS) and Force XXI operations. Intelligent aiding of mortar planning including target area coverage, movement, fire-point selection including generation of hasty fire-points while on the move, and the conduct of On-Order and Final Protective Fire missions is proposed. The resulting decision aiding subsystem will be created by using a combination of analytical and cognitive decision processes implemented in reusable software components conforming to Appendix F of the JTA-A, and implemented so as to be installed on the Mortar Fire Control System. Application Programmer Interfaces will be provided for crew interaction using voice, and other non-contact I/O methods.This effort is a novel decision aid approach for tactical systems, in that it attempts to reason across multiple decision factors by applying decision rules and cognitive processes. Such decision processes have been applied to some extent in data mining, but the approach taken here is more adaptive, in that it monitors for conditions requiring reassessment. This approach is broadly applicable to commercial and military decision making situations. The overall CODA objective in Phase II is to produce a mature, useful, and marketable set of cognitive decision agents for use within the Multi-Role Armament System (MRAS) Fires reference architecture. CODA will be modular, and expandable to other applications, such as Objective Force Warrior. CODA provides intelligent players for use within complex combat command and control systems. These agents will be multi-purpose, and will be used for Course of Action (COA) wargaming and analysis, templating of enemy unit actions during actual battle execution, and prediction of likely enemy targets. The CODA agents are comprised of expertise models, developed using CHI Systems' iGEN cognitive agent toolset, and a software shell for communication and interaction with the simulation environment and combat crew consoles. Cognitive agents offer a significant advantage over current rule-based aids, such as the C++ COA aid developed for the Future Fires Decision Support System (F2DSS). IGEN-based agents, such as CODA, can assume complex roles, react believably to new and modified scenarios without changes, handle very complex environments in real time, and provide an explanation of recommendations that is understandable to the crew. In a reduced manpower environment, they provide an excellent means of crew aiding and wargaming support. A program is proposed to evaluate the feasibility of using low-cost microturbines to meet the U.S. Army future requirements for small, lightweight engines (less than 10 kW power) that operate on heavy fuel and achieve very high power per cubic foot of engine volume. The program will accomplish this evaluation in two tasks; the basic program using today's technology, and an option that will evaluate innovative technology advances.In the basic program today's state-of-the-art microturbine capability will be demonstrated through both analysis and test. A very simple, low-cost turbojet developed for the model aircraft industry will be modified into a shaft engine and tested to determine it's capabilities, including it's power density. Along with the test evaluation, analysis will be conducted to provide an engineering understanding of the engine demonstration. Analysis will include performance, thermal and stress analysis, sealing/leakage evaluation, dynamic behavior, and life projections.In the program option a microturbine in the power range of interest will be conceptually designed using advanced technology features and innovative component arrangements to maximize the volumetric power density.This program will provide the U.S. Army with an engineering evaluation of the suitability of an important class of engines (microturbines less than 10 kW) for use in air/ground unmanned vehicles and to supply power needs for the Army footsoldier. Commercially, this will provide a heavy-fuel, lightweight alternative to small gasoline engines for smooth and safe aero, marine, business, or home application. New developments in atmospheric sensing and modeling present the opportunity for significant advancements in local weather modeling and forecasting. New sensors include wind radar, microwave profiler and GPS networks. These sensors provide continuous wind, temperature and humidity measurements. We propose in Phase I to demonstrate the assimilation of these data into high-resolution weather models and to evaluate the potential of the resulting weather forecasts for military and commercial applications. If the results are promising, we will propose in Phase II to develop a turnkey system using these new data types for local weather modeling and forecasting.Turnkey systems for local weather modeling can be used to improve artillery and rocket accuracy, to predict atmospheric dispersion of chemical, biological and nuclear materials, and for battlefield visibility and weather forecasting. Similarly, commercial and civil applications include local weather forecasting for efficient and safe management of sporting and other outdoor events, construction projects, airports, space ports, and ground transportation. A new class of fluorescent nanocrystals offers the prospect of replacing organic dyes for many fluorescence detection and analysis schemes commercially in use. BioCrystal has developed a family of proprietary fluorescence-based detection reagents which utilize a semiconductor nanocrystal core(CdSe) encased in a semiconductor(ZnS)shell and one or more organic layers which confer water solubility, as well as reactive sites which may be used to bind molecules such as affinity ligands to the functionalized nanocrystal. They are monodisperse and resist photobleaching.The Phase I work effort will demonstrate the feasibility of the following:(1)the use of a continuous flow production technique to produce monodisperse CdSe nanocrystals (CdSeNC) of uniform size in different colors to industrial proportions;(2)the industrial scale production of water-soluble, functionalized CdSeNC, including the production and purification of avidin-labeled CdSeNC;(3)the conjugation of functionalized CdSeNC to bioreceptors, and their use for detection by FRET or aggregation testing.This work will preface the Phase II objective of developing a procedure for the detection of bio-contaminants using functionalized CdSe nanocrystals, and, in parallel, to produce a miniaturized, autonomous sensor device to perform this procedure under continuous use, or during desired periods of time.Multiplexing, constant emission, particulate structure and energy transfer are inherent characteristics which afford fluorescent CdSe nanocrystals a number of advantages over fluorochromes for use in detecting multiple bio-contaminants in sensor devices, and for a number of other commercial uses: as DNA/RNA probes in qualitative disease detection; viral genotyping; automated biological assays for high throughput screening (HTS) applications in drug discovery; fluorescence-based histological studies, including the identification of cancerous tissue, and as encoded beads in multi-dimensional micro-assay formats. AmberWave Systems Corporation (ASC) proposes to implement its proprietary SiGe interlayer technology to demonstrate lasers on Si with emission in the visible spectrum. The technology employs ASC's proprietary SiGe interlayer processes to accommodate the lattice-mismatch and thermal expansion differences between GaAs and Si. In conjunction, ASC has established expertise in the growth of antiphase-domain-free GaAs on Ge. The final result is GaAs (and other III-V compound semiconductors) on Si of unprecedented material quality. ASC will demonstrate the fundamental technology to develop III-V compound lasers on Si and then commercialize the technology in high-speed computation and optical communications systems. The advantages of such systems will be the combination of the high-performance capabilities of III-V compounds with the low cost and very large scale integration capability of Si manufacturing methods. In Phase I, ASC proposes to epitaxially grow, fabricate, and test a laser on Si that emits in the visible spectrum.AmberWave Systems Corporation (ASC) can produce monolithically integrated III-V compound optoelectronic devices on Si of world-record quality. In Phase I, ASC will validate ASC's state-of-the art materials integration technology by fabricating an efficient and reliable visible laser on Si. The commercial application of such devices include high-speed computing via optical interconnects on Si and integrated optical communications systems on Si. Atmospheric Glow Technologies (A-G Tech) proposes to develop an innovative mobile Atmospheric Plasma Decon (APD) System based upon the patented One Atmosphere Uniform Glow Discharge Plasma (OAUGDP) technology. This advanced system will be a deployable military protection system that will decontaminate highly toxic chemicals and microorganisms on sensitive equipment, personnel protective equipment, and aircraft, vehicle, and shelter interiors. Phase I efforts demonstrated feasibility of the APD-210 in the neutralization of chemical warfare simulants (99.3% reduction). Phase II efforts will extend studies to biological warfare agents including spores, building upon the proven efficacy of the OAUGDP against a wide range of microorganisms. During the Phase II contract, the APD device will be optimized for recirculation and air cooling. Studies will be conducted to examine the concentration of plasma produced active species as well as the extent of chemical and biological degradation achieved. Devices will be tested for materials and device compatibility. A collaborative relationship is being put in place beteen A-G Tech and Dugway Proving Ground for device efficacy testing with actual chemical and biological agents throughout the length of the contract period. The Terahertz frequency band, from roughly 300 GHz through 10 THz, is often sited as the most scientifically rich, yet unexplored region of the electromagnetic spectrum. The major problem that continues to forestall the full exploitation of the terahertz band is the lack of compact, reliable and cost efficient terahertz sources and receivers. Previous research has shown that GaAs diode technology can be used for terahertz frequency transmit/receive modules, but the cost is prohibitive, the reliability is poor and the frequency agility is limited. This SBIR proposal promises a radically improved T/R architecture based on the integration of GaAs mesas and the associated embedding circuitry on low-loss dielectric substrates. Such integration is the key to improving electrical performance and greatly increasing power handling, while also creating a compact, highly reliable, and manufacturable technology. Phase I will end with a clear demonstration of the potential of this technology. A successful Phase II program will culminate in the demonstration of militarily practical T/R modules in the terahertz frequency band.The integration of terahertz technology is the key to opening this region of the electromagnetic spectrum to military and commercial applications. Successful completion of this SBIR research program will lead to militarily practical Teraherz components. These will find immediate application in laboratories throughout the US and Europe that strive to investigate and develop terahertz science, technology and applications. The military applications of this technology will include communications systems (ultra-secure, ultra-broadband, satellite), bio/chem threat detection, collision avoidance radars that penetrate smoke and fog, space communications, compact range radars, fuses for smart munitions and medical diagnostics. Due to poor nanotube-matrix interactions, the exemplary properties of carbon nanotubes have yet to be realized in composite applications. Fiber architectures offer promise for allowing integration and alignment of the nanotube into the matrix, yielding a composite fiber that fully realizes the extraordinary mechanical, thermal and electrical properties of the nanotube reinforcement. High purity single wall nanotubes (SWNT), double wall nanotubes (DWNT) and multiwall nanotubes (MWNTS),relatively free of contaminating byproducts, can be synthesized and functionalized with a variety of adducts that permits easy dispersion and chemical incorporation of the nanotubes into the surrounding fiber matrix. In a team effort between MER and the University of Kentucky (UK), as-grown and functionalized nanotubes with adducts to interact with the fiber matrices will be investigated to produce carbon, SiC, polyolefin, polyester and polyamide fibers. Both MER and UK have incorporated nanotubes in carbon, SiC, and polymer fibers with very promising results of increasing fiber strength, modulus and electrical conductivity over the base fiber. This collaborative, ongoing effort regarding nanotube fibers, utilizing the resources of the world's largest producer of nanotubes of all types and an institution leading the development of nanotube composite materials, assures that this program will demonstrate carbon nanotube reinforced fibers with significantly enhanced properties.There is an extensive market in textile and carbon/graphite fibers that would be expanded and/or replaced with nanotube fibers exhibiting enhanced properties and specialty textile fibers with electrical conductivity, increased stiffness and strength. Fiber applications include ballistic applications for military and lawenforcement, conductive housings such as telephone and a plethora of electronicdevices, photovoltaics and even power transmission. This proposal describes the design and development of a high-speed, high-resolution wavefront sensing and control system. The system will couple high-resolution analog liquid crystal spatial light modulators with an innovative subtractive imaging sensor. The resulting system will acheive vast improvements in resolution, size, weight and cost over currently available systems. The system will be capable of sensing and correcting strong disturbances in the atmosphere, resulting in a device suitable for astronomy, military imaging, fluid flow measurement and point-to-point laser communications. The above ground penetrating radar systems for close-up surveying of terrain are inadequate for the detection of frozen or thawed soil layers (which is important for mobility determination) and for locating near surface buried objects such as pipes, waste containers, mines, or unexploded ordnance. Current antenna systems are not capable of providing a small spot size at a useful frequency. Antennas that can provide a small spot size operate at too high a frequency to adequately penetrate wet soil. The current low frequency antennas are not suitable for coherent signal processing and accurate ranging due to the non-planar wave fronts at short ranges. We propose a novel antenna approach to cover the frequency band from 10 MHz to 1000 MHz which provides a small footprint on the soil surfaceA convincing demonstration of a cost effective Broadband Focused Radar at Ground Penetrating Frequencies for Detecting Mines, Unexploded Ordnance, or Mobility Related Surface Layers design would provide the Government an opportunity to provide this equipment to the military forces operating to clear mines, UXO or when operating on frozen terrain. This technique if successful can make a significant contribution to the use of Ground Penetrating Radar at frequencies that really do penetrate the ground. The Military and Commercial demand for this type of instrument is expected to be significant. The proliferation of clandestine laboratories for illegal drug manufacturing has escalated throughout the years. National total of methamphetamine laboratories seizures has grown from 43 in 1973 to a 2025 in 1999. Last year it registered an increment of 24% compared to the previous year. These statistics only reflects the number of sites that were detected and seized. It is recognized, however, that many more labs are operating than those that are discovered. Detection of clandestine labs is accomplished by a number of intelligence gathering procedures, including reporting of activity by suspecting neighbors. There is a need to insert more advanced techniques to acquire evidence of illegal drug manufacturing activities at a suspected location. The proposed effort will begin with the selection of volatile compounds that will be considered the targets of interest (TOIs) for the duration of the project. An analysis of the fluorescence properties of these TOIs will be performed using 266 nm excitation. A system architecture and performance model for a laser-induced fluorescence LIDAR (LIFDAR) system will be defined. The Phase I effort will end with the development of a preliminary design for this system. Phase II will cover the production of a fieldable system for customer evaluation.The man-portable LIFDAR to be developed under the proposed SBIR program has significant potential for application in military sensing, environmental remediation and biological agent detection. In addition, a market exists for advanced sensors, primarily for airborne biological agent detection. The cost of the proposed system should be low enough in production that sensors based on this technology could be acquired by virtually every single law enforcement unit dedicated to the detection and seizure of clandestine laboratories. We have estimated potential business in excess of >$130 M based on the proposed technology. Not all of this would be realized by a single company, but the business and potential saving clearly justifies investment in this technology by government and industry. Higher inlet temperatures for turbine engines will provide significant benefits in fuel efficiency and performance for both military and commercial air vehicles. To accomplish this goal, new generation thermal barrier coatings (TBCs) with superior reliability and durability will be needed. The currently-used zirconia-based TBCs do not adequately meet thermal conductivity requirements and they suffer from thermomechanical degradation during exposure at elevated temperatures. In this effort, a novel crystal chemistry approach is being explored to examine a new family of layered perovskites as TBC materials. Key properties of these highly anisotropic materials include low thermal conductivity (0.7 W/m-K @ 13000C), tailorable CTE to potentially match substrate for minimizing residual stress, and inherent strain tolerance to potentially accommodate stresses induced during thermal exposure and cycling. During Phase II, coatings of proposed material will be produced by plasma spray technology. The focus will be to optimize coatings for obtaining thermally stable and desired microstructure, crystallographic texture, and thickness to yield durable and reliable TBCs that also meet Army's targeted requirements for low thermal conductivity. Thermal cycling tests will be conducted on coated superalloy coupons to determine coating performance and durability. The work will be conducted in collaboration with a turbine engine manufacturer. A wing-store unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) is presented deployed from widely fielded existing weapons launchers. Computational simulation and modeling of the UAV as it is launched from a helicopter in hover, forward and sideward (crosswind condition) flight is considered. Comparison of simulation with data from a company 100% scale model test flown previously demonstrates accurate results of simulation. The present effort is directed at the preliminary design of the wing-store UAV for use as a "Bird Dog" off aircraft sensor provider. The pre-design UAV will be modeled and a computer simulation of the launch envelope with a helicopter downwash flow field will be conducted. A "Concept Demonstrator" UAV will be built and test flown from a test stand and from an aircraft during the proposed effort.Off aircraft sensor providers such as a "Bird Dog" UAV would have significant benefits to warfighter and commercial aviation users. Law enforcement, search and rescue, and resource managers would benefit from the application of this technology. The land warrior has become increasingly dependent on handheld GPS (Global Positioning System) receivers for providing location information in high interference environments for Situation Awareness, etc. on modern battlefield. A solution is to replace the legacy antenna with a relatively inexpensive smart antenna appliqu? to null out the jam. This smart antenna should be a direct replacement for the current antenna, without any change to the receiver, and with minimal consumption of battery power. A jam indicator and interference signal level measurement can be provided with manual activation of antijam operation only when jam is detected.Recently, Wang Electro-Opto Corporation (WEO) successfully developed the first battery-operated "smart" personal antenna systems and invented miniaturized low-profile broadband antennas, which are enabling technologies for the development of a low-cost antijam handheld smart GPS antenna for retrofit into existing legacy handheld systems. WEO proposes this SBIR Phase-I program, in which it plans to demonstrate the feasibility of this low-cost, low power-consumption, small, light-weight smart antijam GPS antenna. A smart low-cost antijam GPS antenna would find widespread commercial applications in the private sector for personal, airplane (private) and automobile navigation, in which use of handheld GPS receivers is widespread andrapidly expanding. Mini Mitter Co., Inc. will develop a body temperature telemetry system that will provide the US Army with an innovative and cost-effective method for monitoring body core temperature and skin temperature of soldiers in the field. We will design a system supporting ingestible pill thermometers as well as multiple skin patch thermometers with on-board transmitters. The thermometer precision sensors and the thermometer packaging are derived from Mini Mitter's proprietary temperature transmitters. Periodic radio-frequency transmission techniques will multiplex thermometers and eliminate cross talk between their transmitters. A body-worn receiver will identify individual thermometers, will log their data for later analysis, and may communicate data to the US Army's Warfighter Physiological Status Monitoring system. Mini Mitter will utilize microelectronic assembly techniques combined with simplified manufacturing processes to help meet the US Army's thermometer cost requirements. Phase II objectives are: (1) develop prototypes of the ingestible pill thermometer, dermal patch thermometer, and receiver; (2) measure their performance parameters; and (3) fully specify the system for commercial development during Phase III. Mini Mitter's unique combination of experienced physiologists and strong engineering staff is an optimal environment for this project, providing the scientific and technical expertise to successfully design this system. Anchor systems are used to keep military support bridging in place and to withstand the water currents flowing in the wet gap they span. Current anchorage systems use kedge anchors, which are dropped from individual pontoons of the floating bridge to the streambed, and a combination of overhead lines connected to towers at each shore and guy lines. Experiences at the Sava River at Zupania, Croatia, demonstrated several specific shortcomings in the present anchorage system. The systems are time consuming to emplace, cumbersome to transport, prohibit periodic opening of the waterway for river traffic or to clear debris buildup on the upstream face of the bridge, and in the case of the poor river bottom conditions in Croatia just didn't work. By developing a system that is operationally more flexible and effective than current equipment, is easily maintained by operational units and is based on widely available commercial and industrial components, we can both increase the operational effectiveness of US Army bridging units and reduce the overall costs of the Bridge Companies. The new system may incorporate a system of lightweight, rapidly deployed anchors which can provide reliable anchorage for dry (access/egress situations) and submerged conditions. (P-00808)A successful development program will result in a logistically efficient system that will support the future Ribbon Bridge installations. Rapidly deployed and lightweight anchor systems have application in the maritime support, construction and forestry industries and will find utility in Emergency Response situations. Increased use of computers on military vehicles requires operator interface with a mouse or mouse-equivalent, regularly or continuously. The interface is susceptible to influence by vehicle random motion; the differential motion between the mouse platform and the operator's hand, induced by bumps and vibration appears as a random component of on-screen cursor motion that can degrade operator effectiveness. There is a need for a practical mouse-equivalent that eliminates the effects of vehicle-induced differential motion between it's platform and it's control element. Jona proposes to address this need with a combination of hardware and signal processing. The hardware will reduce actual differential motion to a very low level. The signal processing will eliminate the effects of unintended motion that still remains. Objectives of Phase I are:1. Develop a controller configuration that can significantly reduce vehicle-induced differential acceleration.2. Design a package geometry that will allow precise use with minimum physiological stress and maximum long-term comfort.3. Develop signal-processing means to remove unintended signals from the controller output.4. Demonstrate the rejection of unintended signals by simulation.5. Prepare a preliminary package design and formulate a test plan for prototypes to be built in Phase II.The proposed Integrated Computer Mouse (ICM) will have immunity to inertial effects up to a generous threshold, and a superior combination of high operator effectiveness with low fatigue, in a low-cost device including adaptive self-optimizing signal processing. Sensors Unlimited Inc. will deliver a 640x512 pixel miniaturized camera utilizing a new Indium Gallium Arsenide focal plane array. The array will be sensitive to the 0.9 ‘m to 1.7 ‘m short wave infrared wavelength band. The final camera will include system noise less than 20 electrons for night vision imaging, no image lag at video display speeds, and snapshot-mode exposures less than 5 ‘s for range-gated imaging.During Phase I, we will design and simulate CMOS readout integrated circuit architectures. The 32 best candidates will be combined in a 128x128 pixel array. The final layout, ready for fabrication, will be delivered at the end of the program.We will also improve the InGaAs photodiode array using a novel buffer structure. The new array will be hybridized to an existing readout to characterize the material. The focal plane array will be delivered at the end of the program.During Phase II, we will submit the readout design to a foundry for fabrication. The readout will be hybridized to an InGaAs array and evaluated. The results will be used to select the best design for fabrication in a 640x512 pixel format. The final FPA will then be characterized and delivered in the final miniaturized camera.The output of this program will be the next generation FPA, with a lower noise readout and improved InGaAs material. Generally, this will allow use of cameras at lower light levels and higher temperatures, which will extend their use and decrease costs associated with cooling. Commercially, a high resolution, low noise device is desired for applications such as night surveillance by civilian police departments, and ice detection for aircraft, bridges and roadways. Irvine Sensors Corporation (ISC) will develop a modular miniaturized uncooled thermal imaging system. The system's camera head will be based on a miniaturized microbolometer sensor head currently under development at ISC. This camera head can then either be integrate with a miniaturized wireless data link or an image stabilization module. When configure with the wireless data link this system is a mini-thermal imaging targeting system for handheld weapons. This configuration will include the camera that will display imagery on a GFE HMD via a short range covert wireless link. The output to the HMD will include an aim sight that will overlay the camera's image. The input to the HMD will be a standard video format that will be compatible with COTS HMD as well as integrate Helmet/HMD currently under development for the US Army. The other configuration will replace the short range wireless link with a miniaturized image stabilization module, and is intended for a Micro Unmanned Air Vehicle application. The technical innovations that will be addressed include the development of a short range covert wireless link between the weapon/weapon sight and a HMD, and the low power miniaturized image stabilization function.The anticipate benefit of this project is the development of a imaging sighting system for handheld weapons and UAV applications. The potential commercial applications include both local and federal law enforcement agencies. A simple derivative of the system (without the HMD and wireless link) Circuit switched and packet switched networks are two different network technologies that have seen wide spread deployment world wide in the past. Circuit switched networks are designed for delay sensitive traffic. While packet switched networks offer bandwidth efficiency. Today, with bandwidth being a scarce resource which significantly influences the communication cost, efforts are increasing to develop delay-sensitive transport mechanisms over packet switched networks. One of the central requirements of WIN-T system is to provide bandwidth efficient simultaneous voice, data and video services and Command and Control (C2) on the move (C2OTM) at all levels of security. In this proposal, we present the framework for the design of an innovative gateway architecture to bridge circuit switched and packet switched networks, that significantly reduce the media processing time. This design is based on a detailed analyses of the requirements for the transport of delay-sensitive traffic between circuit switched and packet switched networks. BENEFITS: The most significant effect of this technology is that it offers the ability to integrate voice and data network to greatly reduce the tariff rates of voice calls. Some analysts expect the overall growth of packetized voice market at 149% annually through 2001 to about $1.89 billion. This research will benefit the telecommunication industry and every major corporate sector which leases communication lines like T1 and T3 for inter-office voice communication. Enpoint will continue the development of an advanced low-cost Attitude Heading Reference System (AHRS) that permits precision pointing of communications antennas from mobile platforms. Our approach synergistically merges conventional GPS, GPS interferometry, and Micro Electro-mechanical System (MEMS) inertial components to achieve a high performance, low cost solution. GPS interferometry, coupled with accelerometer and rate gyroscope components, allows attitude determination under all vehicle dynamics. The resulting AHRS will perform better than solutions traditionally used with antenna systems, and will contribute 50 times less to the system cost. Enpoint will mechanize the interferometric processing, MEMS IMU interface, and navigation solution on a next-generation Digital Signal Processor (DSP). We will optimize the GPS carrier-tracking loops and code-tracking loops to account for availability of acceleration and attitude measurements will enable robust GPS operation under adverse motion and interference conditions. In 2 different demonstrations, we will combine the Enpoint low cost AHRS with a communication system to show the potential for achieving high data rate communications from mobile platforms at low cost. Recently there is much interest in the development of shortwave infrared imaging cameras using semiconductor focal plane array technology. The prime material candidates are HgCdTe and InGaAs. Such FPA cameras have many potential applications. However, there are a number of issues to be addredssed before the SWIR cameras are mass produced. One of the issues is to produce large format, small pixel focal plane array hybrids. In this program, we will develop a technlogy to produce 1280x1024 HgCdTe and InGaAs hybrids with a maximum pixel size of twelve microns. In Phase I, we will begin the development of small pixel diodes, indium bumps, and hybridization. Feasibility of producing small pixel FPA hybrids will be demonstrated. In Phase II, the small pixel array fabrication and hybridization technology will be fully developed, 1280x1024 HgCdTe and InGaAs SWIR FPA's will be fabricated, and these arrays will be hybridized to readout multiplexers. In addition, SWIR cameras based on these hybrids will be produced. BENEFITS: The success of this program will promote the SWIR infrared business by introducing near room temperature, large format, high resolution, HgCdTe and InGaAs focal plane arrays. As a result, low cost HgCdTe and inGaAs focal plane arrays for low light level imaging will be widely used for military and industrial applications. The immediate use of the products from this program is night sensing similar to the current image intensifier, camouflage detection, detection for eye-safe laser designation and laser profiling, sensor for mine detection, and sensor for biological and chemical detection. IPM Technologies will produce a formulation that will attract at least one active stage of a medically important tick to a toxic attractant/acaricide matrix in the laboratory, resulting in significant debilitation or death of the tick. The target species, blacklegged tick, transmits Lyme disease, two kinds of ehrlichiosis, and human babesiosis in the U.S. American dog tick and lone star tick will also be investigated. IPMT will isolate host-produced tick attractants (kairomones) from glands of North American deer and incorporate kairomones and acaricide into a patented, EPA-registered bait matrix. IPMT will also screen activity of known glandular chemicals with no assigned tick behavioral effects. Very low rates of insecticide will be required to achieve control as attractants will "pull" ticks to the bait. Minimal toxicity enables bait application to areas of high human activity and sensitive ecosystems. During Phase II, IPMT will identify specific active chemicals, optimize the formulation, screen for activity against additional target vectors, establish field trials, engineer application technology and obtain EPA registration. This product shows great commercial potential due to the military and civilian medical importance of tick-borne disease and present limitations in tick management options. BENEFITS: Ticks are a major vector of important medical and veterinary diseases. This research and development project will result in innovative environmentally sound tick control products. This technology could be developed against other arthropod disease vectors. In Phase II Sarcos Research Corporation will continue the development of a non-invasive pneumothorax sensor. The sensor will in addition measure both heart rate and breathing rate. The device will be hand-held, have low power consumption and RF emissions. The heart rate and breathing rate modes can be made with no physical contact with the body. In Phase II, we have developed an efficient coupler, developed a conceptual approach, completed animal testing of the approach and proposed a Phase II development schedule. The intelligence community is interested in extracting tactical situation knowledge of current and planned enemy activities from the automated monitoring of battlefield radio communications. The limiting factor in the successful application of these emerging language based interpreters is the poor quality of the speech captured from these tactical radio intercepted transmissions. Natural Language Understanding (NLU),language identification, language translation, speaker identification, keyword spotting, gisting, language parsing and context interpretation are emerging technologies to be developed to achieve this automated intelligence processing. Innovative wide-band signal recovery techniques, are used for accurate extraction of captured speech from the severely degraded transmission intercepts, incorporating methods most beneficial for natural language algorithm performance and to discount radio specific signatures. Unique to this research opportunity is the ability to merge our recent technology breakthroughs for identifying and tracking speakers by stripping away radio channel masking and multipath degraded tactical radio transmitted speech. TRI has demonstrated highly accurate speech extraction algorithms are possible in noise environments with a Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) of minus 10dB. These TRI emerging signal recovery and speech extraction algorithms are designed to work as a front-end processor for NLU recognition and interpretation algorithms. TRI is also developing and integrating a superior speech interpretation and understanding system for information extraction from tactical transmissions using syntactic, semantic and tactical dialog context understanding algorithms. The real-time speech intelligibility enhancement technology is to be embedded with the next generation radio audio processing schema to effect a processing efficient and low-power consumption solution, by merging duplicative speech processing and memory requirements. BENEFITS: Speaker identification and natural language understanding that are communications media independent, represents the next generation interface between humans and electronic devices. Consumer product applications include; personal data assistants, computers, appliances, radios, cell-phones, vendor kiosks, ATMs, web-site browsers, information fusion and decision aids. The proposed system will allow tracking the movement of chemical clouds in real time from a safe standoff distance. The instruments used are passive standoff chemical agent detector already fielded (LSCAD). Each instrument individually can only measure the total of all the chemical in its line-of-site; the distance to the cloud is unknown. By merging data from multiple vantage points (either one instrument moving past the cloud or two or more instruments spaced so as to view the cloud from difference directions) a map of the cloud location can be generated. To improve the sensitivity and accuracy of the cloud map, chemical point sensors can be added to the sensor array being used. The equipment requried for the proposed system is either government-off-the-shelf or commercially available. Also, the data fusion techniques (tomography) have been demonstrated previously in the medical field. The proposed system represents a low risk solution to the problem of remotely tracking toxic and hazardous chemical clouds. We propose an innovative approach to increasing the optical power available from optical fiber lasers. The approach uses a novel fiber design that sharply discriminates against long wavelengths. We can engineer this wavelength cutoff to eliminate parasitic nonlinearities that limit the useful peak power from fiber. We will build a demonstration system utilizing this approach to increase the power from a fiber in a pulsed format. We will deliver the demonstration unit to the Air Force. The goal is a peak power of over 1 kW at a wavelength of 1 micron. Recent advances in electromagnetic technology clearly lend themselves to application in space-based data storage/retrieval systems. Commercial data storage systems provide low cost, long-life operation and strong logic/control systems, but employ mechanical bearings that limit their resistance to shock and life expectancy. A similar system ruggedized for space via integrated magnetic motor/bearing technology and combined with a flexible control interface system to handle format conversions would offer dramatic improvement in on-board space systems.The vacuum and temperature extremes of space provide significant technical challenges to mechanical bearings, which are completely unable to provide any vibration isolation to sensitive read/write heads or optics. This proposal will prove that bearing functions can be coupled with motor functions in single electromagnetic devices that exhibit longer life with no maintenance at a lower cost. Additional benefits include significant improvement in disk drive system performance, lower weight and vibration isolation potential that does not exist in other technologies. Airex Corporation has, in recent SBIR efforts, demonstrated the viability of integral motor-bearing technology. Airex has also shown that integral motor-bearings point the way to highly reliable, low power, lubricant free, and long life motion platforms. Such functional sophistication can expand performance in commercial or military space-borne platforms. The benefits of this SBIR study include the innovative development of a fully integrated electromagnetic motor/bearing system performing rotational and linear positioning functions. The system will be compatible with the small size of the commercial format high-density data storage devices. This technology is useful in DoD spaced based data storage devices and commercial devices including portable CD players and as a replacement for radio telemetry. Mainstream has developed an innovative cryocooler design utilizing a multi-cascaded single-compressor vapor-compression system. We have demonstrated the potential of this configuration, and have identified a specific Army application. A System-Level Modeling Framework for electromagnetic modeling is proposed. The heart of the Framework is a rule-based, whole-object conversion process that takes Computer Aided Design (CAD) geometry and material data and transforms it into valid, electromagnetic geometry and material modeling elements. The CAD Converter creates an "intermediate," parametric model of the structure to be analyzed. The user manipulates the "shadow surfaces" of the intermediate model by varying embedded parameters. These parameters represent physical characteristics of the structure, such as tank turret rotation angle or main gun elevation angle. When the intermediate model is correct, the rule-based gridding approach proposed herein is applied, and a valid electromagnetic model is created for the desired computer code. It is anticipated that several EM codes (GEMACS, NEC, BSC, CARLOS-3D, XPATCH, and APATCH) will be supported by the products this effort produces, merely be changing the rule set driving the gridding. The overall Framework provides elements for database/library, modeling rules, an electromagnetic modeler's workbench, visualization and code interface, in addition to the CAD-to-EM conversion process.The EM System Level Electromagnetic Framework represents a new and innovative way for government agencies, their contractors, universities, and commercial firms to approach electromagnetic modeling. The goal is to produce a product to leverage scarce electromagnetic expertise by applying it only where it is essential and letting less experienced engineers perform most of the tasks. The cost savings of this approach is potentially enormous for both government and commercial areas, such as antenna analysis and design, radar, in-situ antenna coupling, radiation and scattering, EMC/EMI, EMP, high-power microwave, and similar areas. For acoustic sensors to have sufficient detection ranges on future combat systems, a platform noise reduction system that achieves near ambient noise levels is needed. The overall objective of this project is to demonstrate the feasibility of platform noise reduction using noise cancellation sensors and algorithms. During Phase I Signal Systems Corporation will collect data on either a HMMWV or an unmanned vehicle. We will determine noise sources, and the spatial coherence of the noise field under different platform operating conditions. We will investigate new acoustic array designs with improved platform noise suppression; examine noise reduction techniques applicable to moving conditions; and demonstrate (off-line) broadband noise reduction. We will develop a preliminary design for a high frequency noise reduction system applicable to acoustic shock wave processing. Technical results included in the Phase I effort are noise reduction versus vehicle speed; noise reduction versus algorithm approach; noise reduction versus number of array and reference sensors, and self-noise classification features that discriminate between near and far-field acoustic signatures. The results of our Phase I effort will have addressed the critical risk areas of this project and provide a solid foundation for a real-time prototype effort in Phase II.Our approach will enable maximum platform noise reduction onboard future combat vehicles, such as reconnaissance unmanned vehicles. By making acoustic sensors effective, we can provide an all-weather, all-time surveillance capability that helps to queue infrared and visual sensors without the cost, power and weight associated with radar processors. This technology will also improve speech recognition performance in the wireless and handheld information appliance products. The modern organizational and operational structures emerging within the US Army will require revolutionary transformations of the informational tools supporting the tasks of the new units. Knowledge access portals will become instrumental in gaining rapid situational understanding, and in making decisions leading to success in a wide range of operations. Unlike general-purpose portals, knowledge access portals designed for use in operational contexts need to respond to specific situation and mission characteristics. To support this need for context-sensitive knowledge access we propose the development of a Situation and Mission-responsive Knowledge Access Portal (SIMKAP) for the Brigade Combat Team. The portal encodes access-knowledge that captures the type of information and domain-knowledge needs specific to given situations and missions, as well as the specific knowledge access, navigation, and visualization modes that best support the associated cognitive processes of the decision-maker. The SIMKAP platform will select and customize knowledge sources, knowledge navigation and access capabilities, and services matching the decision-maker's tasks in specific operational modes, and will take into account the constraints and major requirements imposed by the associated contexts. The development effort will comply with DII-COE standards, and will integrate with existing US Army knowledge and information repositories.The proposed effort has significant potential aplications, both as a technology and as an end-product. As a technology the approach will provide tools for context-based knowledge access, in response to a decision-maker's task characteristics and task context. Candidate domains range from command and control centers, to corporate knowledge access, engineering design projects, and educational tool development. As an end-product, the associated knowledge engineering tools will support on-going DoD efforts to develop powerful command and control tools that will enable the warfighter to take rapid, and informed decisions in complex, real-time situations. Tactical missiles that use gel propellant systems require a chemical gas generator for pressurization. While hydrazine is a proven monopropellant for gas generation, it is poisonous, a cancer suspect agent, and has a high vapor pressure. As a result, full body protection and self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) are required during hydrazine loading procedures, non-essential personnel must leave the area, and hazardous material spill control teams have to be readily available. The result is increased hazard expense and difficulty associated with the extensive safety procedures. New reduced-toxicity, non carcinogenic monopropellants are being developed by the Army for use in gas generators for tactical missile applications. Unfortunately, these new monopropellants will not ignite at the same low temperatures as hydrazine over existing catalysts. TDA Research Inc. (TDA), proposes to develop a catalyst that can ignite the new monopropellant at -40?F. We will us our computer controlled, high-throughput, catalyst test apparatus to screen more than 100 promising low temperature catalytic formulations. A preliminary design of a gas generator that uses the new monopropellant and our catalyst will be designed by our commercialization partner.TDA's catalysts will enable the use of the new, reduced-toxicity, non-hydrazine monopropellants for both gas generation and for monopropellant thrusters. Gas generation is used with missiles, spacecraft, and aircraft for pressurization and auxiliary power. Monopropellant thrusters are used on telecommunications and military satellites. In the case of thrusters, it has been estimated that every 1% increase in thruster efficiency made possible by the new generation of monopropellants increases total revenue by $1,000,000 per year per satellite (700+ satellites will be launched over the next decade). For gas generation, the ability to reduce the exposure of personnel to hydrazine provides a strong incentive to incorporate our catalytic technology. It is proposed to develop a cost-effective innovative Built-in Active Sensing Structural Diagnostic (BASSD) system for monitoring the integrity and for detecting damage in composite structures, particularly the invisible impact damage. The development of the BASSD system is primarily based on the SMART layer technology which uses a built-in network of piezoelectric sensors and actuators to interrogate the condition of the structures. A Monitoring layer based on the AMART layer technology will be developed which will be made of a thin dielectric adhesive film with an embedded network of piezoelectric sensors and actuators. The monitoring layer could be surface-mounted or embedded inside composite structures. The BASSD system consists of three major components: a monitoring a smart suitcase, and application software. The smart suitcase hosts a sensor/actuator control unit as well as a laptop computer The software based on application to be implemented in the computer will be developed for the control unit to interface with the monitoring layer by a wired or by a wireless communication channel. BENEFITS: Upon completion of the development of the BASSD system, it could potentially provide the following advantages over to traditional NDE inspection techniques: *Convenience and Automation *Real Time Inspection *Reduction of Labor *Reduction of Down Time *Improvement of Reliability *Improvement of combat readiness This project addresses the specialization and upgrade of unstructured CFD numerics for the simulation of missile aerodynamic flowfields with lateral/divert jet interactions. Starting unstructured capabilities are advanced and include gas-phase chemical kinetics and two-equation turbulence modeling in an upwind/implicit (Roe-TVD/GMRES) framework that operates in a parallel environment (domain decomposition/MPI) and includes multiple elements (tets, hexes, prisms, etc.). Principal Phase II upgrades will include multi-element solution adaptive gridding based on the recent tet adaptation work of Baker. Other upgrades will include explicit algebraic stress model (EASM) turbulence extensions, nearwall modeling catering to separated flows, and advanced thermal species transport using scalar fluctuation equations. Detailed comparisons with fundamental lateral jet flow data will be performed and methodology for inclusion of turbulent/particle and turbulent/combustion interactions will be made operational. Kinetics can strongly influence thrust amplifications and new procedures will be incorporated to provide reduced CPU times without sacrificing accuracy. Methodology for treating dynamic pressure loads produced by direct jet interactions will also be formulated. Detailed studies of AlT missile systems at low altitudes (15, 30, 45km) will be performed to demonstrate and assess the new methodology. BENEFITS: This research provides for unstructured numerics to solve very complex missile system aerodynamic flows efficiently. Benefits to the missile community are a highly improved tool which can support design and system assessment studies. Commercial applications include the licensing of specialized software (for grid adaption and flowfield); expanding our customer support role to include a multitude of jet control problems outside the missile community; and, product design for noise reduction using lateral jet based active controls. Tactical and operational missions require equipment powered by lightweight, high output 50 to 1500+ BHP engines. Engine powered equipment in this size is predominantly 2-cycle diesel. Department of Defense (DoD) has mandated the use of heavy fuels: jet and diesel. Next generation fuel efficient, lightweight, high power density (1.5 HP/in3 disp), heavy fuel engines (HFE) are needed. TARDEC will research opposed-piston 2-cycle diesel engines incorporating advanced 2- and 4-cycle diesel technologies. Design concepts will be evaluated by building a single cylinder research engine. AED Corp.'s proposed design combines its extensive hardware developed HFE direct-injected controlled combustion engine technology with electronically controlled common rail fuel injection, variable nozzle turbocharger, cooled articulated pistons, and high turbulent combustion chamber. Using Detroit Diesel Corp's (DDC) production 2-cycle components, the engine's design will facilitate hardware changes needed to evaluate critical design variables (i.e. crankshaft phasing). Operating on a controlled dual combustion thermodynamic cycle limiting maximum cylinder pressure, exceptionally high power density, low fuel consumption, and low emissions are predicted. Phase I base: Advanced diesel engine systems and components will be evaluated as applied to the critical design features of the opposed-piston 2-cycle engine. Design layouts will be made using DDC's 2-cycle components as a base. Detailing will follow a design review. Phase I Option, a concept engine built using a maximum of DDC components will be dyno tested to evaluate design concepts and advanced technologies. Knowledge gained will advance the design of the phase II demonstrator. BENEFITS: A high power, lightweight, fuel efficient, low emissions, easy starting compression ignition opposed-piston 2-cycle engine with controlled maximum firing pressures will have commercial applications in marine, power generators, buses, and industrial/commercial off-highway vehicles. Under this proposed SBIR effort, NAVSYS will develop a design for a networked SIGINT sensor architecture use Software Radio signal processing, GPS geolocation, and data fusion techniques to detect and geolocate interference sources. To achieve this propose to leverage the inherent signal processing capabilities available in the next generation of Software Radios being purchased by the US Army to allow them to act as SIGINT sensors in this Software-Radio Networked SIGINT (SRN-SIGINT) architecture.In Phase I we propose to develop the SRN-SIGINT architecture and produce a design for a Software Radio with embedded SIGINT capability to be built under the Phase II project. Our plan is to develop a design that is compatible with the Joint Tactical Radio System (JTRS). The operation of the SRN-SIGINT capability will be demonstrated using simulation data to show the capability to fuse TDOA, FDOA and AOA SIGINT information from multiple Software Radios. We are also proposing to demonstrate the SRN-SIGINT concept with in-house software radios and a data fusion workstation developed on another contract for GPS jammer location. Under Phase II, we propose to partner with the JTRS prime contractors to enable the SRN-SIGINT capability to transition into this operational program.The SRN-SIGINT capability integrated into the multi-spectral JTRS will provide a powerful yet inexpensive mechanism for collecting SIGINT data and distributing it to a SRN-SIGINT workstation for analysis, using a networked architecture. Commercial applications exist for this capability, embedded into personal communication systems, for geolocation of both interference sources and also personal geolocation in support of mobile E-9-1-1 applications. NAVSYS' commercial partners have applications for this capability for emergency medical response, personal safety and convict tracking operations. Integrated Sensors, Incorporated (ISI) proposes to evaluate a variety of image restoration algorithms for a compact, real-time, high-resolution FLIR implementation. The target hardware solution is a field-programmable gate array (FPGA) multiprocessor architecture. These provide the speed of a hardware implementation, while offering the reprogramming flexibility of a general-purpose processor.Algorithms such as adaptive Wiener filters and recursive maximum likelihood / entropy optimizations are among those under consideration. All of these require precise models of the system MTF (Modulation Transfer Function). The Wiener approach is nonrecursive and would be the simplest to implement, while the recursive approaches tend to perform better under nongaussian conditions. A major challenge is to improve the convergence time of the recursive approaches. Innovation is also required to structure these algorithms for an efficient, real-time solution. The algorithms will be evaluated using restoration performance and computational requirements as key discriminants. The performance will be evaluated subjectively on real images and quantified using minimum resolvable temperature difference (MRTD) measurements on simulated data. A hardware solution will be customized to support the most promising algorithm.ISI will include this technology as part of its ImageExpressT commercial motion analysis system, to enhance measurement accuracy.Commercial applications include the enhancement of ISI's ImageExpressT product line and marketing the technology to vendors of high resolution FLIR and consumer video systems. A nearly universal trend in modern technology is the continued integration of systems, and their associated devices, on decreasingly smaller scales. While this has led to personal computers that offer more functionality and faster computational speeds, it has also spurred the development of hybrid optoelectronic systems on a chip (SOCs). Currently, such SOCs are receiving significant interest from the booming telecommunications industry for applications such as all optical switching, wavelength division multiplexing, and optical add-drop filters. In each of these applications active and passive optical devices are being integrated with electronic devices on the chip scale. Consequently, modern applications are forcing the development of passive optical components whose size is reduced to a scale that is comparable to their operational wavelength. As a result the plethora of analysis and design methods that were once applicable to passive optical element design are no longer valid. For this reason a new suite of computer tools need to be developed and is therefore the focus of the proposed effort. The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility of fabricating polarizing beamsplitters that are broadband and have a wide field of view. We propose to use lithographic techniques to fabricate a polarizing beamsplitter that has acceptance angles up to +- 55 degrees and extinction ratios greater than 50:1 throughout the visible spectrum. Various materials and processing techniques will be investigated. In addition, we propose to fabricate small prototype polarizing beamsplitters and measure their polarization properties. The efficiency and extinction ratios for both S and P beams will be measured as a function of incident angle and wavelength.This beamsplitter device, if successfully developed, may not only find use in advanced imaging for military and medical systems, but may also prove indispensable for consumer applications such as projection displays. A method is proposed for production of high density, refractory ceramic materials using Selective Laser Sintering (SLS). Conventional methods of solid freeform fabrication have been used to produce ceramic materials, but it is difficult to make a material that sinters to its full density without deformation due to shrinkage. SLS is useful in producing intricate parts while overcoming these problems, but because of the low packing density of the powder beds being sintered, a porous ceramic results. By using a green material in the SLS, process with a higher packing density, an improved ceramic material will be obtained. Zirconia promises to be a good material for fabrication of parts that require erosion and corrosion resistance, high stiffness and deformation resistance such as diesel engine parts. However, it is very difficult to produce the fine structure necessary in these parts by traditional ceramic processing. TDA will team with a large ceramics manufacturer to produce a fabrication method using SLS to sinter a high density zirconia medium to produce a refractory ceramic part for a diesel engine from a CAD model. This method will be applicable to the production of parts from other materials with minimal equipment and design changes. BENEFITS: The SLS method developed in this work will produce intricate parts from high density refractory ceramics in a short time without part specific tooling. Commercial applications include production of parts for diesel engines and other complex erosion resistant components that are difficult to make with conventional ceramic Processing. The next generation Warrior systems pose a number of challenging problems for communications. In particular, the fast-growing amount of information the individual soldier is required to receive and transmit requires radio and communication systems with increased performance. This need is complicated by current antennas which impede the mobility of the soldier by protruding from the soldier system. In addition, the high loads carried by the soldier put pressure on system designers to seek technology which can reduce weight. What is needed is an antenna system which is conformal to the body and which can be embedded into the soldier system to optimize performance and mobility. Foster-Miller and its partner, BAE Systems, plan to design and evaluate such an embedded antenna system as part of the proposed program. (P-00860)The proposed development of a wearable antenna system for the dismounted soldier will provide a major improvement in communication performance, operational logistics and soldier safety. Body borne, loop antenna technology, which eliminates the need for antennas that protrude from the body, has high market potential in applications such as thefollowing: law enforcement, large system maintenance, wearable computers, and special operations and disaster relief. The proposed Advanced LPI Processor (ALPIP) will enable a single-site, stand-alone ELINT system to be built that detects, DFs and identifies cruise missiles. The system will feed hostile emitter line-of-bearing and SEI data to a multi-sensor tracker for the production of a fused air picture and for air vehicle engagement by hard-kill weapons. The ALPIP will detect the majority of fielded cruise missiles using multiple antennas and advanced processing algorithms tailored to the cruise missile problem. The Phase I design will incorporate modified COTS receiver hardware and will be tailored to fit into an existing ELINT/ESM suite, to simplify Phase II work and to reduce the time to IOC.The algorithms developed for this receiver will be applicable to ESM systems in F-22 variants, the JSF, Aerial Common Sensor and perhaps DD 21 and CVN 77. The US Army ALPIP-enabled cruise missile detection system will be useful to deployed and CONUS Army, Navy and Air Force units, in addition to coalition/allied forces in combat theaters worldwide. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will develop novel RF transparent but Visible- and IR-reflective coatings for large aperture windows. This will be accomplished by incorporating specific nanoparticles in thin films that can be deposited on any type of window substrate, including transparent plastic sheets such as polystyrene. The ionically self-assembled monolayer (ISAM) technique of fabricating these films allows for precise molecular level control over the assembly of a thin film with exceptional homogeneity and ease of processing. ISAM nonlinear optical films offer additional major advantages of low scattering loss, high thermal and chemical stability, simplicity and low-cost. Luna Innovations and its university collaborators have shown that revolutionary ISAM methods of creating multifunctional thin-films monolayer by monolayer can be used to yield a wide variety of self-assembled, electronically and photonically-active polymeric thin films, including light emitting diodes, photovoltaic devices, second order nonlinear optical films, to mention a few of the applications for the ISAM thin films.Besides the military applications of the ISAM RF transparent IR/Vis Reflective coatings, other fields, such as automotive industry, will benefit from these results. The new transparent sheets can reduce the heating in buildings and automobiles due to infrared absorption, thus reducing their cooling costs. As wireless communications systems move to higher carrier frequencies, advantages of direct-sequence methods are reduced due to the decrease in channel coherence time. Frequency hopping systems will be required to gain advantages of spread spectrum systems and minimize multi-user access interference. Channel dynamics increase with higher frequency operation and provide a significant obstacle to current receive processing techniques. Co-Channel interference, is emerging as one of the greatest impacts to digital data communications systems. A new approach to receiver design, applying Per Survivor Processing (PSP), offers the opportunity to achieve dramatic performance improvements (e.g. improved acquisition, and/or interference rejection) when a large number of users, difficult dynamics and/or large chanted uncertainties are present. Further, PSP excels when the channel characteristics, the number of interferers or reflections, and other key signal parameters are unknown. Application of PSP is now becoming feasible due to the rapidly increasing computational power and decreasing price of modern digital technology. PSP algorithms have been developed and simulated for dense urban environments wit mobile users under other efforts. The focus of this proposed Phase I work will be to develop an implementation capable of demonstrating the performance improvement of PSP applied to the mobile frequency hopped application. BENEFITS: The primary benefit of this multi-phased SBIR program is the implementation high-performance, robust and cost effective processing to enhance the performance and capacity of mobile frequency hopped communication systems. Mobile network protocols that are self-configuring and robust are called for in a variety of commercial situations, and represent a significant hurdle for current commercial wireless systems. Therefore, successful new methodologies for frequency hopping radio networks will have significant commercial potential for high carrier frequency multi-user systems. Army Command and Control facilities need the ability to function more effectively, with smaller staffs spread over a geographically dispersed area. Their staff officers must fully comprehend a constantly changing environment, assessing the potential presence, magnitude, and intentions of threats. They must also constantly monitor and evaluate the effectiveness of their actions, reacting and re-planning missions when necessary. This project will create a distributed information visualization system that presents to the command post staff a single, unified view of the mission space. This will provide officers with a virtual environment that represents the real world, can be readily understood, requires little cognitive effort to interpret, and creates minimal distractions from the tactical situation. The visualization system will interact with a conventional C2 application, allowing users a view of the C2 application's representation of the world, and allowing staff to collaboratively work together during mission planning and execution. BENEFITS: Successful completion of this project will allow multiple users to effectively work together from different locations. Potential commercial applications of this technology include similar systems for architecture and engineering design teams, and emergency and disaster response. Reality by Design, Inc. (R~D) proposes to build a modular, object-oriented, embedded virtual simulation system to support emerging Force XXI soldier systems. The focus of the Phase II efforts is to build a system that provides embedded simulation capabilities for the Land Warrior program. The VICTER embedded simulation solution is extendible to address emerging technologies from the Objective Individual Combatant Weapon (OICW), Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration (ACTD), and Small Unit Operations (SUO) programs by using the hardware and software architectures developed during the Phase I effort. The goal of the simulation system is to facilitate individual or small team training to support full understanding and utilization of the advanced digital warfighting and Command, Control, Communications, Computers and Intelligence (C41) capabilities of the actual Force XXI system. This embedded simulation based training will directly support Force XXI objectives of enhancing engagement skills, force protection, mobility and situational awareness. The final system developed in the Phase 2 effort will be a turn-key, completely functional and capable embedded simulation system ready to be fielded as a Commercial Off-The-Shelf (COTS) product. The VICTER simulation system will be High Level Architecture (HLA) compliant. BENEFITS: Commercial potential exists for mission rehearsal of law enforcement officers, security personnel, or border patrols in dangerous, urban situations such as hostage rescue, anti-terrorist and crime-fighting activities. Development of VICTER will support the 05CR Program by improving the operational performance of the soldier while reducing overall training costs. DVC will define requirements, explore alternative concepts, and develop a feasible approach for providing a low cost, realistic dynamic terrain by building on our current PC based dynamic terrain experience. DVC's own current Dynamic Terrain PC-based software will be used as a rapid prototyping tool to help define the requirements. In the Phase I Option DVC intends to provide a technology demonstration of Dynamic Terrain incorporating networking, soil dynamics, and compatibility with SEDRIS databases. Demonstrating a rapid prototype Dynamic Terrain scenario typical of that required for the Grizzly trainer, within an HLA environment using SEDRIS legacy databases is a goal. DVC will explore alternative concepts and develop a feasible approach to providing dynamic terrain everywhere, an HLA Federation prototype FOM/SOM, a SEDRIS data model, API, and Interchange Transmittal Mechanism (ITM) extension to standardize the interchange mechanism for Dynamic Terrain enabled database. For Phase II DVC will implement the best approach from Phase I with the objective of providing feasibility and effectiveness of the concept. Further, DVC will focus on the development of a software API centered on the refinement of the soil and terrain dynamics and the interaction of the military vehicles acting individually or in teams. BENEFITS: The primary resulting product will be a software API module. The application to the Grizzly program for military mine breaching training, the CATT family of training devices, and the interactive network game/entertainment market is obvious, and as such has been long awaited in both the military and the commercial markets. These markets include training in the use of mining, construction, oil, and farm equipment. Over the past decade there has been a rapid growth of wireless communication technology. As a result, portable computing devices such as notebook computers and personal digital assistants have begun to take advantage of wireless technology, thus providing increasing access to wireline multimedia applications for mobile users. For multimedia applications to be supported successfully in wireless networks, it is necessary to provide a platform that supports QoS guarantees between end-systems. This SBIR effort proposes a platform that can efficiently manage multimedia traffic over wireline and wireless networks using IP QoS provisioning techniques.The platform product of this effort will enable the use of wireless networks for transporting multimedia traffic. The platform will reduce the cost of building efficient wireless communication networks, which will have impact on both the military and commercial sectors. The overall goal of the proposed program is to provide military personnel with a hand-held analyzer capable of detecting chemical and biological agents, as well as toxic industrial chemicals. This will be accomplished through the use of a new nanocomposite material (metal-doped sol-gel) that enhances analyte specific Raman signals sufficiently to allow identifying and quantifying agents at relevant concentrations (microgram/liter, part-per-billion). Phase I will employ combinatorial chemistry to synthesize four medium sized libraries of sol-gel coated sample vials varying in composition and properties (e.g. polar, non-polar, positive charge, negative charge) and screen their surface-enhanced Raman (SER) activity towards chemical simulants and potential biological agent signatures. Baseline performance will be established using a high resolution, high sensitivity, hand-held Raman spectrometer.Phase II will automate the combinatorial synthesis and screening process to allow the generation of large sol-gel nanomaterial libraries to determine the chemical compositions that maximize detection of each chemical agent, bioagent signature chemical, and toxic industrial chemical by SER spectroscopy. Screening with actual agents will be performed at U.S. Army facilities. Finally, the sol-gel nanomaterial will be designed into sampling systems for discrete or continuous monitoring of air or water by a hand-held Raman analyzer capable of wireless data transmission.In addition to military personnel, the proposed technology would have immediate use in monitoring domestic water supplies (drinking and recreational) and detecting release of toxic chemicals at industrial plants. It would also be applicable to environmental analysis of groundwater (e.g. leaking agent storage facilities or pesticides from agricultural). The proposed SER active medium represents an enabling technology and is broadly applicable to pharmaceutical, biologic, medical, and chemical research. Interceptor missiles achieve high maneuverability in final phases of their mission via the use of divert/attitude control jets. Jet firings are of relatively short duration (10-40ms) and the aerodynamic interaction process is highly transient, characterized by large regions of jet-induced separation. The interactive process is strongly dependent on afterburning of jet exhaust constituents and on particulate interactions for heavily metalized DACS motors. Concerns of combustion products reaching seeker windows and related particle obscuration/radiative heating issues also need to be addressed. Present abilities to support missile design are limited by computer resources with high-fidelity simulations for a fraction of the transient event requiring use of 64 or more processors and taking months to complete. This proposal addresses present limitations by advances in numerics and parallel code architecture, as well as in inclusion of pertinent physics and thermochemistry. Key elements of work proposed address: new zonal, multi-time step parallel architecture strategies to make the solution process more efficient, and, inclusion of advanced dynamic turbulent transitional models and pdf-based turbulent combustion models which have a first-order effect on jet interactions at higher altitudes (h>30km). An optional task to examine use of unstructured numerics with specialized dynamic grid adaption is also proposed.The research proposed is of obvious benefit to the interceptor missile community and we have supported both DoD and prime contractors (Lockheed, Raytheon, .) for many years in design-related issues pertinent to divert/attitude control jet interactions. This effort will clearly enhance our commercial relationships with both DoD and prime contractors. In addition, transient jet interactions are of interest to the automotive and spray coating communities and we have been working with industry (Ford Motor Co., Sulzer Metco, .) in supporting advanced design work. Lastly, pulsatile spray injection is being investigated to enhance mixing in next generation airbreathing missile systems and this work has great relevance to the design of next generation combustors. In response to the Army's request for a compact eye-safe light detection and ranging (LIDAR) device for high-precision, remote measurement of atmospheric turbulence caused by air vehicles or natural phenomena, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a frequency modulation (FM) LIDAR based on a powerful continuous wave (CW) laser diode. Utilizing the possibility of direct modulation of the laser diode emission with a high frequency, such a system can provide both a high-range resolution and a high accuracy of Doppler shift measurement. Simplification of the signal processing electronics will be achieved by employing a voltage-modulated optical detector for range measurement. The Phase I project will include a comprehensive system analysis and design of its major components. In Phase II, the LIDAR prototype will be built and delivered for testing and performance evaluation. During both Phases I and II, POC will conduct market analysis and identification of financial and other resources that will ensure successful commercialization of the new technology in Phase III.In addition to its specific military application for the detection airborne targets by their turbulence signatures, the proposed compact, eye-safe LIDAR can be widely used at military and civilian airports for detection of wind shear and other strong atmospheric vortexes. Such vortexes can be generated by large aircraft and can exist in the atmosphere for a long time after a large aircraft lands. They are extremely dangerous for smaller aircraft. Wind shear, microbursts, and other clear-air disturbances are dangerous for both large and small aircraft. The proposed LIDAR will enhance air traffic safety. Optical Insights (OI) proposes to successfully marry its polarization imaging technology with LADAR imaging technology to create an integrated imaging system. The introduction, by OI, of its multi-channel imaging technology makes simultaneous acquisition of two-dimensional polarization images possible using a low-cost, portable, lightweight, and rugged optical system. OI will team with LADAR system manufacturer, Schwartz Electro-Optics, Inc. (SEO), to create the integrated system. The Phase I effort will significantly contribute to the state-of-the-art by (a) quantitatively defining the requirements for coupling polarization and LADAR imaging into a single imaging system using existing technologies and products and (b) developing a conceptual design, based on the defined requirements, to marry two separate, but complementary, technologies for improving target detection and discrimination. While most Phase I efforts attempt to establish the feasibility of design ideas via modeling or simple breadboard experiments, this Phase I effort will accomplish a more thorough and convincing feasibility study by leveraging products that have already been developed for these purposes. OI and SEO propose using their existing base of products to carry out the initial feasibility assessment. With minor modifications, both products can work side-by-side to acquire both polarization and LADAR images of the same scene.There are a variety of applications that could benefit greatly from a portable polarization LADAR imaging system. Aside from the target identification and discrimination applications in the defense industry, polarization LADAR imaging systems can be useful in meteorological applications such as identification of the constituents of cloud formation for determining storm development. The aviation sector as well as the department for transportation (DOT) represents two other markets that can use polarization LADAR sensing. In both cases it can be used to identify ice formation (on wings, runways and roads) and fog for collision and crash avoidance. Additionally, polarization LADAR imaging can have significant utility in crop inspection applications. Recent research has suggested that polarized laser remote-sensing measurements can be correlated to crop yield, the NDVI, and the leaf area index. Antex biologics is developing inactivated whole cell vaccines for oral delivery to prevent infections by bacteria causing traveler's diarrhea. A new, possibly breakthrough, microbead formulation technology is being developed which should be evaluated for its potential to enhance these inactivated whole cell vaccines. These beads should improve the safety, stability and immunogenicity as well as ease of administration of the whole cell vaccine. In this Phase I SBIR, Campylobacter jejuni, a major cause of diarrhea, will be prepared as a dry formulation by spray-coating the inactivated bacterial cells onto a sugar/starch microbead core and then covering the antigen-coated core with a methacrylic acid copolymer. The microbeads will be insoluble at gastric pH, but will be readily soluble at higher (intestinal) pH. This formulation will be tested for its oral immunogenicity and efficacy in a mouse model Antex has developed.This effort should provide a means to better achieve immunoprotection against enteric infections, for which no vaccines are now available. It may also establish an approach for more effective oral vaccines against a broad range of infections. Potential populations for use of such a product include deployed military personnel, international travelers, and global and national public health and child immunization programs. Physical Optics Corporation proposes to develop a high resolution, high quality image generator and display for combat trauma surgery training. The Virtual Medical Training (VMT) system, based on our patented 3-D display technology, includes a 3-D display (horizontal geometry without headwear) for the trainee and instructor linked to a virtual human database with an injury generator and a haptic feedback device. The Holographic Horizontal (H2) screen and 3-D projection display 3-D objects floating over the screen surface where each viewer can see the same object from his or her own perspective. The 3-D effect is achieved by projecting slightly different views of the object in front of each viewer at a high refresh rate. The viewer can move freely within the volumetric 3-D zone that extends out from the edge of the screen. The essence of the system is a special type of screen that converges the light into a narrow beam slice of about 1 degree (2 mm wide) representing a single view of the object that is time multiplexed (shifted in front of the viewer), producing a multiplicity of views. The narrow beam position is synchronized with the rendering of the corresponding view, producing a true 3-D effect.The major benefits are efficient training of medical personnel. The system can also be used in television, robotics, and teleoperation. Additional applications include video games and CAD/CAM simulation. This proposal describes our approach for establishing the technical feasibility of developing an innovative, body conformal VHF/UHF antenna suite capable of being integrated into the MLLE and providing mixed polarization coverage regardless of the soldier's position (prone-to-standing) and orientation. We will investigate three advanced techniques: use of Tesla's series connected bifilar-wound ribbons of metal sputtered upon Kapton film around small diameter flexible ferrite-in-rubber tubes forming a loop around the back of a soldier's waist; feeding COTS "T" and grounded-line "postage-stamp" PCS/ISM elements against artificial dielectric groundplanes to improve performance and decrease SAR and switching these elements using miniature gravity-actuated liquid, ball or moving magnet/reed RF switches to select the element, from sets of elements located at various positions on the MLLE, that best provides the required radiation pattern as a function of soldier position. Our proposed work is divided into mostly analytical during Phase I followed by laboratory evaluation of several key and enabling technologies during the Phase I Option period.Body conformal VHF/UHF antenna systems that can be incorporated into military or civilian worn equipment items and clothing will eliminate the need for protruding whips or "rubber-ducks," reducing size and weight. When used with artificial dielectric groundplanes, "postage-stamp" sized wireless antennas will have increased efficiency and decreased SAR. The objective of this proposal to develop and demonstrate a universal optical test bed specifically for the uncooled infrared technology for use in aviation and missile platforms, missile systems, and other military and commercial uncooled applications. This proposal will explore various affordable infrared (IR) materials and their use and suitability for reflective, refractive, and hybrid lens designs.This effort will produce a state-of-the-art standardized optical design for uncooled focal planes. The effectiveness of Non-Cooperative Target Recognition(NCTR) against air targets is limited by a lack of robustness in thefollowing respects: insufficient-fidelity signature simulation;statistically uncharacterizable signature variations; excessively largepose-model libraries; excessively large target-type libraries;misclassification of ``novel'' targets; insufficient target-identityresolvability using single sensors; and difficulties in fusing diversesources/sensors. Many of these difficulties arise from the fact thatconventional OPTIMAL techniques (e.g. Bayesian filtering andestimation) expect PERFECT models and, consequently, can behavevery non-optimally if the mismatch between model and reality is too great.Consequently, optimal techniques cannot be applied as a ``cookbook''panacea---they must be augmented by ROBUSTNESS STRATEGIES thatcompensate for model-mismatch and other problems. Scientific SystemsCompany, Inc. (SSCI) and its subcontractor Lockheed Martin of Eagan MN(LM-E) propose the application of new ROBUST DATA FUSION ANDROBUST-BAYES FILTERING techniques to NCTR problems. In our approach we (1)use generalized likelihood functions to model the uncertainties as well asthe certainties in data; (2) fuse very disparate kinds of data usinggeneralized joint likelihood functions; (3) deal with ``novel'' targets byintroducing and modeling an ``unknown target'' type; (4) reduce the size ofthe pose-search library via fusion of kinematic data with target ID data toestimate pose; (5) ensure accurate, stable NCTR by using a true JOINTstate-estimator; and (6) ensure computational efficiency and robustness byusing an approximate filtering scheme with efficiency O(n) or O(nlog n)and theoretically guaranteed divergence properties.Target identification is one of the key technologies for globalsurveillance, precision strike, air superiority and defense which arethree of the seven science and technology thrust areas identified bythe Director of Defense Research and Engineering. Commercialapplications of advanced tracking and identification systems exist inseveral areas such as: radar, biometric identification, industrialinspection, medical screening and diagnosis, failure detection andidentification, and remote sensing. We propose to develop a portable thermal imaging diagnostic system that can be used to significantly reduce operating and support costs for both military and commercial vehicles and-most importantly-avoid the tragic consequence and tremendous costs due to injuries or deaths resulting from catastrophic accidents. During Phase I, Radian Inc. will work with its partners to explore two models of software approach and to demonstrate, based on past experience, the feasibility of the models to predict tire failures. EIC Inc. will develop an Empirical Model; Signature Research Inc. will develop a First Principles Model. During Phase I Option, both companies will prepare a Detailed System Design (DSD) for integrating their software into a portable version of the Thermal Imaging Inspection Station (TIIS) developed by Radian. Radian will determine which method, or combination, holds more promise. During Phase II, Radian will research, adapt, and test components while software is written and integrated into TIIS. End product is a prototype portable TIIS capable of predicting tire failures in moving vehicles. Dual-use applications will be explored during Phase III, including incorporation of the prototype into automated test facilities that could be installed in weigh stations and in commercial trucking facilities.A portable tire diagnostic system that can detect faulty or damaged tires on moving trucks has the potential to significantly reduce Operating and Support Cost and to lower the incidence of catastrophic accidents of both military and commercial vehicles. For commercial use, the system could be incorporated into automated test facilities installed near weigh stations and in trucking facilities. There is a need for Spatial Light Modulators (SLM)'s that have a few nanometers phase resolution, have> 128X128 pixels, are fast (>500Hz), have at least 2-pi range of modulation, and have continuous phase capability. Devices of this type would have applications in the areas of displays, simulators, photolithography, optical interconnects, wave front cameras, adaptive optics systems, telecommunications, and non-invasive medical procedures. In order to meet this need, we will develop a 128 by 128 element SLM that meets the above requirements using micro-electro-mechanical systems (MEMS) technology. The SLM will be an array of micromirrors, which move vertically in response to an electronic signal, and change the phase of light. This development was started during Phase 1 by developing the components that will be needed to fabricate the device. These components are an electronic multiplexer capable of addressing the pixels and a pixel that is small enough that a 128 by 128 array is feasible to manufacture. During Phase 1 Option, we will fabricate the first prototype. During Phase 2, and Phase 3, we will test the prototype, refine the design, and start applying the device to solve problems for some of the applications identified above. BENEFITS: A large array of SLM's integrated with electronics and optics on chip can perform many system functions such as image signal processing, optical computing such as correlation, holographic displays, and adaptive programmable optical interconnects. This device will be ideal for these applications. TARDEC is interested in exploring technologies that allow crew members to control various ground vehicles functions from a remote location that are lightweight, autonomous, agile, low-profile, equipped with low observable and hit avoidance EW systems, protect fire and arms, provide material survivability, possess obstacle avoidance, obstacle crossing, situation awareness and route selection. During Phase I, Lionhearth designed a complete system, to provide visual information about surroundings-to remote drivers of autonomous robotic ground vehicles in compliance with TARDEC's requirements. Emphasis was placed on realistic imagery to the driver during day or night driving. The proposed design specifications included consideration and /or utilization of the following technologies: sensors, compression, transmission and data display. Of particular concern were transmission bandwidth, maximum sustainable vehicle speed and perceptual concern of the operator. Essential elements include a vehicle mounted stereo camera, tilt-swivel motor and controller for remote camera control, a stereo CODEC for image compression, a wireless data link, a vehicle control center that provides for tele-present visualization of the vehicle's operation using a head mounted display, an untethered head tracking system, and a standard game controller with force feedback. Investigations include depth information (e.g. stereoscopic goggles), quality of visual imput and utility of using fused infrared / electro-optical imagery. BENEFITS: The results of our Phase I efforts will be a fully operational system and vehicle control center in the form of a commercial product that will yield a low-cost, high performance, stereo telepresence system with capabilities beyond those of any other existing, commercially available, system. This product will be suitable for inclusion in many future telepresence operation systems. According to an investigation of commercially available systems conducted by SAIC, our proposed system will out-perform anything in the market. By providing a system with multiple levels of resolution, multiple levels of bandwidth, and excellent temporal and spatial resolution, Lionhearth can seriously advance research and development in this area. In addition, our system provide a turn-key, work-horse system along with the necessary outputs for autonomous navigation and obstacle avoidance systems. The rapid adaptation of mission plans is key to success on the modern battlefield. Although particularly true for combat forces, long-term front-line success also requires fully capable and aware force sustainment. Therefore, this ability is critical for Combat Service Support. While the availability of logistic decision support systems is increasing, an "information overloaded" digital battlefield hampers their effective use. The information overload challenge includes both quantity (large amounts of data), and quality (varying data value). In addition, much of this data is dynamic, requiring frequent update. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will identify and characterize novel inorganic proton conducting materials which do not require water maintenance for protonic transport. These materials could be used as membranes in proton exchange membrane fuel cells as well as in a wide variety of hydrogen separation applications. The composite materials of interest will be based on hydrogen sulphates and selenates of large monovalent cations heterogeneously doped with nanoscale secondary phases of oxyacid salts. Dense composite membranes of different compositions will be fabricated using various preparation techniques, and will subsequently be tested for their structural, electrochemical, and transport properties, as well as their stabilities. The composite materials showing the most promise will then be incorporated into laboratory scale membrane reactor configurations where their ability to mediate hydrogen without the need of water will be experimentally determined. Prototype proton exchange membrane fuel cells based on these composites will also be built and evaluated.Successful completion of this program will result in identifying a new generation of proton exchange membrane fuel cells for electricity generation. Full implementation of this technology would be of significant economic and technical benefit to the Army and other government components as well as industries by providing low cost, high reliability, high efficiency fuel cells through the elimination of water-management systems. In addition, these membranes can be applied to a variety of hydrogen separation process and can act as novel reactors for carrying out different chemistries such as hydrogenation and dehydrogenation reactions at potentially lower costs and higher yields compared to other conventional processes. Brigade Combat Team (BCT) units are expected to accomplish complex, multidimensional tasks in a confusing, often unpredictable environment. To this end, the knowledge warriors within the BCT need to build a knowledge base whose contents can be accessed and exploited as necessary to achieve the requisite situation understanding. Situation understanding, in this context, is a measure of the degree to which a knowledge warrior is aware of and understands the significance of all factors (i.e., METT-T, local events, regional non-military factors) that typically influence the outcome of operations within an asymmetric environment. The goal of this overall effort is to develop, demonstrate, and transition an innovative knowledge access portal for improved Cognitive Readiness and Knowledge-based decisionmaking on the part of BCTs. Phase I of the effort will study and develop an early prototype of a knowledge portal capable of: a) integrating, personalizing, and optimally displaying both structured and unstructured content from diverse sources such as personal knowledge bases, battlefield information, web, digital libraries, and military archives; and b) interacting with knowledge warriors while providing decision support wherever possible. The information sources will cover CONUS, non-military regional factors, and local variables that all contribute to enhanced situation understanding and decisionmaking.Informed decisionmaking and operating and support cost reduction through just-in-time knowledge delivery and distance learning. Potential commercial applications of the R&D include distributed supply management, distributed web-based learning, airline contingency management, mid-office operations management, front-end to ERP/CRM systems. The problem outlined in the description section of the SBIR A00-136, Unmanned Aerial Vehicle {UAV} Antennas, points out the necessity of detecting signals for Signal Intelligence and Communications while conforming to available space and weight capacity of the UAV. The requirement applies to both fixed and rotary wing aircraft, each with its own aerodynamic limitations to carry appropriate sensor systems. Suggestions are presented for interchangeable (easy-on easy-off) B kit antennas which cover a limited band of frequencies and which may be installed for a particular intelligence gathering mission or several UAVs may be launched with each one configured to cover a different frequency band.Typically, antenna solutions for aircraft are designed as an afterthought after the airframe has been completed. While this approach will always impact the performance of larger aircraft to some extent, in the case of smaller airframe UAV's, the addition of discrete "add-on" antennas can add significant flight performance risk due to deleterious alterations to its aerodynamic properties. It is the purpose of this proposal to introduce a new approach to antenna/sensor design; namely, the utilization of the existing aircraft surfaces, wings and blades, as antenna structures. This concept is made possible through the utilization of microstrip patch elements [1], and microstrip reflectarrays [2]. The microstrip patch antenna is utilized for low frequency applications (i.e. < 5 GHz), while the microstrip reflectarray is optimum for frequencies greater than 5 GHz.The principal benefits of the proposed program are the proof of concept of simple applique type antenna systems which can be installed on a wide variety of military and commercial aircraft. This technology provides opportunities for the inclusion of advanced antenna technology on a much less invasive basis than conventional discrete antenna techniques. Such appliques may be integrated as portions of the fundamental airframe design, or they may be added to existing airframes with minimal aerodynamic performance impact. Systran Federal Corp. (SFC), the sister-company of Systran Corporation, which is a Products Development Company specializing in real-time networking (e.g., SCRAMNet*), proposes a novel architecture for Next Generation Distributed Simulation Technology. ALPHATECH proposes a coordinated, multi-platform, distributed fire control system that will help the warfighter manage large amounts of target and weapon information in support of timely decision making. This concept will leverage neuro-dynamic programming (NDP) for control and resource allocation, Bayesian networks for on-line learning from the sensor data, and mobile software agents for coordinating the distributed processing. These advances to multi-agent hybrid system control technology will support distributed intelligent decision making, planning, and real-time control. ALPHATECH experience mitigates overall program risk because: 1) we have demonstrated experience in using NDP technology for Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) resource allocation, 2) we have evaluated mobile software agents as flexible and fault tolerant tools for distributing computing and dynamic planning, 3) we have used Bayesian networks that use probability-based approaches to flexibly fuse information from distributed sensors, and 4) we have transitioned other advanced concepts into successful prototypes suitable for user demonstration and feedback. BENEFITS: This technology will help the Joint Forces Land Component Commander (JFLCC) and his subordinate commanders better allocate air and ground sensors / weapons to counter threat ground forces. It will help integrate fire missions and offer improved force effectiveness through enhanced command and control (C2). This technology, once mature, can be applied to distributed control problems have mixed discrete events and continuous time dynamics that are tightly coupled. It has the potential to reduce software costs and improve reliability. Examples include: manufacturing control, machine tool control, smart highway systems, air traffic management, and distributed robotic systems. As the size and sensitivity of infrared censors increase, the bandwidth to move date off the focal plane increases proportional to the number of pixels in the array. For analog focal planes, increased bandwidth also means increased noise. Off focal plane A./D as well as processing for offset and gain corrcetion also add noise. Power dissipation will also increase with size. The newly developed MOSAD technology places an A/D converter at each pixel, limiting noise vandwidth to temporal bandwidth,independent of array size. The converter requires no more surface area than the old analog detector interface it replaces. Digital at the pixel allows lower switching voltage over analog, reducing power consumption. The readout technology is absolutely linear and has zero offset. Power consuming and mouse limiting analog electronics can be eliminated from the system, improving reliability and decreasing cost. This A/D conversion process can be built with existing semiconductor technology. The technology is also less dependent on device parameters compared to other digital or analog approaches, giving it improved immunity to radiation effects and longer life.BENEFITS: There is a broad range of systems that can be developer with lover cost digital imager including: Safety ( aircraft landing, truck collision avoidance), Surveillance (law enforcement, assembly line) and earth resources ( atmospheric sounders, agricultural). Micro-gas turbine devices may offer the potential for power densities equivalent to today's large-scale power generation in small man-portable units. Successful implementation of such devices is dependent on the development of a refractory material capable of operating at high temperatures and extremely high stress levels. Semiconductor micro-fabrication techniques combined with chemical vapor deposited (CVD) silicon carbide process technology is being explored for producing MEMS-type turbine rotors. The fabrication of relatively thick (100-500 micron) devices is currently limited by the strength, residual stresses, and inadequate conformal coverage that is attributable to the columnar grain growth of thick vapor-deposited SiC. This Phase I program proposes to solve these limitations by producing a Nanolayered CVD SiC. Nanolayering of the CVD SiC structure is expected to result in enhanced strengths due to reduced grain size. The reduced grain size is critical as feature dimensions in potential high temperature MEMS decrease in scale. Nanolayering of CVD structures has also been demonstrated to improve surface replication as compared to the conventional, monolithic CVD material due to the elimination of columnar grain growth. This program will fabricate nanolayered CVD SiC materials and compare the microstructural and mechanical behavior of these materials to conventional CVD SiC. BENEFITS: Nanostructured ceramic materials IS an emerging class or materials that may be the enabling technology for the fabrication of refractory MEMS devices such as the micro-gas turbine or other high temperature, wear resistant MEMS (i.e. bearings, sensors, actuators). Potential applications include high temperature, corrosion/erosion resistant coatings, high strength oxidation protective coatings, ultra-hard cutting tool materials and coatings. We propose to develop a new generation of miniature electrostatic analyzers (ESA)suitable for use on microsatellites that may be fabricated by means of MEMS or electrochemistry. The resulting instrument will offer significant size, weight, and power advantages over existing technology. As part of this project we will develop new methods of building electron multipliers to comply with the size and volume requirements of the miniature ESAs. We will design and breadboard high-density electronics modules to bias, control, and process data from arrays of miniature ESAs. We will develop processing algorithms to compress and summarize array data. Electron multipliers are in wide commercial use for scientific instruments. New electron multiplier technology proposed here would be less expensive to manufacture with higher counting capacity and faster recovery than existing designs and will be competitive with existing products. Micro sensor arrays could define future spacecraft environment monitoring modules and laboratory plasma diagnostics. Physical Sciences Inc. proposes to develop and test an innovative, lightweight, multi-configuration sensor to monitor the space weather environment. PSI's scintillator-based sensor is ideally suited to monitoring the lower energy (20 to 1000 keV) charged particle environment. The PSI sensor design is compatible with the weight, volume, and power requirements of nanosatellites. The PSI sensor design does not rely upon a magnetic sector to discriminate between particle types; rather it takes advantage of cross-section characteristics and scintillator properties to discriminate. We have proven the feasibility of our approach in Phase I; i.e., using thin films of materials to create particle-specific detectors, fiber-optically coupled to a position-sensitive photomultiplier tube. The result is a tremendous savings in weight and volume. A compelling aspect of the PSI concept is its flexibility. While, during Phase I, PSI optimized the sensor to detect low energy charged particles, the design is adaptable to different energy regimes. By simply changing the scintillator thickness and materials, the PSI sensor is configured to other energy regimes. To ensure that we meet the science and engineering needs of both space weather monitoring and nanosatellite requirements, we are working with experts in these fields. The rotorcraft industry lacks a validated analysis tool that would enable designers to use composite bonded joints in primary structures. The overall goal of this program is to develop such a tool by combining state-of-the-art analysis methods with an extensive test database in order to generate certifiable strength and fatigue life predictions of rotorcraft joint configurations and loading conditions. For Phase I and Phase I Option, NSE Composites Stress Services (NSE) is teamed with members of the rotorcraft industry (Bell, Boeing Helicopter, and Sikorsky) to identify candidate joints that have potentially high payoff as bonded joint redesigns. NSE and its research consultants will conduct state- of-the-art strength and fatigue analyses on selected configurations. NSE's hybrid analytical approach is based on a strength-of-materials approach to determine damage initiation, and a fracture mechanics approach to assess damage progression. Accumulation of damage due to fatigue spectra will also be predicted. The Phase I and Phase I Option results will be: a detailed definition of candidate joints, a preliminary evaluation of the selected analytical approach, a preliminary Phase II test matrix, and a flowchart of the software to be developed in Phase II. BENEFITS: The benefit of a validated analysis tool for composite bonded joints is higher efficiency, lower cost composite structural designs. The initial commercialization will be aimed at the rotorcraft industry. As the analytical approaches are validated over a wider range of configurations, the tool will have general aerospace application. In this two-year Phase II SBIR project Pathfinder systems will build and demonstrate a prototype of the Glass Turret Visualization System concept. The demonstration will take place in the summer of 2001 on board a moving platform at Ft Hood, TX. The platform will be an M1A2 Main Battle Tank. a Bradley Infantry Fighting Vehicle, or a surrogate vehicle with M1A2 electronics. A camera system acquires the panoramic view of the terrain surrounding the platform following the gaze of the Tank Commander, or under manual control. This view of the external world is combined with virtual overlays of control measures and intelligence information forming a combined with virtual overlays of control measures and intelligence information forming a combined view displayed in a high-resolution head-mounted color display and on an LCD panel. This combined view of real-world and virtual information provides improved, comprehensive understanding of the battle space surrounding the user's vehicle. The assumed user of this capability is the Tank Platoon Leader. The proposed demonstration will be scheduled to coincide with the U.S. Army STRICOM Live Fire Against Virtual Targets demonstration. The two demonstrations will share equipment, software and facilities to the extent feasible. STRICOM has provided the required Fast Track Phase II matching funds for the Glass Turret Visualization System demonstration. We propose to conduct measurements on test engines to demonstrate the feasibility of controlled combustion and emissions in a high power density, low geometric compression ratio, advanced direct-injection diesel engine. Models will be enhanced to support measurements. Modulation of charge air temperature and pressure in conjunction with electronic fuel injection, the use of turbo charging, supercharging, turbo compounding and insulation are the elements that lead to integrated, optimized, precise control of the combustion process The potential transformation of the oxygen in highly heated charge air to its singlet excited state and its role on combustion and emissions will also be explored. The air mass flow and the fuel injection rates will be adjustable to obtain desired power level within the constraints of engine structural strength, thermal flows, and the production of particulates and other exhaust emissions. In Phase I, we conducted research technologies on concept designs which substantiated via analytical calculations and modeling, and available engine data. In Phase II, the concept shall be demonstrated using single-cylinder and multi-cylinder diesel engines operating under the conditions of the high output military engine with improved exhaust emissions of particulates and oxides of nitrogen. BENEFITS: Our efforts will develop very high power density diesel engines with integrated control strategy which will improve combustion throughout the engine duty cycle; the benefits include lower smoke/particulates, improved cold starting, and enhanced engine performance in all phases of engine operation. The Phase III dual use applications commercial engines will be explored with a view towards meeting legislated exhaust emissions using this technology. The engine systems to be described here are applicable to many automotive systems including tactical and combat vehicles and other mobile and fixed engine systems which can operate using available hydrocarbon fuels. The resulting engine systems will operate over the operating cycle with very low smoke/particulates, little to no ignition delay, low noise, vibration, and harshness easy cold weather starting, tolerant of a wide range of fuels, and high efficiency. With controlled combustion, the peak temperature in the combustion chamber would be controlled by the fuel injection rate. PCA proposes developing a software system to analyze test program set (TPS) source code to extract, synthesize, and analyze test parameters, interface characteristics, and switching requirements. The tool will compare this data against an interface specification database for a designated Automatic Test System (ATS) to generate a pin mapping and interface definition database that will help to: reprogram or rehost the original TPS, and to design Interface Connection Device (IOD) hardware. Development will include programming, integration, and testing the following tool elements: 1) Specialized compiler programs to extract required TPS data, 2) programs to map Unit-Under-Test (UUT) input/output (I/O) pin data from one ATS to another, 3) the Graphical User Interface (GUI), and 5) Output Reports and data files for integration with Computer Aided Design (CAD) to automate the development of rehost ICDs for the target ATS. Our Primary Phase II goal will be to develop a prototype software tool that can be applied to support the many Army, Navy, Air Force, and Marine TPS rehost programs now being planned through 2006. The software tool will be demonstrated using TPSs to be rehosted from a legacy Army ATS to the Army's Integrated Family of Test Equipment (IFTE). BENEFITS: Successful results of this research will benefit the DOD, aviation maintainers, automotive electronics diagnosticians, and commercial electronics manufacturers who test, repair, and maintain complex electronic Systems. Savings are estimated on the order of hundreds of millions of dollars per year. While major advances have been made in complex missile component thermal and thermo-structural analysis software and desktop computing, technological advances in the generation of convective heating and pressure boundary conditions have not kept pace. The objective of this effort is to develop an efficient and easy-to-use analysis tool for generating and applying these boundary conditions. To this end, our existing software will be modified and upgraded and an interface tool developed so it can be readily used to generate and transfer boundary conditions for finite element analyses of external missile structures. The Maneuvering Aerotherm Shape Change Code (MASCC) computer code can currently model all of the phenomena of interest relative to external missile heating in supersonic and hypersonic flight regimes. Much of the missile geometry inputs that are currently done by hand will be automated under this program. The development of a Graphical User Interface, which steps the user through development of a geometry model and input of environments, is a significant part of this program. A single, standard graphical desktop tool set for all UNIX based platforms will be developed. BENEFITS: The automated analysis tool developed in this program will provide the thermal analyst an easy to use technique for generating and applying boundary conditions to external missile surfaces. The capabilities provided by the MASCC code will provide the analyst the ability to mode1 all important phenomenology relative to aerodynamic heating of missile. In phase I, Powdermet Inc. developed and demonstrated the CVD FB process for the production Composites technology has reached a level of technical maturity that now permits its common usage in a wide array of structures from air and spacecraft to automobiles and bridges. With this widespread use, particularly in the military, there is now a major focus on cost. A major advancement in cost reduction is achieved through the use of Vacuum Assisted Resin Transfer Molding (VARTM) and low- or room-temperature cure. With VARTM, as well as other non-prepreg processes, the cost of this assemblage remains a major target for reduction. Foster-Miller proposes to develop a low cost, continuous spool, joining tool which can be conveniently used to assemble dry preforms and secure plies to facilitate VARTM processing. The stock is inexpensively formed, can be provided in a range of materials and diameters to address different applications, and can be instantly adjusted by the operator. In Phase I, Foster-Miller will develop the feed stock, demonstrate its performance in holding dry preforms, prove its effectiveness in not degrading the finished composite and develop an initial design for the delivery system. In the option, an initial delivery system will be fabricated. Foster-Miller will license the developed system to our spin-off company Aztex, Inc. for commercial production. BENEFITS: The proposed development will have broad commercial potential as a convenient, low cost method for assembling dry fiber preforms. VARTM processed, large, primarily fiberglass, structures are being introduced or used in yachts, bridges, rail cars, Navy deck houses and offshore drilling rigs. The Foster-Miller system is well suited to support preforming without degrading the properties of the finished product. IR sensors are extremely valuable tools for a vast array of applications in areas ranging from astronomy to national security. The advancement of multi-waveband IR detectors faces serious hurdles due to the interconnection between the sensor elements and the electronics substrates. The interconnect technology has emerged as the limiting factor in the signal processing and durability of these multi-waveband sensors. These problems are sometimes caused by the fill factor of the interconnect between the detector and the electronics substrates, and/or the size of the interconnect metal (indium bump). The objective of this research project is the continued development of the interconnect technology from Phase I. MBI's goals are to produce an industrial instrument for this novel interconnect-technology and to assemble a functioning IR detector array with 320x256 elements. This surpasses the proposal call goals. MBI assembly process utilizes the advantage of high-frequency electromagnetic waves to bond semiconductor substrates. This process should enhance the performance of these detectors while lowering their production cost. OTC proposes the development of a high power optically activated solid-state switch for the enhancement of current pulse power and power electronic systems. The switch is packaged into 100kV/100kA modules with a rise-time of <10ns. The switch is fabricated by direct contacting (wafer bonding or alloying) of multiple thyristor elements in series, a technique which would offer the opportunity of both a high degree of compactness (low inductance) as well as manufacturability. The optical switching results in ultra-low jitter (ps) between switch modules and enables series and parallel configurations for mega-ampere and mega-voltage applications. This advanced switch technology makes feasible more reliable, compact and less costly, pulsed power systems, based entirely on solid-state switching technology.The development of this advanced solid state switch will enable high peak power systems to utilize semiconductor switching. This will make them more reliable, and less costly to build and maintain. Commercial applications are numerous; some include protecting electric utility and telecommunication systems from high current surges caused by lightning strikes and switching transients. The objective of this Phase I effort is to define a core model of a packet/circuit switched satellite system, based on a commercial modeling and simulation tool, which can be leveraged in future simulation efforts. The functions to be simulated in the future and the metrics to be obtained in these simulations will be determined and prioritized so that the core model contains the appropriate detail and is easily adaptable to a variety of future applications. In addition to defining the core model, key portions of the model will be implemented and demonstrated to prove the feasibility of this concept. Finally, a users manual will be developed to provide an understanding of the core model and guidance on how to adapt the model to support a variety of simulations. The Phase II effort will build on Phase I by completing the implementation of the core model. This model will be exercised to verify and validate the model. Finally, this model will be demonstrated and delivered with documentation to provide guidance on using the core model as the basis for future models and simulations. Reconfiguration for a re-usable launch vehicle (RLV) presents a number of unique challenges not addressed in prior fixed-wing controls work; these challenges include extremely fast dynamics in the hypersonic regime and the need to adapt trajectory profiles quickly to achieve (possibly revised) mission objectives safely. Barron Associates, Inc. (BAI) has teamed with Orbital Sciences Corporation to develop a continuously adaptive-reconfigurable guidance system for hypersonic RLV systems. BAI will leverage its past achievements in the field of reconfigurable controls and optimal guidance, and Orbital will substantially contribute with its vast experience in hypersonic vehicles. In Phase I, the BAI/Orbital team will concentrate on X-34 elevon effector failures; these failures are particularly challenging in that there is not enough control-effector redundancy to recover the original decoupled closed loop responses. The approach taken is to develop an innovative modular guidance technique that autonomously identifies degraded closed-inner-loop performance and adapts the guidance for the compromised system. A long-prediction horizon module is utilized to estimate final trajectory states and manage the RLV energy. A primary guidance module, concerned with overall stability, generates achievable trajectory commands at each update based on a short-prediction of the current identified closed-inner-loop system and the estimated long-prediction module. The main benefits of this work are: (1) development of a reconfigurable guidance approach for hypersonic RLVs that will enable adaptation of the trajectory due to degraded vehicle performance; (2) increased safety and reliability of this class of hypersonic RLVs. Phase II and III efforts will further develop the components of the reconfigurable guidance system, culminating in hardware bench demonstrations and Phase III flight tests. Commercialization will consist of (a) providing expertise and consulting to industry in the area of reconfigurable launch vehicle guidance and control, (b) developing software toolkits that aid control and guidance design of autonomous reconfigurable control and guidance systems that directly benefit hypersonic RLV and other aerospace programs, and (c) transitioning the technology to other commercial control applications. This proposal is responsive to the Air Force objective to develop a low-cost GPS-based Collision Avoidance System (GCAS) which uses GPS technology not only for determining the participating aircraft's position and velocity, but also for broadcasting that information continuously over a range in excess of 10 km around the aircraft, and for receiving the position and velocity information from up to (12) other participating aircraft. The GPS datalink equipment consists of COTS components, or subsystems which have been developed or are currently being developed at Mayflower through various DoD programs. The production cost of the proposed L-band/S-band GCAS equipment is conservatively expected to be less than $10,000. Our specific objectives for the Phase I demonstration are:a)Upgrade an existing 2-channel GPS Datalink Transmitter design to assemble a 10- channel unit.b)Demonstrate 10-channel GPS Datalink Receiver-Transmitter operation and collect and analyze performance characteristics regarding near-far effects and cross correlation distortion effects.c)Prepare a low-cost approach for Phase II in-flight demonstration, which, in addition to the Phase I functionality contains equipment for suppression of the RFI due to the datalink transmitter emissions.The Phase I research will demonstrate, via laboratory bench tests, the feasibility of the GCAS prototype system to meet AFFTC requirements. The Phase II program will include in-flight evaluation of the standalone GCAS system in the R2508 complex. Successful demonstration of the proposed low-cost GPS-based Collision Avoidance System prototype, will lead to an aircraft-safety product which can be produced in large-volume with commercial components and at a cost of less than $10,000. With technology miniaturization and integration with the GPS avionics, the proposed collision avoidance system can be standard aircraft equipment at a minimal incremental cost. As the application of advanced composites expands and new material systems are introduced and as the severity of mechanical, thermal, and environmental loading conditions increases, the analyses of durability, damage evaluation and failure of these structures under static and dynamic conditions becomes more and more important. It is the specific objective of this research: 1. To develop a global-local engineering methodology using homogenization theory for obtaining a model with varying degrees of fidelity that effectively describes the dynamic response of structures composed of periodic media, 2. To couple the global-local homogenization models of composite structures with local heterogeneous damage models and showing the practical feasibility of embedding different damage models into the coupled global local dynamic analysis, and 3. To incorporate the global-local dynamic models and local damage models into an existing finite element program and to analyze benchmark problems of impulsively-loaded structures which are of interest to the Army to assess the accuracy of the developed analysis tool. BENEFITS: The need for a robust composite structure design and an analysis tool capable of predicting the integrity of composite structures during impact or impulsive loading events exits in both commercial and military vehicle sectors. The software developed during this research will provide a practical tool for military designers, commercial designers, and manufacturers of composite materials to analyze and design lightweight composite vehicle bodies. Numerous ranges of other applications will also greatly benefit from this package. Operational demonstration of a CFC-free, electrically-powered thermoacoustic refrigeration unit is proposed, enabled by cost-shared availability of proposer's patented STAR resonant drivers. STARs (developed in part through previous SBIR work and already used in acoustic cryocoolers) uniquely resolve the primary performance problem demonstrated in all previous thermoacoustic refrigerators: the efficiency and power limitations of conventional drivers. STARs exhibit high electro-acoustic efficiency, intrinsic capacity modulation, and compact power delivery. The proposer's extensive experience with Stirling and thermoacoustic machine development assures similarly effective results in analysis, design, and production of specialized heat exchangers and other components proposed for this integrated thermoacoustic system.The work statement includes analysis, design, construction, and a proof test. There is a configuration study with cycle analyses to compare mechanical arrangement options in simulation (using DeltaE and Sage modeling codes). This is expected to show (for the optimal configuration) an average energy efficiency greater than existing vapor-compression equipment. Construction of a proof unit is included, using an existing STAR motor drive from the proposer's cryocooler products. Testing of the proof unit against a laboratory load will be done, to demonstrate electrically-driven thermoacoustic cooling power sufficient to serve the Army's 40 cubic foot field kitchen refrigerator (650 Btu/hr).STAR-powered, modulating, thermoacoustic refrigeration can significantly improve the logistical impact of food storage on Army field operations. Commercialization of this technology depends on early demonstration of superior energy efficiency and operational flexibility. The proposed Phase 1 project enables both military and commercial gains.For the Army's use, the anticipated results of this project provide a food storage cooling system that consumes less energy overall and exhibits significantly lower peak power, noise, and maintenance demand. Total field-use energy consumption includes not just steady-state operation, but transportation and support logistics. STAR-thermoacoustic cooling, lower peak power draws (through modulation) and lower maintenance demand (of simpler, long-life non-lubricated components) can reduce the size of field generators and the spare parts inventory essential to fielded readiness. Less to haul means more energy savings and enhanced operational flexibility. Smaller generators and higher efficiency mean less fuel carried and lower thermal signatures, too. The absence of conventional refrigerant in the proposed equipment also furthers the Army's mission to minimize adverse environmental impact in its operations.For commercial use, the proposed development of a military refrigerator is a necessary catalyst and a proving ground for advanced equipment that can address a huge number of civilian applications. The STAR-thermoacoustic cooling system is expected to offer overall performance superior to conventional vapor-compression systems, at comparable cost and size, in most cases where the cooling is delivered directly adjacent to the refrigeration machinery. These include: household and commercial refrigerators and freezers, grocery storage and display cases, vending machines, hotel room air conditioning/heat pumps, window and rooftop air conditioners, industrial cabinet and electronics cooling, and truck trailer and railcar cargo coolers. Only split system uses, like household central air conditioning, are not now practical to address. The proposers have identified a $16 billion/year addressable US market for these target applications. Present technologies use refrigerants that retain significant ozone-depletion or global-warming potentials and must be phased out soon. Other identified alternatives (e.g., absorption, thermoelectrics) have severe penalties in size, complexity, or efficiency. Adoption of the STAR-thermoacoustic technology proposed for this project in even a small fraction of these applications can eliminate the environmental threat while reducing the enormous electric energy consumption applied to such cooling, without major changes to the packaging or production of most products and at a reasonable cost.1) 1.9 Trillion kWhr/yr, $73Billion/yr for US Household 1997& commercial buildings 1995. This represents about 1/4 of total electric consumption for these sectors. Triton Systems proposes a high performance and smart material solution to produce more durable and reliable brake components for Army Light Vehicles. The technical approach is to develop a process for the advanced C-BN (carbon reinforced boron nitride) braking material using a unique family of proprietary ceramic precursors and an innovative catalytic process that is scalable and traceable to low cost manufacture. Furthermore, Triton will incorporate a newly developed real-time health monitoring system to improve safety and decrease O&S costs. During Phase I, the Triton Team will demonstrate the preparation of C-BN composites by the new scalable process and incorporate already proven direct contact "smart" CMC sensors. Thermal, friction, wear, oxidative, and hydrolytic properties will be tested to validate the performance of this exotic, but low-cost material. In the Phase I Option, Triton will down-select the process and material choices, prepare discs and conduct dynamometer testing. In Phase II, Triton will scale up and validate the best manufacturing process and materials with a Phase II manufacturing partner. An engineering design analysis task will be included to integrate the "smart" sensor output signal with other brake control and monitoring (i.e. ABS) systems. In Phase III, with an industrial partner, we will scale up to make and test prototype brake materials for advanced Army and commercial vehicles.In this Phase I and Phase I Option Program, Triton will demonstrate to the Army a proof of principle of new advanced braking materials, made by a cost effective process, now urgently needed for high performance Army Light Tactical and non-tactical wheeled vehicles, including the HMMWV, COMBATT, and Severe Duty Pickup. Triton's new and unique process and material will be used in advanced Army vehicles, with potential for use in commercial aircraft and high-performance trucks and passenger vehicles. EnerQuest Systems, LLC proposes to evaluate several aspects of LIDAR data processing that relate directly to digital feature extraction, classification and LIDAR filtering techniques. The development of data integration tools within an image processing and GIS environment will provide the capability to digitally extract 3-D earth surface feature information from LIDAR data. This includes: digital elevations of bare earth surfaces; vegetation; cultural features; 3-D tree canopy structures; 3-D building footprints and other related man-made structures processed within an automated environment over varying terrains. Phase I and the Phase I Option will be used to evaluate proposed techniques, and to design / implement a functional and commercially viable data processing regime using real time LIDAR data. Each technique will be evaluated to document its true functionality and limits as a function of terrain type, vegetation type / density, and cultural feature type. All techniques will be evaluated using existing or to be acquired RAMSTM LIDAR data sets. These results will be integrated within an image processing; GIS and database environment using a customized user interface built using C++ and Visual Basic programming techniques.Successful completion of the project will bring many benefits to the mappiing industry. It will reduce a currently labor intensive process to a fully automated one. The market value in the first five years alone is estimated at $135 million. Development of a low cost technology for applying wear and corrosion resistant coatings onto the internal surface of tank gun barrels is of great importance for high performance and extending the operational lifetime of modern artillery. Currently, a chrome plating method is used. However, this technology has several serious limitations including environmental hazards associated with the handling and disposal of the chemicals required for the chrome plating process. This proposal presents a new technology that is still under development that appears promising for applying wear and corrosion resistant coatings inside gun barrels. This technology has significant advantages when compared to with the current plating process and conventional thermal spray methods. A brief summary of the problems associated with chrome plating technology is presented; a new concept of spraying high quality coatings based on using the Cold Spray process is described. There is a great demand in industry for a cost effective technology to apply dense coatings inside tubes, pipes, and cylinders to enhance the wear resistance of components in contact with each other, and corrosion resistance to protect the pipe material from attack by the material flowing through it. Industries that would benefit from this technology include the military, chemical refineries, oil and gas, piping and tubing, automotive, and aerospace. Additionally, a market to sell Cold Spray equipment to coat the inside of cylindrical geometries would emerge to compete with other coating technologies stimulating the economy. The extreme exertions associated with military operations impose considerable stresses on the head and neck, and can cause musculoskeletal disorders, whiplash, and fatigue, all of which require medical attention and reduce force effectiveness. Wearing head mounted displays in addition to the standard issue helmet exacerbates the problem. To perform in situ measurements of head and neck stress Physical Optics Corporation proposes the Compact Upper Extremity Tracking and EMG Recording (CUE-TER) system, a solid state recording system capable of tracking the orientation of the head and torso and the forces, rotations, and muscle activity of the head and neck. The system will employ POC's proven microelectromechanical inertial sensors and advanced EMG recording technology to monitor head and neck motion for a full day. Fuzzy logic pattern recognition trigger burst mode recording of events of interest. BENEFITS: CUE-TER will contribute to ergonomic and time/motion analysis of the motion of any limb or extremity. CUE-TER will be useful for analysis of any form of repetitive stress injury (RSI), and in sports medicine to optimize athlete motion and minimize injuries. Finally, CUE-TER can be made small enough for use in in-situ veterinary studies. The proposed research effort focuses on developing a hot-press/HIP fabrication approach for transparent spinel armor plates up to 15 inches square and 0.5 inches thick. A processing protocol will be established that results in transmission in the visible range of >80% with a low scatter. Additionally the microstructure will be developed through understanding and controlling the processing variables to result in spinel plates with optimal ballistic performance. The Phase II research focuses on scaling the process from 4" to 15" square and establishing procedures suitable for commercial production. The fabrication procedure will be critically assessed to determine whether suitable material properties can be achieved in a single step process, resulting in a 30% cost savings and the potential to fabricate plates larger than 15" square. Missions for Special Operations Forces (SOF) are distinctive in their degree of jointness, their strict timing constraints, and their peculiar equipment requirements. Inter-modal lift planning for special operations is consequently a challenging task, and is further complicated by the unusually close connection between lift planning at the operational level and planning for the tactical mission (possibly including multiple branch plans for infiltration and exfiltration).This proposal explores the use of knowledge-based technologies from artificial intelligence to represent inter-modal lift planning problems for SOF operations. It also builds on recent innovations in the application of constraint programming methods to develop efficient algorithms for generating near-optimal solutions. Key technical challenges include the development of a rich knowledge representation framework sufficient to capture the unique aspects of the SOF inter-modal lift planning domain, characterizing SOF lift planning problems as constraint satisfaction problems (CSPs), and developing novel constraint-programming algorithms to generate near-optimal solutions. Phase I will demonstrate the feasibility of combining knowledge-based and constraint-programming technologies by constructing an initial software prototype. Phase II will implement tools that can be integrated with existing and emerging systems. The technology developed under this program will immediately benefit logistics planning for SOF operations, but also has more general application to crisis action planning for asymmetric threats, and planning time-critical civilian missions such as search and rescue. MTL Systems, Inc., Dr. Jiri Fridrich (Binghamton University), and Sterling Software, Inc. propose a "Watermarked High-performance Automated Multi-level Security" (WHAMS) system. WHAMS employs (1) innovative digital watermarking technologies, and (2) a robust and proven multi-security level (MSL) guard system - the Information Support Server Environment Guard (ISSE-Guard), which are two AFRL/IF-developed critical technologies. The Phase II effort will provide automated MSL operation through digital watermarking, and a viable watermarking/encryption-based commercial product. Objectives are to (1) Produce the WHAMS automated multi-security-level system, fully integrated with the ISSE-Guard system, (2) Provide additional information embedding and tampering detection capabilities, (3) Accredit the WHAMS-enhanced ISSE-Guard by performing the testing and qualification necessary for accreditation and user acceptance of the WHAMS-ISSE-Guard combination, and (4) Commercialize WHAMS by transitioning this technology into a commercial product. The results of Phase II will be (1) a delivered, installed, and demonstrated WHAMS product, fully integrated and operational under ISSE-Guard, (2) additional (optional) installations of WHAMS at other agencies and organizations, (3) full (optional) accreditation and certification of WHAMS-enhanced ISSE-Guard, (4) Interim demonstrations of alpha, beta, and product prototype versions of WHAMS, and (5) Project documentation, including a final technical report and a WHAMS installation and operator/user guide. Despite a long history of research on critical thinking (CT), efforts to train these skills have been hampered by the lack of a dominant model. The primary objective of Phase I will be to develop a model of CT, applied to military decision making. The model will be used in Phase II to direct development of an instructional system whose purpose will be to train future battle commanders in CT skills. The model will be used to identify and select a set of CT skills essential for successful Battle Command. A second objective will be that each skill selected should be trainable. A third objective of the Phase I effort will be to demonstrate that each CT skill comes with an associated suite of reliable and valid performance measures. The model of CT will be derived from several sources of information: (1) basic and applied literature on critical thinking, (2) a conceptual analysis of critical thinking cases, and (3) interviews with Army battlefield commanders. The model will situate critical thinking within the context of human cognitive processing and military decision-making. Phase I will culminate with specified functional requirements for an instructional program in critical thinking for battle commanders. BENEFITS: Phase II research will use the model and the functional requirements to develop a much-needed instructional system for military battlefield commanders. Because the decision and information demands levied on military commanders are extensive, training in critical thinking may greatly benefit the decision making process. However, this instructional system would be a valued and highly marketable product for other industries interested in promoting critical thinking (CT). For example, corporations may want to use the system to train their employees in CT. We anticipate that educational systems, in particular vocational training such as for nursing and technical education, would also be potential markets for the instructional system. The model will also direct development of reliable and valid assessment instruments of CT which could also be marketed to businesses and educational institutions interested in applying testing for assessment, selection, and placement issues. Avionic Instruments proposes to design, build, and qualify two 2.5 KVA selectable Soldiers in tomorrow's Army will need new skills to function in a technology intensive environment. To assess potential performance in jobs of the future, we propose to develop a Job Skills Model that combines extensive existing models and performance data for today, s jobs with models and measures for the new skills required for tomorrow's jobs, to be assessed in a simulation testbed. Our multidisciplinary project team combines extensive experience in assessing and modeling the job skills of today's soldiers (Micro Analysis and Design) with a proven simulation-based approach for measuring the complex decision-making expertise of Army commanders and the communication and coordination skills of teams in simulated environments (Aptima). Our Phase I products will be a Job Skills Model for selected jobs and a demonstration of how data will be collected in a simulation teethed to populate and validate the model. In Phase II we will use the Distributed Dynamic Decision making simulation to collect performance data and will deliver a validated Job Skills Model, measures for assessing both the existing and new skills required by those jobs, and a simulation teethed for measuring complex decision making and teamwork skills that cannot be assessed in naturalistic environments using more conventional means. BENEFITS: A measurement approach and a set of modeling and simulation tools for assessing the skills needed and the ability of individuals to perform in tomorrow's dynamic, technology intensive job environments will be valuable to both government and industry for assessing manning optimization and corporate restructuring alternatives, measuring information management skills and performance, and assessing teamwork skills in collaborative workgroups. Presidential Executive Order 12941 requires that all federal agencies inventory their buildings and estimate the cost of achieving adequate seismic safety. The Foster-Miller team provides an innovative seismic retrofit solution, noted expertise in event modeling and code revision and a clear path to cost-effective production. The resultant energy dissipation product will provide a viable alternative to the use of viscous dampers at a fraction of the cost. The proposed concept builds on a novel idea put forth for the Osaka convention center in Japan. Yielding diagonal frame members can be included in a new building, or added as a retrofit, to provide energy dissipation during a seismic event. Foster-Miller will develop a diagonal bracing system that will yield in both tension and compression to achieve energy dissipation. Hybrid carbon and fiberglass pultruded composite braces will be used to constrain buckling under compression loads while not adversely contributing to the axial stiffness. Foster-Miller will direct the program and provide expertise in design, modeling and implementation of novel composite structures. Fluor Daniel will support the assessment of performance and code requirements. McNamara/Salvia will provide seismic evaluation and design expertise. Glasforms, a leading pultrusion manufacturer, provides cost-effective commercial production. BENEFITS: The proposed system is a low cost option for seismic energy dissipation in both new and retrofitted buildings. As design for seismic performance is being required throughout the U.S. and abroad, the commercial market for this product is very large. Foster-Miller has assembled an expert team that can realize both cost-effective production and widespread implementation. In Phase I, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) demonstrated the feasibility of liquid crystal tunable transmissive polarization filter (LCTPF) technology for polarimetric infrared imaging. Current polarization filters are largely limited to operation at visible wavelengths; those for infrared wavelengths are based on wiregrids and are unsuitable for real-time polarimetric imaging. The LCTPF is based on POC's unique Tunable Refractive Birefringent Optics (TURBO) technology, integrating a microprism array with liquid crystal. LCTPF is monolithic, compact, and low-voltage tunable. It is superior in its potential efficiency and extinction ratio, wide wavelength coverage, and scalability to large apertures. The LCTPF itself is commercially attractive because it will be producible at low Cost using mature fabrication technology and commercial materials. Phase I work involved a thorough design and performance analysis of the LCTPF, and demonstrated a proof-of-concept device at visible to near infrared wavelengths. In Phase II, POC will optimize the device design and component fabrication, and will develop fully functional prototypes for the 3-5 ~m and 8-12 um IR spectral ranges. POC anticipates that the Phase II effort will produce a rugged and field deployable modulated polarization filter for next-generation forward looking IR and IR seeker systems. BENEFITS: This project will lead to low-cost, high performance, large aperture tunable IR polarization filter technology that can be integrated into many IR imaging Systems. Commercial applications include ice detection on planes, roads, and bridges, geological remote sensing, pollution monitoring, nondestructive testing, and medical imaging. A portable hydrogen source for proton exchange membrane fuel cells (PEMFCs) is Triton Systems proposes a Phase II effort to develop a breakthrough seam technology that eliminates premature seam failures associated with collapsible tanks. The design is based on three distinct innovations that were demonstrated during Phase I. The first is a new sensing technology that automatically detects the onset of leaks long before a catastrophic seam failure. The second innovation is based on Triton's patented SmartBondT induction bonding technique to weld the seams of the collapsible tanks. The third contribution is the use of Triton's patented nano-barrier material in a film that protects the seam against ultraviolet radiation, hydrolytic degradation, and chemical attacks. This proposal discusses solutions to solicitations for compact aerial vehicle surveillance and auto-navigation systems. These solutions provide an integrated system that weighs less than 150 grams, consumes less than two Watts, and communicates its data within a two megabit per second bandwidth. The proposed solutions provide "electronic film" surveillance of square kilometer target zones while demonstrating autonomous navigation. The image sensors used to capture the surveillance and navigational information are based on CMOS Active Pixel Sensor technology. CMOS APS demonstrate very low power usage, ultra-wide dynamic ranges, high image quality, and on-chip mixed signal processing capabilities. This class of sensor technology has been used in weight-power critical systems, such as satellites and other spacecraft, and is therefore ideal for use in compact aerial vehicles. Though the system will be fully capable of performing unassisted, it will also be capable of receiving new performance instructions form a ground-based operator. BENEFITS: The benefits anticipated from this proposal are the advancement of ultra-high resolution, panoramic, ultra-wide dynamic range surveillance camera systems. Commercially, such systems can be used in arenas such as security, guidance, and theater. As well, the autonomous navigational systems can be used in arenas such as robotics, the automotive industry, and toys SBIR Phase II proposal is submitted here for evaluation. A compact millimeter-wave waveguide-integrated low loss antenna with a forward tilted fan-beam covering about 90x3.2 degreesis proposed. A total of eight antennas will be integrated into a 4-inch diameter package. The package also will include at least two sets of oscillator-upconverter modules and four receiver mixers to generate four sets of ultra-linear FMCW waveform radar sensors as our basic approach to the Smart Sensor Package (SSP). A semiconductor monolithic integrated frontend approach will also be investigated to take advantage of the ongoing development of millimeter-wave communication and radar frontend chip sets in the market place. Electronics will be supplied by CHANG for the the test and evaluation of the integrated sensor frontend package. The test electronics supplied by us will emphasis the ability for future electronics (including digital signal processor) miniaturization and integration into the 4-inch diameter package. Because of GPS outages, supplemental positioning capabilities are required to In Phase I, Microcosm demonstrated an all-composite cryogenic propellant tank fabricated out-of-autoclave. This revolutionary 42-inch LOX tank, tested with liquid nitrogen at 1.2 times maximum operating pressure, weighs 43% of one made of 2219 aluminum, and was produced for 15% of the cost. The design was scaled-up from our 10-inch IR&D tanks, one of which was the world's first all-composite LOX tank to be flown. Phase II refines the tank design and production process to achieve flight-quality for the larger tanks. We first evaluate the Phase I tank, other SR-XM program tanks, and various material coupons. A more robust design will be developed, replacing the aluminum boss and fiberglass core with carbon-composite components. Carbon fabric cores demonstrated at the 10-inch scale, were not used in Phase I due to thermal stresses between a scaled-up core and aluminum boss. Use of carbon-composite in both the boss and core material will essentially eliminate these thermal stresses and enable further scale-up. A Resin Transfer Molded (RTM) or Compression-Molded carbon-composite boss will be developed. The manufacturing process will be refined to improve consistency and repeatability. Three 42-inch tanks will be built and tested, including a flight-quality LOX tank to be delivered to AFRL. Under this Phase II SBIR effort Kestrel Corporation proposes to demonstrate the advantages of a distorted grating based wavefront sensor for measuring wavefront aberrations under propagation conditions that simulate the high levels of aberrations found in an Airborne Laser (ABL) application. The proposed technique was conceptually demonstrated during Phase I laboratory experiments where the sensor reconstructed phase maps under highly scintillated conditions that could not accurately be reconstructed using conventional wavefront sensors. The Phase II testing will be done at the Lincoln Laboratory Advanced Concepts Laboratory in parallel with a conventional wavefront sensor to allow direct comparison between the two technologies and where the sensor can be coupled to a deformable mirror. The distorted grating wavefront sensing technique has the potential of overcoming existing shortfalls in wavefront sensing by providing increased accuracy, improved optical efficiency, and relaxed alignment requirements. Mortar tube erosion is the result of thermal and chemical interactions between the tube materials and the propellant combustion gases. A well-engineered material system could manage the thermal conditions inside the tube, reduce the erosion, and decrease the tube weight. In the domain of weapon/fire control systems, embedded software will be a key cost This research will develop principles and plans for a user-focused architecture for embedded applications for war fighters. The concept of a user-focused architecture is based on new, sophisticated system services centered in the user interface. These services will allow the user to move data easily from one application to another, and to or from the tactical display. These services will improve the user control over the processing of the embedded applications while at the same time reducing the cost and effort in building or integrating new software. This approach does not prevent Parallel efforts to standardize other levels in the system, such as databases or application content. However, it is superior to those methods because (1) it isolates applications from one another more effectively and (2) it gives control over the sharing of information to the user rather than to software designers. This approach does not compete with object broker implementations but rather it builds on those techniques to further insulate applications from each other's construction details. In this approach, applications share information from other parts of the system as directed by the user and managed by advanced services provided in the user interface. BENEFITS: This new architecture will permit multiple applications, of new and legacy to be added to an embedded application in a straightforward manner. It will allow these new applications to be developed in a way that permits the user to use all the components of the system in a synergistically, without having to modify, control, or publish the details of an application's processing or database. Further, systems with this architecture will have dramatically reduced user training time when new applications This proposal addresses the Army requirement to develop and demonstrate a small CRPA for missile applications, enabling low-cost GPS anti-jam antenna solutions for wideband jammer threats. Mayflower is proposing to develop a small, low-cost tactical GPS array and antenna electronics unit to suppress up to three (3) wideband jammers in excess of 30 dB with a convergence time of less than 1 ms. The unique feature of the Mayflower small CRPA is that the signal distortions associated with the reduction of the antenna spacing and miniaturization of the antenna elements are compensated automatically by the antenna algorithm, instead of expensive calibrations and modifications of the array housing in order to reduce the mutual coupling. In addition, the antenna algorithm will be implemented in an existing Mayflower antenna electronics unit through mostly software changes. Miniaturization of the antenna electronics in a future program by developing a downconverter MMIC and a digital beamformer ASIC, will result in a unique, miniature, low-cost, GPS anti-jam system for small missile applications. The GPS has become an essential component of the Warfighting apparatus of the United States. Although the system has had outstanding success in enhancing Warfighting capability, it is recognized that there are weaknesses in the system that must be removed if needed performance is to be realized in the 21st century. Currently, the greatest need in navigation is jamming resistant technology. Narrowband sources of interference can easily be countered using nonlinear adaptive frequency domain filtering/processing techniques, namely frequency domain excision (FFT-based excision). Current FFTs dissipate excessive amounts of power and are therefore not applicable in relatively small (handheld) GPS receivers and satellite nodes. Our proposed effort will develop a very low power FFT, while also developing a capability for implementing FFT functions for other space processing needs. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project will determine the feasibility of laser-based ultrasonic inspection for the detection of defects under porous coatings, specifically thermal barrier coatings. Laser ultrasound is a developing field and can be used for remote measurements of parts in hostile environments where traditional transducer-based ultrasound techniques cannot be used. A laser-based ultrasonic system is composed of a generation laser and a laser receiver. The generation laser is a pulsed laser. The absorption of a short laser pulse causes local heating of the sample, generating an ultrasonic stress wave. This wave is detected where it reaches the surface by a laser interferometer. One promising interferometric receiver uses two-wave mixing in a photorefractive material to coherently combine a plane-wave reference beam and a probe beam which has been distorted while interrogating the rough test surface. In this program we will investigate a number of inspection geometries for high-sensitivity detection and localization of defects cracks. We will seek to optimize the sensitivity of our laser ultrasonic technique by taking advantage of modern appropriate signal processing techniques. Our laser-based ultrasonic inspection technique will allow the non-destructive detection of defects under porous coatings. The principal commercial market for this inspection technique is for the in-service inspection of aircraft engine and power generation turbine blades. The ability of the technique to perform in-situ (without blade removal) inspection of both the substrate and the coating will generate significant cost savings. Furthermore, this technique also enables real-time control of the thermal barrier coating deposition process for increased efficiency and lower cost. The widespread use of communication devices and radar systems has made our society increasingly vulnerable to disruptive high-power, short-pulse electromagnetic interference (EMI) and high power microwaves (HPM). Significant advances in devices that produce these high-power, short pulses have been made in the US and abroad in the past few decades. As a result, the need for devices that can protect sensitive communications equipment from such devices is greater than ever. The plasma limiter device being developed in this program has the potential to be the most effective transient suppression device available. The primary objective of the proposed Phase II program is the development of a large-scale plasma limiter that can reflect up to 10 kW of X-band RF power in a response time less than 1 nsec. The device will be implemented in both rectangular waveguide (such as WR90) and stripline packaging. Usage of the limiter will be aimed at front-end protection. An additional specification of the device will be low insertion loss, < 0.1 dB. We propose to develop a SiC inverter for controlling a three-phase AC induction motor of at least 6 HP. In Phase I, we shall concentrate on (i) building a Si-based inverter with DSP for real time control by using high speed Si devices for over 30 KHz operation, (ii) building a hybrid SiC-diode/Si-IGBT based inverter and evaluating its performance, (iii) preliminary design of a SiC-based inverter, (iv) survey of state-fo-the-art in SiC device development and identifying the type of SiC devices for Phase II SiC inverter development, and (v) drafting a test plan for the SiC inverter. In Phase I, inverter characterization will be concentrated on switching losses vs. temperature, inverter efficiency at different temperatures, and the highest possible operating frequency and temperature. We shall also, in Phase I, characterize state-of-the-art SiC diode as well as its performance in the hybrid inverter circuit. In Phase II, SiC devices will be procured to build SiC inverters for motor control up to at least 6 HP. Improved SiC inverter design will be identified and used to guide the commercial development in Phase III.High performance SiC inverters for motor control in Army vehicles such as HMMWV and for commercial hybrid and all electric vehicles as well as for numerous commercial power electronic systems. We propose an innovative combination of text analysis and data mining techniques in the design of an information intelligence-based program management system. By drawing on our extensive experience, we have devised a novel approach to translating free and field-delineated text into quantitative data suitable for use with a wide range of data mining techniques. In particular, our system (FlexiMiner), will support the application of text preprocessing, term discovery, concept formation, and automated text segmentation techniques in the encoding of text documents. The resulting quantitative data can take on a variety of forms depending on the goals of the analyst and the available computational resources. FlexiMiner will offer an improved capability to explore material needs documents and open source R&D abstracts, as well as discover logical linkages between these two sets of information. Finally, the ability to do cross-field pattern discovery and free-text analysis will offer more flexibility than that offered by the Technology Opportunities Analysis System. Phase I research and development of a proof-of-concept limited prototype will build on our existing data mining toolkit, IKODA, and lay the groundwork for the Phase II implementation of a fully functional common tool suite for both text and quantitative data mining.The US military is not alone in its need for advanced text mining tools. The proposed system would be very valuable to venture capitalists, medical researchers, and engineering design firms. This proposal describes an effort to build an integrated suite of tools for R&D Program Managers, incorporating text mining and data mining tools for information extraction and knowledge discovery from requirement sources and bibliographic databases of R&D literature. Successful program management depends in part on identifying and understanding requirements, discerning linkages among requirements (e.g., commonality, dependency, priority, etc.), and recognizing correspondence between program requirements and the capabilities of available resources. Requirements take several forms, but of particular interest are large written documents, such as Strategic Plans and R&D Master Plans. Requirements may originate from databases of operating experience and maintenance information. In either the database form or the resulting documents, mastery of these information sources presents a daunting challenge. The technologies of text and data mining have great potential for assisting Program Managers in their task of defining or understanding requirements from these very large data sources by identifying relationships among requirements and discovering connections between the requirements and other R&D activities reported in bibliographic databases. In Phase I, we will 1) analyze requirements sources, 2) prepare a report on text and data mining techniques, 3) develop a software specification, and 4) demonstrate the feasibility by developing a demonstration prototype.Successful completion of all three phases of this program will result in a powerful suite of tools for text mining. Program Managers in large organizations (government and commercial) will be able to use these tools to extract knowledge from databases of operational and maintenance experience. This knowledge will assist the Program Manager in defining, articulating, and defending programmatic requirements. The suite of tools will also allow the manager to mine clusters of requirements from free text documents such as Requirements Documents, Science and Technology Master Plans, and Strategic Plans. These requirements clusters can then be used to mine open literature S&T bibliographic databases to identify centers of excellence and assess the qualifications of individuals and organizations submitting proposals. By cross-mining requirements documents and S&T literature, the manager can also find new relationships among technologies and applications that may provide leverage points for investment of R&D resources. By mining internal research plans against patent databases, managers can enhance their protection of an organization's intellectual property by assessing how their research agenda and product development plans compare with their competitor's patent strategy. This proposal shows a comprehensive approach for the development of advanced decoy technologies that answers key issues in fidelity and validation in all the importantsignature realms. The basis of the SimTech approach is a full "virtual prototyping" environment that utilizes computer modeling, state-of-the-art signature analysis, plus experience in fabrication and design. The SimTech team's abilities in these areas are documented in numerous publications. The proposed products from Phase I are examples of decoy virtual models - complete with signature analysis, and validation approaches - including novel evaluation metrics. Overall, the Phase I approach is shown to lay a foundation upon which a Phase II effort may be built. Several goals of a Phase II effort are discussed, including development of an innovative decoy/target signature testbed. This novel product would be as a logical and much needed spin-off from the decoy world to the target world, and carries the potential for outside investment.This novel product would be as a logical and much needed spin-off from the decoy world to the target world, and carries the potential for outside investment. Christensen Arms proposes to research and apply existing high temperature materials to expand current lightweight gun barrel technology. Christensen Arms to date, has designed, structurally analyzed and fabricated for the civilian and military market over 1,000 lightweight graphite-epoxy gun barrels (.17 caliber through .50 Caliber). Test specimens have strongly demonstrated significant temperature reductions over standard metal barrels per MIL-S-46047E. The barrel design will take advantage of years of past advanced composite experience by Christensen Arms design and production team. This includes research experience on many DoD composite weapon system designs, including analysis, pre-production fabrication, tooling, first article testing and production-run manufacturing of land, water and aerospace components and assemblies. Current company funded research on high temperature materials for semi and fully automatic weapons will be incorporated.Christensen Arms standard barrels have a thin match grade stainless steel liner and are over-wound with a graphite/epoxy casing in accordance with four patents and two patents pending. The design for this proposal will be based on this proven technology.Existing ultra high temperature resistant metals and/or barrier/wear coatings will be used for the barrel liner. An existing or an in-house high temperature composite matrix will be used for the barrel casing.Christensen Arms is committed to succeeding during the Phase I effort of the lightweight gun barrel program. We sincerely feel that we are closing in on the solution or combination of solutions to this now long standing need. If the program is a success, then it will be a great advancement in gun technology. Our findings show that there are a significant number of small to medium sized commercial entities that are also in various stages of solving this problem. We have aligned ourselves with some of them and intend to achieve further alignments in the near future. The benefits of these many efforts will result in superiority in some extremely critical weapon systems throughout the DoD. Potential Commercial Applications other than weapons include: Pistons and piston housings(combustion engines), High pressure or hot ignition chambers(rocket motors, jet engines, aerospace), Hot gas insulation chambers(Automobile mufflers/catalytic converters), Grating(Blast Furnace), Chimneys/Flues(Coal/Nuclear powered plants), Personal high pressure tanks(Underwater, underground, hazardous conditions, fire fighting), Combustible Transport Tanks(Fuel tanker trucks, trains, aircraft), Explosion proof chambers(Grain silos), High temperature friction surfaces(Aircraft brakes, spacecraft brakes/surfaces, pulleys, bearings, gears) A concept for a Gaze-based Point-And-Click (G-PAC) interface component is proposed as an ideal human-computer interaction technology for operations within moving vehicles. In recent years there has been considerable interest in combat vehicle crew reduction through the incorporation of increased automation. As currently envisioned, these automation systems require the use of mouse or trackball. The need to simultaneously manipulate other manual control devices makes the use of these standard manual computer interface mechanisms impracticable. Beginning with an analysis of hands-free HCI component requirements, in both real-world vehicle contexts and software reference architecture contexts, we propose to develop a multimodal interface based on eye-tracking and speech recognition technologies. G-PAC will allow crewmembers to perform point-and-click operations on graphical interface objects in a manner similar to mouse-based systems, while simultaneously performing manual control operations. G-PAC builds on earlier research performed by the proposed research team which demonstrated the feasibility of building versatile control mechanisms by combining eye-control and voice-control techniques. The G-PAC interface addresses the extension of previous eye-voice interface research into the context of combat vehicle systems and plug-and-play architectures. The proposed Phase I effort will culminate in a proof-of-concept demonstration that will show multimodal interaction in a simulated vehicle context.Where human operators are required to continuously manipulate manual controls while interacting with computer-based systems, the need for hands-free interface technology is clear. G-PAC is an ideal interface technology in these situations. In addition to a wide range of military contexts, potential applications are envisioned for, among others, firefighting and police operations domains. G-PAC also offers the opportunity of opening the computer market up to a large disabled population which cannot function with mouse-based systems. We propose to integrate the latest commercial, off the shelf technology to build autonomous fire control systems for mortars. While the technologies are familiar individually (GPS attitude, magnetometers, laser rangefinders, MEMS inertial sensors) we will demonstrate full function indirect and direct fire control solutions with a fraction of the weight and cost of today's equipment. Through dynamic simulation we argue that these new technologies can transform the handheld 60 mm M1 mortar into a precision direct fire weapon. We will also field demonstrate an SPS (Standard Positioning Service) kinematic GPS as a replacement for traditional aiming sticks as azimuth reference. In Phase 2 we will partner with Trimble to demonstrate improved accuracy with a Y code (PPS) version. It's time for a change in mortar firing doctrine.The results of this R&D program have a very high probability of being commercialized within the DoD and industry. This technology can transform the 60mm from an area weapon to an accurate and versatile direct fire gun with first shot kill capability. This project proposes to leverage a variety of computer-based technologies to improve the training and skill transfer of soldiers in the effective use of night vision devices in urban settings. The intelligent training system will include a database of night imagery, scenarios for skill practice, and instruction adapted to the individual learner.Realistic urban training sites have been built to further the Army's goal to "train as we fight". However, these sites are expensive to build and high demand for time at these sites limits availability to troops. The proposed computer-based training system will provide repeatable, scenario based skill practice that should transfer well to physical training sites and real world operations. In addition, an intelligent training system can reduce the time it takes to learn and increase the knowledge gained within that time frame. This SBIR is concerned with the operational use of acoustic sensors mounted on an operating vehicle to detect and localize targets, including other vehicles, in the surrounding environment. In general, several classes of noise limit the performance of these types of acoustic systems. Two key classes are the near field noise generated by the platform itself and the far field noise generated by interferences.We addressed these problems with an innovative approach that allows the different noise problems to be addressed individually. In particular, the DSR/TecFocus approach offers a combination of processing algorithms to provide effective cancellation of near field noise sources and the suppression of far field interference in the data output for detection and classification processing. The Phase I project demonstrated that the innovative concepts proposed were viable. Viability was demonstrated both in simulations and in laboratory experiments. The thrust of this Phase II proposal is to continue development of the concepts and demonstrate the performance that can be provided by using acoustic sensors on an operating vehicle. This development will provide significant improvements in the performance of the acoustic system and will allow the Army to have an improved awareness of the battlefield environment. The Army has a need for a compact high-speed solid state hyperspectral tuner for rapildy tuning mid-infrared lasers and optical parametric oscillatorrs operating in the 3-5 micron range. Such electronic tunable source is needed in laser radar and Lidar systems for various applications such as countermeasures and standoff detection of chemical and biological weapons. Present techniques are bulky and suffer from critical alignment, poor reliabiltiy from moving parts, and slow tuning rates. The objective is to construct and demonstrate a high-speed spectral tuner in the 3-5 micron range based on acousto-optic techniques. Based on experimental results, the oprojected performance of two types of AO tuners are: 1cm^-1 resolution and 95% efficiency at 1 watt drive power. Using a transverse configuration, the tuning speed is estimated about 1MHz. The proposed approach is to use the above design as a low-risk baseline. Performance enhancement techniques are proposed to significantly improve the performance. The onbjective is to overcome the limitations including spectral resolution (2.2cm^-1), transmission efficicency (97%) and beam quality. All these factors will greatly affect the performance of the tunable OPOs.A rugged, field-deployable non-mechanical acousto-optic tuner for OPOs will have many military applications. The near-term applications with the largest potential markets are chemical detection systems for environmental monitoring systems and manufacturing process monitoring. The goal of the proposed work is to develop a technology for small, low power, low cost magnetic microsensor modules that can detect magnetic anomalies in the battlefield generated by the presence and movement of armed troops and military vehicles. The focus will be on Anisotropic MagnetoResistive (AMR) sensors that can be fabricated by microelectronics techniques. These sensors represent a mature technology and are widely available commercially. They operate at room temperature with high sensitivity and have a broad bandwidth. During the course of the project, Quantum Magnetics will design, develop, and test a small, low-cost magnetic microsensor module including on-board electronics, power supply, and data communications capabilities. The long-term vision is to integrate these modules into a network of battlefield microsensors that include a variety of other sensing technologies (acoustic, seismic, IR, etc.)A highly sensitive magnetic microsensor module would also find numerous applications in security operations and surveillance of perimeters and borders, detection of unexploded ordnance UXO, detection of concealed weapons, and monitoring of urban and highway traffic. Nuclear isomers store energy in metastable nuclear states at up to a million-fold greater density than high-energy chemical systems. A particular isomer of Hafnium, Hf-178m2, stores 1.3 gigajoules of energy per gram of isomer. It has an unusually long half-life of 31 years. It releases its 2.45 MeV of stored energy per nuclei as a cascade of gamma photons. The truly unique aspect of this isomer, first shown in 1998, is that it can be triggered to release the stored energy at an accelerated rate using low energy photons. A quantum energy gain of at least 60 is achieved, raising the possibility of using a portion of the released energy to self-sustain a continuing chain reaction at either a controlled or unlimited rate of release. The controlled accelerated release of this stored energy with the application of high energy density storage systems for future Army systems is the subject of this research. The concept design parameters will be defined through a combination of calculations, existing empirical data, and specific experiments on the Hf-178m2 isomer for verification. A break-even experiment will be defined, and a master program plan will be developed to accomplish the technology development in a phased demonstration approach.Nuclear isomer technology will allow the development of energy storage devices with far greater energy densities than conventional devices while also being far safer than other nuclear devices. Nuclear isomers also have potential applications in the areas of lethality against biological weapon threats, advanced space propulsion, oncology treatments, and gamma ray lasers. High speed x-ray imaging is extremely important for several military and civilian applications such as imaging exploding land mines, high speed computed tomography for medical imaging, time resolved x-ray diffraction of biological systems, and drug development research. The advent of high flux, micro-focused, flash x-ray sources have now facilitated high-speed x-ray imaging in laboratory environments. However, these x-ray sources have not yet realized their full potential due to the lack of a suitable fast x-ray imaging system. Specifically, a lack of high-resolution detection systems with large active imaging areas and a microsecond time resolution is the major limiting factor in these important applications.To address these limitations we propose to develop a novel x-ray imaging system based on a high resolution, high efficiency, fast decay time structured CsI scintillator, optically coupled to an advanced ultra-fast CCD. The proposed digital system will operate at 105 frames per second or greater, with the effective dynamic range of 12 bits. The Phase I research will demonstrate the feasibility of the core technology and will provide a detailed plan for the Phase II system development.In addition to the army applications, the proposed detector would find widespread use in instrumentation wherever high resolution and fast readout x-ray detectors are used. These include structural biology, microtomography of teeth and bones, polymer processing, x-ray astronomy, nondestructive testing, and basic physics research. High-resolution x-ray imaging detectors currently have a large commercial market, and as such, the proposed development holds a very high potential for commercialization. The Smart Cellular/GPS Rugged Tracking System Phase I program will provide a rigorous feasibility study and demonstration of system design and technology implementation methods for a software controlled radio and GPS asset tracking system. Low cost highly compact "wearable" Trackers shall integrate GPS and data radios under a custom cellular network to read asset position and velocity, and report it to the system many times per second. Trackers may be worn by people or attached to equipment. Attachment methods will include an eletrocleavable adhesivethat is solidly mounted without modification to equipment, and quickly removed by passing an electric current through the metal case. Databasing of time, space, andposition information of a large number (>1000) of tracked assets (staff,vehicles, aircraft, equipment) will be provided on PC based Monitoring Stations. A modern spread spectrum Time Division Multiple Access cellular system design emphasizes flexibility, reliability, and future growth. System range can extend hundreds of miles via adding cells as desired. The custom cellular network provides complete user control and freedom from airtime charges. The system will be designed with a modular architecture using commercial off the shelf technology to limit cost.This capability in an integrated, wide ranging, high asset count, software controlled system does not currently exist elsewhere. Its development is in keeping with the Army's concept of superiority in field operations through superiorinformation technology,i.e., the Digital Battlefield. Other U.S. services also have a significant interest in similar capability and future expanded versions of it. Civilian applications include vehicle fleet management, theft prevention, tracking of at risk staff such as police officers and forest rangers, and tracking of domestic and wild animals. The frequencies of operation chosen allow for both military and civilian application, and thus for minimum cost to the government through high volume commercial reuse. Rotorcraft Pilot's Associate (RPA) flight test and other previous and ongoing system evaluations [Dorn99] have demonstrated the military utility of Cognitive Decision Aiding Systems (CDASs). There is, however, an increasing awareness that the knowledge which must be acquired, captured, represented, implemented and tuned offers a tremendous cost and process hurdle to the development, evolution and fielding of CDA Systems. What is needed is a means of tracing the lifecycle of every bit of knowledge in the system, and of every design decision that involves that knowledge-and of doing so in a manner that does not impose undue additional workload on the engineers building the system. In this effort we will examine the benefits realizable from implementing a number of alternative proposed extensions to the Unified Modeling Language (UML) use case formalism. We anticipate melding attributes from a number of available extension proposals into a synthesized methodology enhancement that effectively integrates acquired knowledge in support of CDASs into the standard software development process. We will apply this methodology to a representative set of problem cases experienced on RPA and other similar efforts, analyze the contributions and refine the design. Other supporting advances in knowledge acquisition and tagging are described.Reduced cost of knowledge acquisition activities. More effective use of acquired knowledge. Better insight into influence effects of knowledge on standard software development environments. Capability to build critics analogous to existing software inspection tools through enhanced traceability. Reliable and operationally simple methods that can be used in the field are needed for expeditious fatigue damage precursor detection. We have developed a strategy for constructing a laser-based sensor for creep or fatigue damage detection and monitoring in aerospace components. The sensor detects precursors to crack formation occurring as early as the first 10% of fatigue life and, therefore, can be used to identify accumulated fatigue damage prior to crack initiation. The method then detects and locates the presence of micro-cracks that occur later in the fatigue life and alerts the user of imminent failure. Phase I laboratory experimental tests established the proof-of-concept, including the prototyping of a compact, hand-held instrument. During Phase II we will further refine our work with modeling the instrument, designing its specific components, assembling it and establishing its performance envelope. Phase II will culminate in constructing and field-testing the prototype system. Qualtech Systems, Inc. (QSI), as a provider of model-based diagnostic and maintenance aiding tools, possesses key components required to implement many of the data analysis and decision-making functions required for on-line health management of large complex systems. Leveraging these capabilities, the proposed effort seeks to develop data mining capabilities required by reasoning systems to sustain seamless, distributed, multi-level health management and maintenance functions. Major innovations of this effort are the use of maintenance data mining results in flight-line maintenance activity to optimize troubleshooting strategies based on a combined analysis of onboard sensor data and fleet-wide history data, and customization to site-specific profile (available time, parts and maintenance resources, etc.). The data mining results will be made available via the Internet to the appropriate ground facility, contributing to significant benefits to current fleet operations and operational cost savings. The Phase I effort will focus on enhancing QSI's knowledge base with a prototype capabilities for harvesting fleet-wide maintenance history and configuration data and analyzing it with a set of novel data mining techniques to update key parameters aiding future flight-line maintenance. The Phase I prototype capabilities will be developed in Phase II and interfaced with the Army's maintenance and logistics management systems.Aircraft maintenance and logistics management, health and usage monitoring of aircraft, spacecraft, manufacturing processes and machinery, patient health monitoring The objective of this Phase II research is to develop and test prototype mobile and portable Tagnite units to be used to selectively apply Tagnite anodized coatings to magnesium surfaces after final machining by the OEM and during the overhaul phase of the component at the field and depot level. Phase I research successfully demonstrated the feasibility of developing the anodized coatings and their use in mobile and portable units. The coatings are non-chromate and provide superior corrosion protection, abrasion resistance, with paint adhesion characteristics equal to DOW 19 chromate conversion coating. The units eliminate the use of chromate conversion coatings and their environmental shortcomings, while significantly improving performance. The mobile unit will consist of a small rectifier, cooling unit, electrolyte storage, collection reservoirs, as well as application heads or brushes, mounted on a mobile cart with large work surface. The portable unit will be a small hand held battery operated unit, capable of repairing small areas on magnesium components while still on the rotorcraft. Specifically designed for use on military rotorcraft, the commercial applications include military fixed wing, civilian fixed wing and rotorcraft, as well as a variety of non-aerospace applications such as the automotive and sporting good industries. Intelligent Automation, Incorporated (IAI) specializes in signal processing and communications. We have applied this technology to a wide range of systems including factory production control, automatic target recognition, prediction of network traffic, prediction of power system load, fast flow control of high-speed communication networks, and equalization of nonlinear channels. The Advanced Engineering and Sciences division of ITT Industries (ITT-AES), the subcontractor of this Phase 1 project, has extensive experience in developing tools for Quality of Service (QoS) based network communications, including satellite communications and wireless land mobile communications. This proposal details how we synergistically merge expertise of IAI and ITT-AES to yield an efficient bandwidth management tool over wireless network. The key idea of this proposal is to manage bandwidth based on predicted future traffics in the system. Conventional approaches to network management are reactionary in nature. That is, the decision on bandwidth allocation is based on past measurement of traffic and hence is slow and inefficient in response. In contrast, our traffic prediction based bandwidth management tool is a look-ahead approach and will be more efficient and quick in bandwidth management. Moreover, much less collisions will occur among users and less bandwidth will be wasted.The new QoS based bandwidth management tool will provide help to new commercial applications such as video distribution as well as military applications such as distributed control, commands, and communications. We expect this tool will find many applications in wireless and ATM networks, which will be a multibillion-dollar industry in the 21st century. This Phase I effort will establish rigorous technical requirements necessary to simulate image intensifiers (NVGs) credibly and realistically in US Army NVG simulators. The associated analysis and requirements definition will cover such areas as intra-scene and intensifier dynamic range and spatial resolution, photo-cathode spectral response versus scene spectral input, micro-channel plate (MCP) "haloing" phenomenology, tube MTF and noise source characterization, automatic brightness control (ABC) and bright source protection (BSP) circuit behavior, fixed depth-of-focus optics, and dual-band visible/near-IR signature synthesis. These requirements will be translated into appropriate specifications for simulation and optical projection hardware and software components in a simulator. A realizable prototype NVG simulator design that best meets these specifications will be developed around state-of-the-art commercial simulation technology components. A near-IR spectral scene signature and atmospheric degradation model design are proposed as an option in the prototype design.The simulation specifications developed in this Phase I effort around fundamental NVG physical phenomenology will set a standard for DoD NVG effects simulation and be a catalyst to improve the quality of DoD NVG simulators. More credible, robust NVG simulators will afford aviators and soldiers a much more realistic training experience that will result in improved navigation and search and target acquisition skills. A phase II development of the prototype design could easily be commercialized as an NVG trainer for law enforcement agencies that use NV devices.In addition, this SBIR will result in improved commercial sensor simulation development tools for our 3rd-party vendors. JRM anticipates releasing upgrades to our SigSim and SenSim offerings based on our Phase I findings with sales almost immediately from our current customer base. The goal of this proposal is to design and develop a scalable, high performance, high reliability optical web QoS switch to provide intelligent application layer QoS switching in a seamless manner across the boundary of LAN and WAN to support existing mission critical web-centric data services, voice and data integration, as well as emerging Voice-over-IP and multimedia services. The Phase I work will focus on system architecture designs and a feasibility study for the optical web QoS switch in an IP-enabled operations center to support Army's mission critical applications with pre-defined end-to-end QoS assurance. The output of the Phase I work will be a system design specification, design performance and risk analysis for the proposed optical web QoS switch. Criteria used for performance and feasibility study include complexity (costs), QoS, reliability and scalability. The system design specification will help accelerate development of a scalable optical web QoS switch that would provide dynamic bandwidth, delay, and delay variation management to support end-to-end QoS for Army's mission critical applications.With the described web-centric IP-enabled operation center solution architecture with the proposed optical web QoS switch system, Army would be able to support integrated voice and data services in a seamless manner accross the boundary of LAN and WAN with pre-defined end-to-end QoS assurance through an evolutionary process of the integrated web-centric operations infrastructure. The same IP-enabled operations infrastructure may be extended to support mobility management and location services critical to Army's telemedicine and telemaintenance applications. Recently, significant attention has been paid to the country's dilapidated infrastructure; buildings, bridges, and concrete water and sewer pipes need to be retrofitted to sustain the increasing loads. A common solution is increase the capacity of these structures to carry loads by the introduction of additional tension-carrying materials as Fiber Reinforced Plastic composites. Efficient use of FRP composite to increase the strength of concrete components depends on the proper bonding between the FRP plate and the rehabilitated structure. Hence delamination defects present at the interface or within the composite, should be detected in order to maintain the structural integrity of the reinforced concrete component. However, composites are sophisticated materials with a complex structure and, anisotropic material properties, which are very difficult to inspect using conventional Non Destructive Evaluation (NDE) methods. Thus there is great need for the development of new NDE technologies which can address these complicated inspection problem. Physical Acoustics Corporation (PAC) has developed a unique Acousto-Ultrasonic (AU) technology, which has potential as a tool for inspection of FRP composites. This Phase I study will demonstrate the feasibility of developing a field-portable, battery operated system for the inspection of fiber-reinforce polymer composites based in Acousto-Ultrasonics.It is anticipated that the results of this program will lead to the development a portable fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite inspection and evaluation system that can be used to assess infrastructure composites and other composite in other applications as discussed below. The developed system will have applications for many industries beyond the government and could be applied to a broad range of industrial and commercial applications. As for the commercial industry, there are many uses for a system to inspect FRP composites, especially in civil infrastructure. Many of these uses and applications carry over into the military application. The inspection of FRP wrapping, bridge retrofitting etc. are most certainly applicable in the military. In other areas, as the military continues the push to make lighter stronger structures, the use of composites is increasing and inspection for damage is necessary. Throughout the DoD, composite materials are used in such areas as FRP wound pressure vessels, thick hybrid armor panels, composite stealth materials, ship hulls, etc. The list is large and there are presently no reliable systems available to inspect these materials. The system we will develop can be adapted to test in these applications. Obscurant cloud or "smoke screen" are aerosols of fine powders, flakes, or fibers that protect warfighters from weapon systems based on electromagnetic sensors. Current obscurant materials suffer from high cost, inhalation toxicity, environmental impact and non-optimal performance. A breakthrough is desired that can provide novel non-toxic materials with high extinction coefficient for electromagnetic radiations. This effort seeks to develop and demonstrate such materials using recent developments in nanotechnology.Nanomaterials have numerous dual use applications. Some illustrative applications include CMP slurries for microelectronics, coatings, additives and fillers for polymer and biomedical applications, novel catalysts, and miniaturization of electroceramic components. Military, government and civilian personnel need timely and cost-effective warning of chemical and biological hazards in many arenas.Timely warning allows for effective personnel protection. ManningApplied Technology proposes to construct a novel Fourier transform-infrared spectrometer which is modular, compact, costs less than $5000in quantity, and is optically tilt-compensated. The proposed designhas excellent immunity to both linear and torsional vibrations as wellas variable resolution. The electronics incorporate a novelarchitecture based on a digital signal processor. The powerconsumption is lower than any Fourier transform spectrometer built todate. The part-per-million internal calibration standard is aninexpensive, highly efficient semiconductor.Dr. Manning is an internationally-recognized FT-IR spectrometer design expert. He holds two recent patents on novel interferometerdesigns; 3 more are pending. Dr. Griffiths authored the textbook on Fourier transform infrared spectrometry and has 30 years experience in the field. Commercial applications include a wide range of process and quality control, spectral imaging, environmental monitoring, laboratory research, field measurements and remote sensing applications. Conservative estimates indicate a $10 million per year market for the technology. The low cost insures that it will capture a significant market share.The novel interferometer design is expected to have numerous applications in process and control including combustion, commercial remote sensing, spectral imaging. Experimental and modeling capabilities will be developed to characterize the mixing and combustion of gelled propellants in a bipropulsion engine. The goal is to use experimentally determined propellant and engine characteristics to accurately predict engine combustion efficiency. The predictive capability will be based on establishment of a numerical model; which simulates propellant aerosol formation, mixing and combustion. Experimental tools will be designed to measure key characteristics of the aerosol formation and mixing processes so that detailed laboratory measurements can be used to calibrate the predictive model. The goal of the effort is to establish these capabilities from "First Principals" so that the modeling capabilities will not be empirically tied to one engine or propellant technology.The proposed program will provide significant improvements in the performance of bipropuslion engines. The modeling and experiemental studies planned for this effort will provide the framework for evaluation of future propulsion systems. This document presents Optical Sciences Corporations's proposal for the design and production of an innovative laser projection system for testing multi-mode seekers which utilize a semi-acive laser system for acquistion and terminal homing. The OSC SAL projector is designed to be compatible with existing flight motion simulator, IR projection, and MMW anechoic chamber facilities to support testing of multi-mode seekers.The SAL projector technology developed under this effort will be used in government and prime contractor HWIL facilites for the simulation and testing of advanced multi-mode missiles and smart munitions. The technology developed under this effort may also be used for production line and field testing of military weapon systems. SARA proposes to develop an innovative, real-time system comprised of a front-end RF receiver and a back-end digital signal processor. The receiver will measure the avionics' emissions and the DSP will apply the required algorithms to classify the airborne platform and determine its angle of arrival. The system will operate in real-time, thereby rapidly computing the results and giving the capability of tracking multiple targets with dynamic flight profiles. Emitter identification will be accomplished using coherence for non-parametric analysis and the Steiglitz-McBride method for parametric analysis. Azimuth angle determination will be accomplished using superresolution beamforming. Superresolution dramatically reduces system cost and complexity compared to standard beamforming techniques. Doppler effects will be compensated and the system will provide the additional information of the platform's velocity and range. Multiple, simultaneous targets will be separated and distinguished using both frequency space and beam space separation techniques. A full simulation environment of the system will be developed, including all algorithms, Doppler effects, target velocity, and range estimates. The simulation will allow for testing of the system and evaluating performance with multiple emitters and independent flight profiles for each platform.This program will provide a "passive cruise missile detection" capability for the Army, Navy and Air Force. Several deployment concepts are envisioned which will extend the protection envelope afforded by previous detection systems. Passive systems such as forward looking infrared imagers, infrared search & track arrays, missile seekers and missile warning systems require calibration and testing at every level in their fabrication as well as at the depot and the flight line. Hardware-in-the-loop simulators exist for passive IR sensors and seekers, but no such technology exists yet for the validation of active coherent receivers. Common-aperture multi-mode sensors and seekers using combinations of mmW & ?YW radar, passive IR, and LADAR/active IR and data fusion require in-situ (possibly simultaneous) testing and calibration of multiple modes of sensing in specialized testing facilities such as environmental rooms or anechoic chambers. Simultaneous acquisition of numerous ladar signatures (polarimetric reflectivity, multi-spectral reflectivity, 1D & 3D shape echo, and micro-Doppler signatures) enables their combination to enhance the ability of an active seeker to counteract the effects of camouflage, concealment & deception and clutter that can defeat the separate use of passive, RF and mm-wave seekers. This Phase I Program will design and development a hardware-in-the-loop scene projector for active seeker characterization. The novel coherent ladar scene projector design will be compact, portable, and easy-to-use in the depot or on the flight line.Potential applications include manufacturing/production reliability testing and performance validation for critical hardware and software seeker components for advanced missile systems and multi-mode weapons systems. In addition, the scene generators developed under this program could be used in simulators for autonomous navigation devices. Other applications of the technology includes test-beds for automobile and aircraft collision-avoidance systems. The long-term objectives of this research are to substantially improve the military frozen blood system with a number of specific devices and advances. A Dry Heat system is developed to permit very rapid thawing (under 10 minutes) instead of the 40 to 60 minutes now necessary using an inconvenient, large water bath. This heating system is also used to warm IV fluids in surgery. Rapid thawing is crucial to meeting the military needs for thawed deglycerolized blood in emergencies. A new blood bag with its protective shipping container is developed that will have less than 3% breakage, compared to current 20% to 50% breakage in military use. The current deglycerolization process is modified to decrease the duration of the process (to under 20 minutes) and to reduce processing fluid quantities.The proposed research will evaluate the feasibility of these various approaches by fabricating and testing hardware and disposables and modifying current red cell washing processes. Military frozen blood users and blood experts will aid in this evaluation.These improvements to the military frozen blood system will decrease substantially (at least a factor of 2) the time needed to make red cells available in emergencies. It also reduces blood wastage, increases ease of use, increases user productivity, decreases costs, and improves logistics, making frozen blood far more practical for military and commercial uses. The overall goal of this work is to develop a product line of inexpensive, highly integrated mm-wave amplifiers extending well into W-band and beyond. These will deliver output power considerably higher than what is currently available. A PHEMT MMIC based approach will be pursued.broadband wireless communications, commercial radar systems In this SBIR, AcuSoft will research and develop advanced, real-time PC Image Generation technology, as well as develop tools and integrate the required capabilities using PC image generators. The resultant products will provide to the DOD M&S community the advanced real-time image generation technology that will enable the use of lower-cost PC graphics in military virtual simulation. In our PHASE I efforts, we will research and document feasible technical solutions for those challenges that we think are paramount to the military R&D community, and will perform a proof-of -principle demonstration. The prototype PC-based image generation system will incorporate AcuSoft-developed PC Image Generation software and will result in a cost effective, multiple channel, PC-based image generation system. In addition, AcuSoft will identify the most feasible development approaches for the Phase II effort.The DoD M&S community will benefit from advanced real-time image generation technology that enable the use of lower cost PC graphics as the real time image generation for military virtual simulation. The application of this technology can include any Government or commercial applications that requires real-time image generator. The objective of this proposal focuses on the development of an integrated, high speed data network model to simulate targeted Army locations, such as the Aberdeen Test Center or White Sands Missile Range. The project will utilize the standard commercial modeling and simulation technology, OPNET Modeler, which is compliant with Government architecture requirements and Open System Interconnection (OSI) standards including Synchronous Optical Network (SONET), and Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATM). OPNET's proposed solution includes the development of a network model scenario to assess bandwidth utilization, bottlenecks in the current environment and the impact of deploying network technologies by a simulation expert. Ultimately, project results will support simulation based acquisition of future range systems.OPNET is used extensively in military, academic and commercial sectors. In addition to our free academic license program and widespread commercial use, military users include both the Joint Staff (J6) and US Army. Enhancements to the model library benefit the entire user community. Beyond Phase I, model development focused on the Aberdeen Test Center or White Sands Missile Range will provide extensive enhancements to the available Model Library. The objective of this program is to develop an extreme-temperature lubricant for the U.S. Army Future Combat System (FCS) propulsion system. The system will operate at significantly higher temperatures for longer durations than today's prototype low heat rejection (LHR) diesel engines. The lubricant will be used as the engine oil, cooling fluid, and transmission fluid.Surfaces Research has recently developed new base fluids and additives for multigrade lubricants with three times better resistance to oxidative degradation than the best current high-temperature lubricants. Previously, only single-weight oils had sufficient stability for LHR engines. The new lubricants have five times better wear-prevention than current best engine oils and transmission fluids, with ultralow carbon deposits.The proposed Phase I program will combine our recent breakthroughs in high-stability multigrade fluids and innovative diesel engine additive packages. We will synthesize and formulate four demonstration lubricants. We will demonstrate large leaps forward in all aspects of lubricant performance, using laboratory tests that predict performance in LHR engines.We propose to scale up the best lubricant and begin an Army engine test in the Phase I Option period. The engine test will be in a new FCS diesel prototype: a 750 HP, inwardly-opposed two-cycle engine.The improved high-temperature lubricants for advanced diesel engines will achieve large increases in fuel efficiency, power density, and durability, with lower maintenance. Commercial heavy-duty truck diesels, automobile engines, and transmissions will benefit from these advances as much as military vehicles. This program will eliminate all lubrication oil and oil filter replacement in the HMMWV and FMTV for the entire vehicle service life. This will be accomplished by delivering to the US Army a retrofit lubrication filter, immediately compatible with existing hardware, which will install and operate in the existing envelope, provide superior full flow filtration to existing filters, be factory fit or field retrofitable, provide lifetime filtration and lifetime oil without replacement or periodic maintenance, be robust, provide a visual indicator on the housing when pressure criteria have been exceeded, operate in bypass mode if necessary during mission critical needs, be cost effective and provide excellent reliability. This goal will be accomplished using breakthrough technology to design and build a combination system incorporating a full flow filtration section working in conjunction with an ultracentrifugal element to effectively remove all particulates. Proprietary time-release pellets will maintain TBN balance. Benefits include: 1) No periodic maintenance, reducing breakage and costs, 2) Lifetime of vehicle oil, eliminating replacement oil costs, 3) No used oil or filter elements, eliminating costly disposal, 4) Simplified supply logistic for in-field operations. The proposed filtration system is based on AEI patented technology developed for Class 8 on-highway trucks.Commercialization potential is high, as this system would be instantly applicable for all light and medium duty diesel engine in both civilian and military sectors. The combination of huge ecological benefits from eliminating used filters and used oil, combined with payback on investment cost within 18 months will assure rapid market acceptance and commercialization. Our technical objective is to investigate the feasibility of a general framework for solving high-frequency scattering and radiation problems, based on combined rigorous high-frequency and low-frequency methods, and to develop a new electromagnetic simulation code based on that framework. We envisage a computational scheme encompassing three main elements: (1) geometrical optics method based alternatively on ray tracing or wavefront evolution methods, (2) rigorous asymptotic high frequency expansion for the integral equations for surface currents, (3) rigorous low-frequency numerical fast solution methods, also for surface current integral equations. A novel feature of our approach is a mutual coupling of these elements, forming a consistent and rigorous high-frequency asymptotic expansion scheme, without any arbitrary approximations introducing uncontrollable errors. During Phase I, we shall develop a self contained software prototype which will demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed solution scheme. Significant improvement over the capabilities of the existing high frequency algorithms which are of interest to DoD and industry will be achieved. In particular, accurate simulation of electromagnetically large, realistic targets with subwavelength details will be possible at dramatically reduced memory and computational time requirements. The proposed program targets the development of a new polyamide interfacial composite membrane for reverse osmosis applications, specifically in the Army's reverse osmosis water purification units. The membranes are to be improved in their resistance to biofouling, chlorine degradation, and delamination as well as increasing water flux. These issues will be addressed by incorporating unique polymer crosslinking agents, additives, and adsorption enhancers during the interfacial polymerization process used to make the membranes. Microporous polysulfone is a standard composite membrane substrate/support in commercial use and will be incorporated as the support layer onto which the polyamide films are deposited. Fabricated model membranes (swatches) will be evaluated according to polymer composition and processing conditions. A planar membrane module will be used to evaluate swatches for their reverse osmosis performance. Membrane selectivity and flux is evaluated by comparing permeate flow and salt concentrations using a standardized feed stream at a fixed hydrostatic pressure. The mechanical integrity is evaluated by the rate of film delamination and failure under reverse-flow pressurization. Resistance to chlorine degradation will be evaluated on preferred membranes exhibiting the best selectivity, flux, and mechanical integrity. Superior membrane candidates will be evaluated for competitiveness compared to existing commercial membranes. Water purification, desalination, nanofiltration, ultra pure water treatment. The basic innovation herein proposed exploits Principal Component Analysis (PCA) to reduce the dimensionality of trace data, and to represent the data in a reduced dimensional feature space. From previous work, we believe that normal and abnormal battlespace network activities will form clusters in that space which we can identify. Furthermore, we expect that the trajectory of the computing activity through the feature space will allow comparison with normal trajectories to further identify anomalies. Our approach will enable a much larger variety of values which represent ongoing activities in an information system to be used for intrusion detection than have been used by other researchers. While it is relatively obvious that using more data to represent the ongoing activities of a computer is probably better than less data from the point of view of detecting intruders, using more data also causes problems in determining how to draw conclusions, especially for data which is often not numeric. Also, to be maximally effective in protecting information, intrusion and other anomaly detection should be near real-time, and using more data suggests that the resulting intrusion detection will become slower and require off-line processing. Our approach solves both these problems. Our approach to commercializing the results of this work will be to make the code available through an Open Source license. While this will give the code away, it will be an ideal way to obtain consulting contracts to help optimize the code for specific customers, and once there is a significant user base, we can then sell modules offering new capabilities which are compatible with the base system. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop improved solid-state optical-limiting devices incorporating reverse saturable absorber (RSA) materials. Optical limiting (OL) occurs when the optical transmission of a material decreases with increasing laser fluence. OL materials can thus strongly attenuate intense optical beams while keeping high transmittance at low-intensity ambient light levels (providing "passive" protection). OL materials are desirable for protecting optical sensors or human eyes from the high fluence output of pulsed lasers. In this proposal, we detail the synthetic methods that will be used to produce improved composite optical limiting materials and devices incorporating RSA molecules, and describe the methods that will be used to characterize the optical limiting performance of these devices. The proposed optical limiting devices will provide protection from eye and sensor damage from pulsed lasers in military applications. These devices will also have application in the medical, manufacturing, laser research, and entertainment industries where pulsed lasers present an eye-safety hazard. Organophosphorous compounds (OPC's) have strongly adverse effects on human health and ecosystems, and reliable monitoring of these compounds is of utmost importance. MetroLaser proposes to develop a fiber-optic evanescent wave mid-IR absorption biosensor for the detection of OPC's with Acetylcholinesterase (AChE) as the sensing material. The proposed sensor is expected to have superior sensitivity, selectivity, and responsivity. To this end, a porous matrix of ordered multi-layers of AChE-coated nano-particles (Quantum Dots, QD's) provide the sensing region. The controlled formation of a thick porous sensing region containing high surface-to-volume ratio QD's ensures minimal sensor-to-sensor variation, maximum responsivity, as well as enhanced mid-IR absorption, and therefore, a substantial increase in sensitivity. It is estimated that the detection limit of the sensor can be made to be in the pM range. Mid-IR "fingerprint" spectroscopic techniques enable specific molecular recognition of OPC's because of spectral features unique to the AChE-OPC complex, and therefore, provide the desired specificity that will reduce the false alarm rate. Development of a compact, portable, ultra-sensitive biosensor can be accomplished using novel quantum cascade lasers to provide a reliable field-deployable instrument with rapid response. The evanescent wave fiber-optic biosensor will have an extremely broad range of applications. The proposed method will produce a mid-IR fiber-optic biosensor that can easily be adapted to include different enzymes and proteins with different specificity. The high surface-to-volume sensing region combined with the far-probing evanescent waves ensures ultra-high sensitivity that may surpass many other sensor performances. Further, the sensor can be made very compact, and therefore portable, with relatively cheap components. There is a broad range of potential applications, including simultaneous trace gas detection of a wide variety of atmospheric pollutants, hazardous gaseous species, explosive decomposition products, and biological agents. There is a continuing need for high frame rate cameras with a large number of pixels in the image. These are desirable for targeting on high-speed aircraft, autonomous systems, smart missiles and a variety of high-speed vehicle applications and testing applications. The proposed High Speed Vision System (HSVS) is a breakthrough FPA-based technology for these applications; it combines very-high-speed data output from the focal plane and very powerful image processing, outputting only the objects and numbers of interest. HSVS has very high commercial potential in the machine-vision field. High-speed machine vision, orders-of-magnitude faster than current systems, at low cost, and with minimum volume and weight penalties, is clearly a quantum leap forward. HSVS will make a whole new generation of high-speed manufacturing machines possible. Free-phase pollutants are persistent environmental contaminants. Present in situ remediation involving biological/chemical oxidation of trichloroehylene (TCE), perchloroethylene (PCE) and explosives [2,4,6-trinitrotoluene (TNT), hexahydro-1,3,5-trinitro-1,3,5-triazine (RDX)] is limited to diluted plumes. Physical and mechanical removal of free-phase pollutants results in the generation of air pollutants and contaminant spreading. Clifton Labs, Inc. proposes to develop a fully functional optical Triton Systems Inc. proposes to design, develop the fabrication processes, and to test a full-bore subscale prototype composite 81-mm type M252 mortar barrel, to demonstrate a 30% weight reduction and advantageous thermal management in a full-sized Mortar barrel. The Army's mission for this lightweight high thermal performance mortar is based on the company level requirement of high firepower, extended range and un-mounted infantry transport. The barrel section will be fabricated using either an aluminum matrix composite (AMC) structural jacket with a steel liner or a proprietary functionally graded metal ceramic matrix composite (MCMC) structure with a fully dense ceramic matrix composite liner. In either case, the structural jacket will be fabricated from fiber-reinforced aluminum that has demonstrated excellent fatigue resistance at elevated temperature, a high tensile strength of 200 ksi, and a low density of 3.4 g/cc. At the conclusion of the proposed SBIR Phase I program the feasibility of using these high specific strength composite materials to achieve the required weight reduction and thermal management under the high firing rates in an 81-mm mortar will completed. The Advanced Composite Mortar proposed for development on this program is expected to have a direct impact on the M252 mortar by reducing the overall weight and barrel soak temperature. Additional near term Army applications include the M224 mortar and other gun systems requiring light weight and high thermal energy dissipation. Future systems applications include hydraulic actuators and pressure vessels for aerospace and commercial aircraft. Additional applications include bicycle frames and related components, automobile components such as drive shafts and propeller hub assemblies and airframe components of all kinds. Reveo, Inc. has invented a proprietary low cost pigment technology having the unprecedented quality that it can be designed to be highly reflective at any wavelength in the range of less than 300 nm to more than 3000 nm with a reflective bandwidth in the range of less than 40 nm to more than 1000 nm. Outside the reflective band, the material is transparent. This novel material, based on cholesteric liquid crystals (CLCs), is uniquely capable of defeating advanced battlefield detection technology that utilizes multispectral and hyperspectral detection schemes. These schemes involve detecting a combination of specific visible and near-infrared wavelengths that are characteristic of manmade objects but distinct from foliage, thereby defeating all attempts at broadband camouflage. Defeating these detection schemes while maintaining the visible and infrared camouflage that disrupts casual battlefield visibility is presently nearly impossible. Reveo proposes to adapt its unique, spectrally-designable pigment technology to the specific narrow-band and multi-band spectral requirements of next-generation military camouflage in the visible and near-infrared. This technology can also simultaneously defeat polarization-based detection schemes. Reveo has extensive experience in designing variable wavelength and bandwidth CLC films and has developed a proprietary process for fabricating pigments from CLC film materials. BENEFITS: The totally transparent, low cost near-infrared CLC-based reflexive pigment has vast commercial applications, including coating automotive, commercial, and residential windows to reject the near-infrared component of solar radiation that accounts for 50% of solar heating, thereby reducing the heat load on air conditioning systems while causing no attenuation in the visible spectrum. In addition, when applied to roofing and siding materials, reduced thermal cycling will increase the effective lifetime construction materials. The objective of this SBIR is to produce a GPS simulator, which incorporates the new signals and provides for controlled reception pattern antenna simulation. In Phase I a system design will be developed for the Advanced GPS Hybrid Simulator which will incorporate the capability to test new GPS technologies including (but not limited to) the new civilian and military signal structures, the Wide Area Augmentation System (WAAS), the Local Area Augmentation System (LAAS), and the Joint Precision Approach Landing System (JPALS). This design will also include the capability to test Navigation Warfare technologies including receivers incorporating controlled reception pattern antennas (CRPA). The simulator designed for this SBIR will be a hybrid digital and Radio Frequency GPS simulator based on a re-programmable signal generator, which will allow for easy upgrading to support changes in GPS signals. The end result of Phase I will be a system engineering design report showing how the simulator will be built, what technologies will be incorporated, a capabilities assessment, and information on how the design can accommodate potential future upgrades. In Phase II the design from Phase I will be built and demonstrated. The proposed simulator will have application testing next generation GPS receivers and can also be used to provide local augmentation signals (or pseudolites). Potential customers include GPS receiver manufacturers, tri-service military research and test agencies, and academic institutions involved in GPS research. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) proposes to develop a new general purpose computational code to evaluate the effects of high power microwaves (HPMs) and lasers on materials and entire systems. This Personal Computer Analysis Tool for Directed Energy Weapons (PCAT-DEW) will enable the vulnerability evaluation of specific weapons systems or the lethality of specific DEWs. A key architectural design feature of the new code will be to directly utilize the detailed geometric models that have evolved over the years for detailed conventional and/or nuclear effectiveness evaluations. The leveraging of these resources makes the task of creating PCAT-DEW focus on incorporating the appropriate physical models. The Phase I effort will include the delivery of a preliminary version of PCAT-DEW including laser and HPM models. The complete code will be designed, developed, tested, demonstrated, and documented in Phase II. The key attribute of the validated PCAT-DEW code will be its ability to utilize existing structural models for weapon systems. The operational PCAT-DEW code will have direct applications in government and industry for evaluating either system vulnerability or weapon lethality. The PC-based code can be used to make efficient assessments of material/system behavior due to HPMs and lasers. Computer code sales would be to government agencies and the military aircraft industry. Considerable test and evaluation support is also anticipated using PCAT-DEW. Nomadics proposes to integrate a couple of leading edge technologies currently in use in other company products to develop a fluorescence-based sensor platform that will be highly adaptable in the detection of volatile compounds, such as organophosphates. Using a conjugated polymer developed by MIT and a blue/violet laser source, the platform can be specifically tailored to perform chemometric spectroscopy for a variety of substances. The system is based on highly portable technologies that make the system particularly useful for field applications. The system provides very high sensitivity and relatively low cost. BENEFITS: The proposed sensor platform will be particularly useful in the detection of vapor-phase compounds, including chemical and biological agents and volatile environmental contaminants, such as fuels, solvents, and toxic gases. The portability, sensitivity, and real-time response of the system make it specifically suitable for detecting low concentrations of target substances in the field. These applications include both defense and environmental uses. This research program incorporates experimental and modeling efforts to developan advanced active control strategy for the suppression of combustion instabilityinside a scramjet during the initiation stage. Undesired flame blowout, caused byill-imposed flame ignition procedure, excessive combustion instability, orimproper transition between liquid and gaseous fuel supply systems, can becatastrophic to the smooth operation of a scramjet combustor. The specificobjectives of the Phase I proposal are: 1) to develop flight-weight high-frequencypressure and heat release sensors, 2) to develop liquid fuel injectors usingeffervescence, and 3) to characterize scramjet combustion dynamics, includingflame blowout phenomena and combustion instability. The proposed systemincorporates micro-opto-mechanical (MOM) pressure sensors and silicone carbide(SiC) photodiode sensors that can detect instantaneous chamber pressure and heatrelease, even in the presence of droplets and soot particles in high-temperatureenvironments. Effervescent injectors capable of controlling the dropletevaporation rate and producing high-frequency pulsing liquid sprays are proposedto control the heat release rate and to alleviate combustion instability.The proposed system has high spatial resolution and rapid frequency response.This approach to the detection and control of combustion dynamics is generic andcan be applied to scramjets, as well as other propulsion systems. This research effort incorporates state-of-the-art technologies in sensors,system identification, active control strategy, and actuators. The entire systemand the individual components can be commercialized. The mutual benefits ofcollaborating with industrial companies, such as Pratt & Whitney and GE AircraftEngines, and government agencies, such as the Air Force and NASA, representa particularly exciting facet of the proposed research. Technical Abstract: The objective of this proposal is to demonstrate the feasibility The objective of this proposal is to develop a micro pulsed plasma thruster (micro-PPT), or even a family of micro-PPTs, with substantially reduced system mass. Secondary objectives are higher thrust, improved propellant efficiencies, and scalability across a wider range of operating energies, compared to current PPT designs. PPTs operating at pulse energies of 10-20 Joules have been used for small spacecraft propulsion for several decades, but due to extremely low thrust and propulsive inefficiency have been used only where the simplicity of their solid-state design outweighs all other concerns. Recent work has demonstrated the requirement for an improved PPT system massing less than 800 grams for the first of these proposed missions, TechSat 21 The goal of this program is to develop an innovative, rapid and low-cost manufacturing technique to produce critical high temperature structural ceramic materials for propulsion related components, such as turbopump components, injectors, thrust chambers, ducts and nozzles for use in liquid, solid and hybrid propellant rockets. Advanced Ceramics Research, Inc. (ACR) has the technical expertise to develop the technology necessary to fabricate propulsion material(s) that will be able to demonstrate excellent ablation and oxidation resistance at temperatures approaching 3000?C coupled with adequate load bearing capability, non-catastrophic failure modes, and be able to withstand transient thermal shock. Current and future propulsion technologies will require novel high temperature materials to meet Airforce goals of increased efficiency and reduced weight and costs. Airforce desires materials to operate at temperatures up to 3000?C, while maintaining excellent thermal, physical and mechanical properties. The technology developed under this program has tremendous commercial potential for both government and industry. The development of a low cost, extremely high temperature, flaw-tolerant material will have far reaching implications in heat engine systems, rocket propulsion systems, and other energy conservation systems. In addition to rocket nozzles, the material has potential applications in combustors, hot gas ducts, exhaust flaps, first-stage vanes, heat exchangers, etc. A compact X-ray tube assembly comprises an evacuated chamber enclosed by a ceramic tubular envelope, an attached power supply at one end connected to an emitter inside the chamber, electrostatic means for focusing a beam of electrons on a metal foil target, an end window at the other end comprising said target, the thickness and composition of the metal foil target and the e-beam energy being selected to generate a microfocused bright beam of x rays of a preselected energies. The compact assembly is useful in materials and aligment for resist layers for chip fabrication and for materials inspection. BENEFITS: An end-window x-ray target design brings about an x-ray generator with greatly improved efficiency and photon spectrum purity. The x-ray generator has a micro-focused focal spot, is light in weight, and is particularly useful for high resolution portable appications in manufacture process monitoring, and for materials inspection. Serving both the military and industry functions. In Phase I, SHAI, in cooperation with our consultant, Dr. David Swanson of the Advanced Research Laboratory at Pennsylvania State University, will investigate, design, and implement a prototype of a context-sensitive tactical decision aid system for enhancing the deployment and employment of intelligent acoustic sensors. This system will use knowledge about local environmental conditions and terrain to dynamically determine sensor coverage of the battlefield and make recommendations for optimal sensor emplacement. It will combine knowledge of mission objectives with general tactical knowledge to interpret sensor reports in the context of the current combat situation, assessing from moment to moment which information would be most relevant and important for the user to see. It will also merge reports from multiple sensors, combining them with terrain and tactical data to provide a single coherent picture of the battlefield with maximum accuracy and utility. Since these are complex and difficult problems, we will take an integrated approach using a variety of paradigms, including Case-Based Reasoning, Model-Based Reasoning, Constraint Satisfaction, Bayesian Networks, and Knowledge-Based Representations; techniques we have used with much success in previous projects. BENEFITS: Context-sensitive tactical decision aids are applicable in any situation where intelligent acoustic sensors are employed. This includes a wide array of non-military surveillance applications such as intrusion detection in warehouse complexes, patrol of international borders, and monitoring of animal/livestock activity in wildlife preserves or commercial ranches. The U.S. Army has long recognized the potential of composite materials as a structural and ballistic armor material to realize weight reductions while maintaining appropriate levels of structural integrity and ballistic protection. Current ceramic armor multi-hit performance is below full potential due to excessive crack propagation from projectile impacts. Recent advancements in Ceramic Matrix Composite (CMC) materials may offer a solution to the relative fragility of monolithic composites. CMC's are highly flexible in their total composition, allowing considerable options for additives, coatings and laminations, compared to monolithic ceramics. We propose to develop an integrated, lightweight composite ballistic skirt for ground vehicle applications. The materials and techniques developed under the effort will be directly applicable to the design and integration of composite ballistic fenders as an inherent project objective. In Phase I, we will define the ceramic material requirements and specifications, identify alternative skirt design concepts and integration approaches. This effort will include threat definition, system and material requirements, the identification of available data on the ballistic and structural performance of the recommended ceramic material, the establishment of material specifications and development of a feasibility prototype skirt panel section design concept. BENEFITS: Development of lightweight structural composite materials, processes and designs may be applies to multiple military vehicles and adapted to meet requirements for lightweight fuel-efficient commercial vehicles. Through the use of voice recognition technology, logistics FM radio nets could be electronically monitored. The system would recognize pertinent logistics information, capture it, and feed it to the appropriate legacy systems. Maintenance personnel rely on the FM radio to stay aware of current status. All key supervisors have radios and relay key maintenance status and location information to each other and the Maintenance Operations Centers. Normally, each squadron will have its own net, as well as specialist, Aerospace Ground Equipment and munitions. When an aircraft aborts or some other critical maintenance action occurs, all pertinent data is relayed across this net. KLSS recommends a project to evaluate the possibility of capturing aircraft maintenance status and failure edata by using voice recognition technology to monitor the FM Net(s). Voice recognition products are now available that are accurate and support continuous speech recognition. Technical Abstract (Limit your abstract to 200 words with no classified or proprietary information/data.) MSSI proposes the use of ultra wideband (UWB), nanosecond duration pulses for a fusing sensor waveform to determine the ordinance to target range with an accuracy of better than six inches over a six inch to six foot target range. UWB sensors operate as presence detectors and employ waveforms which are covert ant extremely difficult to jam. The sensor and firing pulse electronics logic will be incorporated into a single integrated circuit chip. In Phase I, MSSI will study the design ant miniaturization of a brassboard ultra wideband radar sensor in four tasks: (1) Develop sensor block diagrams which incorporate the safety and operating features of current sensor designs; (2) identify promising technologies that would allow single chip integration of all features of the radar fuze; (3) conduct modeling and simulation of the selected sensors using the software package Matlab to predict performance; and (4) fabricate and test a breadboard model to confirm predictions from the simulation. The breadboard will be evaluated for: (a) minimum required ERP for target detection; (b) achievable level of covertness; (c) circuit complexity for ultimate incorporation into a single-chip design to be implemented in Phase II. BENEFITS: UWB Micro-Miniature Circuit Development will produce critical building blocks for automobile collision avoidance, aircraft obstacle avoidance, liquid level sensing and low altitude accurate radar altimetry. We propose to develop and demonstrate an in-air weld system for field repairing titanium structures. Our system could lower initial manufacturing costs of titanium-based structures that are driven by cumbersome and labor-intensive welding practices currently required. Our innovation represents an enabling technology that would allow the future development of both military and commercial Structures based on titanium -- structures that heretofore would have been impossible or impractical to build or repair. Our innovation will provide a viable means of field repair for the newly developed XM777 155 mm Lightweight Howitzer. We demonstrated the feasibility of the proposed approach in Phase I by welding samples coated with our innovative flux. The system that we propose to build in Phase II is based on our novel flux coating that provides protection to titanium during welding in air. The flux coating is formed using a thermal spray process. Coated parts are then welded directly in air, without an inert atmosphere and without the aid of specially designed trailing shields, purges, or tents. BENEFITS: The proposed in-air welding process is expected to (1) enable the field repair of titanium, (2) broaden significantly the application of titanium alloys for both military and commercial applications, and (3) lower manufacturing costs associated with joining titanium. A feasibility study is proposed for a practical, fast, high-accuracy hyperspectral x-ray detector system for detection and imaging of objects such as energetic materials and contraband. It may have many other uses such as finding and identifying contraband in luggage, briefcases, packages, parcels, containers. It may also be used for process control applications such as remote monitoring of parameters like the chemical composition or congealing of material in the casting process, or controlling fabrication of composites and fiber embedded materials. Another use can be nondestructive inspection of commercial and military energetic materials, munition items. It may also be applied for accurate determination of material properties. Medical uses are also possible, for example, in bone densitometry for osteoporosis diagnosis. During Phase I, a feasibility study will be carried out to demonstrate that the proposed detector will perform to the required specifications. During Phase II, a fully functional prototype detector system will be manufactured using the Phase I results. In Phase III, the detector system will be manufactured as a commercial hyperspectral x-ray-imaging instrument. BENEFITS: The results of the Phase I and II programs will be a fast, high-accuracy room-temperature hyperspectral imaging x-ray detector system. This detector has many application capabilities for both the military and commercial sectors. The relatively high resistance and the poor performance are the limitations for the usage of the typical Electrochemical Capacitor (EC) for many applications, which require power under extreme conditions such as a wide range of temperatures. ECs with extended temperature range, high capacitance and low internal resistance are needed to open up a wide range for military, space, and industrial applications. Multi-million-dollar markets are to be expected from automotive and biomedical as well as military operations. The primary objective of this project is to develop high-energy-density, high-power-density, all-solid polymer electrolyte EC, capable of operating over most of the military temperature range (from -40 degrees to 70 degrees Celsius) to be used for military Electric Vehicle (EV) applications. This innovation is based on Giner, Inc.'s extensive knowledge in electrode materials and solid polymer electrolyte processing. The advantage of the proposed EC design includes the long life, small size and wide temperature range. BENEFITS: Commercial applications of the wide temperature range electrochemical capacitor include charge storage devices for uninterruptible power supplies, memory backup and pulse power sources for defibrillator and neurological microstimulators. The objective of the proposed effort is to demonstrate the feasibility of manufacturing an ultra compact, silicon carbide heat exchanger for heat recovered gas turbine engines. The use of silicon carbide allows recuperator design temperatures of 1000-1200 degrees Celsius that capitalize on the inlet temperature capabilities of advance gas turbine designs. Higher thermal efficiency, improved fuel economy and greater power density are the benefits to be realized. In Phase I, Busek Co. Inc. and our development partner Allison Engineering Co. will evaluate candidate gas turbine applications and prepare a conceptual design of the heat exchanger that is amenable to direct reaction bonding of sintered alpha silicon carbide. We will prepare a number of material specimens and test modules that incorporate all the thermo-structural features or the prototype HEX to be designed and fabricated in Phase II. The test specimen properties will be evaluated in Phase I to demonstrate manufacturing feasibility. In Phase II Busek and Allison will design and fabricate a hybrid size prototype heat exchanger using manufacturing methods developed in the Phase I program. The recuperator will be tested in a test facility at Allison specifically designed for gas turbine heat exchanger evaluation. BENEFITS: Improved fuel economy, efficiency and low cost will allow gas turbines to be considered for prime movers, automotive and emerging hybrid vehicle applications. Outside gas turbine applications fabrication of SiC heat exchangers and structures have widespread power generation, chemical reformer and heat management applications. Advanced Numerical solutions has built a 2D multi-body dynamic contact analysis code capable of simultaneously modeling multiple gear meshes in transmissions. It uses many innovations to make this possible. A specially developed hierarchical solver is used to carry out implicit time integration in under 2- seconds per step for a model with 50,000 degrees for freedom. An efficient contact solver is used to solve the contact problem with multiple rigid body modes and friction in a fixed number of iterations. A special purpose programming language has been implemented to allow maximum flexibility in building complex transmission models. Preliminary tests on 2D model of a planetary system have shown that this computer program has sufficient speed to make dynamic analysis practical. It is now possible to predict vibration levels with sufficient precision to resolve the effects of tooth surface modifications. Bearing stiffness, rim geometry and other design considerations. The objective here is to verify the accuracy of the predictions made by the code. Comparisons with other methods like the boundary element method will be made. Noise and vibration comparisons will be made with experimental results available in the open literature.BENEFITS: The multi-body contract analysis tool will enable designers to improve predictions of noise and stress levels in complex geared transmissions. We propose the development of a novel, all-optical cooling device capable of reaching liquid nitrogen temperatures. The device can be readily adapted and retrofitted to existing infrared (JR) detectors. The cooling medium for our device is molecular-based and has inherent advantages over existing mechanical cryogenic coolers. The optical cooling effect is based on frequency up-conversion. Our innovative features include no moving parts operation at convenient laser wavelengths, inherent energy efficiency, solid state design, small size and weight, immunity from electromagnetic interferences, long operational lifetime, and inexpensive to manufacture. The Phase I program will theoretically and experimentally determine the feasibility of the concept. BENEFITS: Development of a device with far-reaching commercial application. The potential to make inexpensive, efficient cooling devices that are driven by lasers may revolutionize satellite, computer, and high temperature superconductor industries. The potential for commercially viable spin-off technologies such as solid-state blue lasers, self-regulating thermo-electrical components, and temperature sensors is high. This project proposes the development of a low Cost, ultra efficient, miniature, air handling system for portable fuel cell power supplies. The project will result in a low volume, low cost production system which employs advanced manufacturing techniques (selective laser sintering and stereolithography) to rapidly make custom air handlers. The proposed air handler employs a sliding vane compressor (before fuel cell) and a sliding vane expander (after fuel cell) integrated into a single rotor (uni-rotor) thus providing a very efficient, low cost system. This approach is capable of very high "effective compressive efficiencies" (defined as isentropic compressive work into the air divided by motor shaft output power). To illustrate, A uni-rotor compressor/expander was designed to supply between .3 and .9 SCFM. This design will supply a 200 w fuel cell stack, at a pressure ratio of 1.47, and consume only 3.3% parasitic power. This represents an effective compressive efficiency of 170%. An energy storage system analysis showed that the hydrogen storage tank comprised - 70% of total system weight (based on a 10 hour mission). Thus, compressor and fuel cell efficiencies play a critical role in keeping system weight down. The analysis showed that system weight is minimized at a pressure ratio of -1.8 (since higher pressure boosts fuel cell efficiency) and that the proposed compressor/expander reduced system weight by 10%. BENEFITS: This work will result in an Army Source, which can rapidly deliver low volume production runs of custom air handlers. Other applications include: all small fuel cell systems (200w to 20kw), space power systems, and miniature mass spectrometers. The proposed effort seeks to develop a technology for manufacturing radiation detectors from semiconductor quantum wire arrays. The approach is based on low cost non-aqueous electrodeposition into self-organized nanotemplates, followed by the incorporation of the array into micromachined detector. Dimensional precision at the nanometer scale of these materials ensures ultraprecision of parameters, as well as confinement of the electrical and electronic properties of these materials, which, in part, enables performance in high frequency range, and can overcome well known limitations of conventional II-VI sensors. The Phase I will demonstrate the proof-of-concept. Phase 11 will optimize the technology, build and test quantum array radiation detector prototypes. Phase III will commercialize the technology. BENEFITS: Proposed quantum array material can potentially enable new levels of performance and functionality of radiation detectors. Potential applications include light meters, smoke detectors, intruder alarms, street lighting switches, and other optoelectronic devices. The effort will also provide a foundation for a new generation of radiation detectors from -radiation to IR. It is well known that the relationships between ground noise exposure and rotorcraft flight-path operational conditions are extremely complicated and difficult to accurately predict from a first principle approach. To make the prediction more tractable, a Model-Based Neural Network system that accurately predicts rotorcraft noise on a plane that simulates ground noise exposure has been successfully demonstrated in Phase I. The system uses wind-tunnel data to estimate noise levels, noise-level contours, and the product of noise levels times the area at that given noise level as a function of the quasi-steady performance states of the rotorcraft. Phase II will build upon the Phase I successes to develop a Smart Model-Based Neural Network (SMBNN) software tool that will relate rotorcraft flight-path control to noise radiated by the helicopter to the surrounding community. The Model-Based Neural Network of Phase I will be extended to accept additional noise radiation knowledge through the incorporation of Expert System technology. A SMBNN software tool will be developed/trained from a variety of data sources- each adding fidelity and robustness to the system. The resulting "bread-board" design of a prototype cockpit unit will integrate components of data sensors, a pre-processor, SMBNN, and a simple display. BENEFITS: The rotorcraft ground noise exposure can be predicted by a Smart Model-Based Neural Network system and displayed on a real-time base. In military applications, a prototype monitor unit in the helicopter cockpit can guide a pilot in maneuvering the vehicle to avoid potential threats in a hostile environment. In civil applications, inner-city operations, police activities, and emergency operations will be benefit from the technology in the approach terminal area. With the support of rotorcraft industry, the potential commercialization is extremely high. UAV Micro-turbine technology recently patented by SWB Turbines and implemented in precious flight-weight turbojet engines at SWB Turbines is adapted for use in turboprop configuration. A centrifugal compressor and radial-inflow turbine provide the core to a turboprop engine, With components derived from low-cost (<S400/set), already commercially produced rotating components. Technology proven in precious flight-weight turbojet cycles at SWB Turbines include high-swirl combustor technology, bleed-flow cooled bearings, patented injector technology, engine construction and production methods, closed loop engine controls with health monitoring, and low-cost components such as diffusers and turbine inlet caning. On-site experience myth other Outrider and other flight systems contribute to trio potential Micro-Turboprop Engine (MTE) configurations a sidewinder system with a free-turbine normal to the gas generator core. and an inline version' each Pith a high-speed gearbox. Flight-weight of the MTE engine is estimated to be at or below 50 lb., for a 90 hp engine. The innovative adaptation of existing SWB Turbines art, combined with recently patented micro-turbine technology make this effort an aggressive combination of cycle analysis, preliminary engine design, and an optional phase I demonstration of a sub-scale micro-turbine with a gearbox demonstrator. BENEFITS: Civilian aviation has seen a resurgence in sales volume both in experimental aircraft and aero engines. SWB Turbines has developed micro-turbines for commercial sales, and has entered into joint development of engine development myth large UAV turbine entities. SWB Turbines has prepared a business plan for a Micro-Turboprop Engines (N TE) and has examined commercial production of a MTE for UAV helicopters and consumer aircraft. The Phase 1 project examines the concept of low-cost and low RCS GPS protection capability for advanced rotary wing aircraft using an L1/L2 antenna retrofit. The project examines the tail stabilizer GPS antenna installation of the Comanche RAH-66 and forward antenna location for factors including: installation detail, signature, GPS coverage, blockage/masking, and onboard interference. The project employs ERI's patented single aperture, COTS A/J technology. The project examines alternate antennas (i.e., cross-slot cavity backed in turnstile and square box arrangements and patches) to optimize GPS and A/J performance. The project examines active antenna arrangements with electronics at the antenna and in the E-bay near the receiver. The objective is to provide a retrofit solution that has low acquisition and installation cost. The Phase 1 Option addresses partitioning and package trades for electronics between E-bay and aperture locations. Phase 2 develops and tests a prototype L1/L2 antenna for the RAH-66 consisting of an active antenna with modified COTS electronics for demonstration. Phase 2 builds, modifies and integrates the anti-jam system on an airframe with the existing GPS receiver, and supports test planning and demonstration that scopes anti-jam performance and signature impact. BENEFITS: The program develops a low-RCS, robust active antenna and electronics concept for GPS protection. Phase 1 conducts essential research, determines the scope of performance and cost associated with the end item, while utilizing RAH-66, CNI/ASE aperture experience. Millivision LLC proposes to develop a low cost, portable, passive millimeter wave device for concealed object detection. The device will be hand-held and will provide the operator with a view of objects, independent of their composition, concealed under or behind a variety of obscuring materials. The device will be operated by scanning the area of interest, much in the same way as a flashlight is used to examine a darkened area. The Phase I effort will concentrate on determining the feasibility, performance, and configuration of the system. The effort will include an analysis of approaches that provide an acceptable field of view, frame rate, and signal to noise ratio, while keeping the system light and small enough to be hand-held and inexpensive enough to be appealing to a wide range of markets. This analysis will be supported by software simulation of specific parts of the system behavior, to provide a rapid and accurate appreciation of the impact of the tradeoffs we consider. The Phase I effort will culminate in the production of a system design and a report on expected system performance, including an estimate of production costs. Based upon the design, effort under the Phase I Option will initiate the construction of the sensor sub-system of the device, which will allow for early experimental validation of system performance. BENEFITS: The proposed device would be useful to military personnel and civilian police in situations requiring screening for concealed weapons, explosives, or contraband. Uses include identification and location of items concealed on the person, in walls, or under certain types of ground cover. The ability to quickly and accurately determine effective deployment locations for radio frequency sensors or jammers is an essential element in today's highly mobile and fast-paced battlefield. Further, tools that help visualize radio coverage characteristics over a given geographic area would enable the battlefield commander to evaluate placement trade-offs without the time and expense of physically moving assets around in the field. In order for such tools to be useful, the underlying software used to model radio wave propagation must be accurate and fast. We propose to develop propagation algorithms that will provide the same accuracy as models currently used by several Army systems, but that will run fast enough to support near-real-time applications. Our proposed approach is two-fold. First, we will analyze the computational complexity of existing Army models in order to identify and improve performance problem areas. Second, we will conduct performance versus accuracy trade-off studies on a variety of other pathless algorithms. This approach will allow us to address whether more efficient calculation techniques exist and if these techniques can be used in place of existing models. The end result of our research will be a software prototype of performance-enhanced RF propagation algorithms. BENEFITS: Many industries, beyond the military, will benefit from the ability to visually analyze RF propagation in near real-time. Specific applications where the proposed effort has immediate commercial applicability range from cellular and pager networks to RF identification and tagging systems. IEM, with assistance from its subcontractors, Infrared Solutions, Inc. (ISI) / Honeywell Technology Center (HTC), proposes to design small IR sensor electronics to drive an uncooled bolometer array. The new IR sensor will be incorporated into a small IR and acoustic sensor capable of transmitting images via a secured wireless network. IEM will incorporate several innovations in the proposed effort: reduced size electronic packaging, smart acoustic sensor, secure wireless network, and innovative data compression. The innovative small sensor will operate off a small solar cell. The potential applications of this small sensor include remote security and surveillance. This effort will be led by Zack Mian from IEM and Dr. Paul Kruse at ISI. BENEFITS: Potential applications include anti-personnel land mines, monitor activity near large mines, perimeter surveillance of nuclear bases and other military resources and bases. Commercial applications include temporary remote security, and industrial quality control. An Intelligent Access Hub system (IAHS) is proposed for a low cost, point to multi point Wireless Wide Area Network (W-WAN). Rapid advance in COTS, unlicensed 5.8 GHz band, Ethernet radio bridge technology is exploited to provide unprecedented bit rate/dollar ratios. The IAHS is a multimedia, rapidly deployable architecture, which nominally provides dedicated 10 MB/s throughput from the IAHS Tactical Operations Center (TOC) gateway location to fixed or roaming Information Kiosks (IKs). The IKs may then be ported to PCS base stations, wired or wireless LAN access points, legacy mobile communication gateways, or other TOCs. The IAHS uses a proprietary Multi beam Antenna Assembly and Status Controller to switch directive antennas to the IK requiring service, and adapts power as required. The use of directive antennas and adaptive power increases range, and enhances system capacity by providing spatial isolation between radio channels. The directive antennas and adaptive power reduce interference to and from adjacent radio paths, and improve LPI and AJ performance. The IAHS is to be demonstrated at a commercial Internet Service Provider facility as a private data W-WAN, initially at 10Mb/s per customer, then using COTS 100Mb/s, U-NII equipment. BENEFITS: The IAHS is a point to multi point W-WAN which is rapidly deployable, independent of installed infrastructure, scaleable to meet demand, and COTS based. Military application is a rapidly deployable tactical backbone network, commercial application is a private data network independent of wire line infrastructure and incumbent pricing. Mobile Cellular Radio (MCR) or Personal Communications Service (PCS) handsets that utilizes second-generation digital access schemes present a significant challenge to DF systems. Handsets utilize either Time Division Multiple Access (TDMA) or Code Division Multiple Access (COMA) to communicate with the basestation. In both cases the networking complexity far exceeds that of first generation systems. Handset power control algorithms designed to extend battery life and minimize Co-Channel Interference (CCI) at the basestation result in low power transmissions and time varying handset output power. CCI is a significant challenge to overcome in successful DF exploitation of second generation MCR/PCS systems and is further exacerbated by multipath and dispersive channels that randomize the arrival times of CCI. A radical new approach to Direction Finding, applying Per Survivor Processing (PSP), offers the opportunity to achieve large performance improvements (e.g. interference rejection, rapid acquisition, multipath mitigation) over conventional techniques. PSP algorithms have been developed and simulated for MCR/PCS waveforms in dense urban environments. The focus of this proposed Phase I effort will be to develop an implementation capable of demonstrating the performance improvement of PSP applied to the mobile DF application. BENEFITS: The primary benefit of this multi-phased SBIR program is the implementation high-performance, robust and cost effective processing to determine the Angle-of-Bearing to MCR/PCS handsets. These capabilities have obvious extensions to other DoD services requiring low cost, high performance DF systems for digital signals. The benefits also extend to government and commercial entities that operate private communication networks and potentially to location applications for cellular 911 calls. FED Corporation proposes to demonstrate performance from an analog driven active matrix organic light emitting diode display, which exceeds requirements for a dismounted soldier head-mounted display system. The project would yield product design for the lowest power full performance display. The superior performance will be achieved by combining the display technology with the most promise (Organic Light Emitting Diode-OLED) and a well executed low power analog circuit technique into a single integrated active matrix display chip. Phase l accomplishments will include theoretical and empirical demonstration of the electro-optical performance of the analog drive approach and developing technical design documentation for Phase 2. Phase 2 would implement the Phase 1 design into a CMOS integrated display circuit and produce a prototype analog drive, SXGA, color OLED display directly compatible with an RS-170 input. BENEFITS: The development from this project will yield the technology and documentation for a miniature display product that will meet the currently unattainable requirements for Army HAD. Meeting these requirements will also yield product design applicable to higher volume industrial and consumer HAD systems which is key to product economics. Multimedia applications will be a major part of the rework traffic in the next generation of high speed networks. The cornerstone for multimedia is Asynchronous Transfer Mode (ATE, foreseen as the technology of the future Broadband Integrated Services Digital Network (13-ISDN). Real-time multimedia, unlike traditional data transfer applications, have stringent simultaneous requirements in terms of loss and delay jitter. Traditional protocol layers do not have appropriate mechanisms to provide the required network quality of service for such VBR multimedia applications. This lack of functionality calls for the design of protocol layers to handle the stringent requirements of multimedia applications. Also, one of the major drawbacks of ATM technology today is its inability to support security. ATM will likely be used in the future for mission-critical information transfer, like financial transactions and military communications. Carrying such sensitive information will make ATM networks very lucrative to break into. To exploit its full potential, there is an urgent need to incorporate security features into ATM protocol layers. In this proposal, we analyze the requirements for transporting real-time multimedia traffic over ATM. ATM protocol layer functionality is designed based on these requirements. Also, threats to ATM are identified and different options to counter them are presented. BENEFITS: ATM is the leading networking technology of the future. Compressed voice and video, which is inherently statistical, will be transported as VBR traffic on ATM. This emerging ability will dramatically change the telecommunication industry resulting in substantial telecommunications cost savings. The U.S. Army has a need for the development of new antenna materials technologies that will extend the band coverage and direction of arrival of communications, radar warning, and countermeasure antennas. This new materials technologies study should result in an extremely broad bandwidth antenna which operates in frequencies from 0.05 GHz to 94 GHz. Due to the proliferation of wireless systems, a broadband multifunction antenna which can replace several, or many, existing single-function antennas is needed. This need is shared by both the government as well as the commercial sector. Due to space limitations, weight limitations, limited power budget, etc., existing antennas are unsuitable. The present SBIR (Small Business Innovative Research) phase-I solicitation is focused on new antennas materials technologies which will help alleviate this problem. In this proposed program, research will be conducted using WEO's patented SMM (spiral-mode microstrip), which is the only conformal, broadband antenna in existence, as the underlying technology. Five new antenna technologies developed at WEO will be applied to the SMM antenna to help broaden its bandwidth and reduce its electrical size. A phase-II approach will be defined. BENEFITS: This development would have a significant impact on the commercial communications industry. Applications could be made to commercial aviation, vehicles, etc. The most significant application would be the enhancement of personal wireless communications, for which a broadband multifunction antenna is desperately needed. Kionix proposes a Phase I program to study the feasibility of using thick film microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) to create an integrated, scalable, tunable electronic filter. MEMS has been used previously to fabricate variable capacitors. Novel metal deposition processes have been employed to fabricate prototype micro-inductors. However, never have the two disciplines been integrated in a manufacturable process to produce a fully functional filter device. Silicon MEMS will provide the actuating functions to alter the frequency of the tunable filter, while the electroless deposition of thick film metals will provide low loss rf coupling through and between the inductor and capacitor pair. This configuration ensures that the filter operates with low insertion loss, high tuning range, and high isolation to the substrate silicon. BENEFITS: This proposed SBIR program will create a new methodology for tunable filters for application in communications transceivers, in both military and commercial applications. Under this Phase I SBIR program, ORINCON proposes to develop and demonstrate digital signal processing (DSP) algorithms to provide substantial improvements in the identification and quantification of chemical compounds using Fourier Transform Infrared (FTIR) Spectroscopy. The algorithm we propose is conceptually founded on wavelet techniques. We will take advantage of the fact that the wavelet representation of the IR spectrum offers greater flexibility in enhancing low signal-to-noise ratios because the wavelet naturally resolves noise and spectral features into different domains. The algorithm itself is based on work described in Ref. [1], where an advanced wavelet technique is used to denoise astronomical spectra and remarkably recovers weak signal features that are drowned in noise so as not to be seen in the spectrum. In addition, the FTIR application of remote sensing is generally performed in a nonlinear environment due to dynamic background and instrumentation fluctuations. We propose the testing of wavelet pattern classification algorithms to aid in the identification of chemical compounds in this environment. In Phase II, algorithms, techniques, and procedures developed and demonstrated during Phase I will be optimized, implemented, and tested on a computer platform that runs ORINCON's commercial, real-time signal processing software. BENEFITS: Potential commercial applications for the algorithms developed under this program are numerous. The use of wavelet techniques in signal processing is becoming increasingly popular. Its inevitable insertion into the field of spectroscopy will have a profound effect on such fields as industrial chemical sensing, biological applications, medicine, and analytical chemistry. This Phase I SBIR program will define and architect a Bandwidth-Efficient, Low-Latency, Scalable Turbo Architecture (BELLSTAR) for detailed FPGA design and implementation during a Phase II SBIR development. The design will focus on a flexible, modular architecture that can be used as both a developmental tool and as a stepping stone toward new generations of high density, low-cost turbo encoder/decoder chips with an appropriate mix of capabilities. As a development tool, the BELLSTAR will provide an open architecture for the analysis, test, and demonstration of the very high coding gains achievable at relatively low latencies for the appropriate data rates and modulation types. Follow-on developments will allow the appropriate mixture of open-architecture components to be reduced using MCM, ASIC, and other novel packaging technologies to produce small, high-density, low-cost turbo codecs for both the military and commercial marketplace. BENEFITS: Potential applications of the architecture, techniques, and components developed on this project include: satellite communications, wireless communications, cable modems, Digital Subscriber Line (DSL) modems, voice-band modems, and most digital data communication applications that can tolerate latency in return for high coding gains. The developmental test-bed can be used as laboratory test equipment for new techniques in more advanced turbo-coding products and applications. There is a current need for a dynamic target knowledge base for automatic target recognition to adapt to the variations in targets encountered in the real world. The proposed research will study methods to determine differences between 2E image and range data of a target and a library of 3D CAD model data, and update the CAD model to accurately represent the real world target. We will detect features, within the 2D data and attempt to detect corresponding features in the 3D CAD model. Creating a match quality metric to measure the difference between the features will allow us to determine which CAD model best matches the 2D data. The same metric will allow us to find areas of differences between the selected CAD model and the 2D data. The selected CAL model will be adapted to more closely match the real world 2D data, and the match quality metric will again be used to assure the quality of the adaptation. BENEFITS: The proposed research will allow rapid updating of target knowledge bases that would greatly enhance military automatic target recognition systems. Other commercial applications include assembly line quality assurance systems, robotic handling systems, and medical diagnosis through MRI imaging. In Ph I SDG and Aerojet collaborated to: Solid state lasers needed for future radar systems such as HI-QUAMS are large and expensive. The Phase II project will develop a 3 Watt average power, 1.5 micron, laser. A 1 um diode pumped solid state laser and nonlinear optical wavelength converter will be investigated. The goal of the project is to package this laser head in a 1 x 2 x 6 inch volume. The project will deliver multiple prototype laser units for Army captive carry flight testing and evaluation. Phase I successfully demonstrated a 3 W eyesafe laser with a beam divergence better than 200 microradians in a 2 cm aperture. BENEFITS: This 1 micron laser with nonlinear wavelength converter technology has applications in medical precision surgery. The LCPK is a new Army guided missile program based on the venerable 2.75 unguided rocket. Although the guidance scheme is still up in the air, issues with rate sensors on other programs have sparked this SBIR topic. We tell the story of the Predator/MPIM rate sensor issues, analyze the LCPK rate sensor needs as a function of the guidance scheme selection, and propose a test program and isolation mount design for the Endevco Micromachined Accelerometer Gyro (MAG) sensor which should fill the application needs for both linear acceleration and angular rate information. BENEFITS: Everyone is excited about the eventual possibilities of MEMS. This project emphasizes the near term development of a highly accurate miniature inertial sensor. A novel methodology for real-time characterization of the structural behavior of parachutes during inflation is proposed. This method is based on using embedded fiber optic sensors for stress/strain field measurements. A number of sensors will be arranged in a two-dimensional array of elements. Some of these sensors will be positioned along the radial direction of the parachute canopy and others positioned in the hoop direction. Also, a number of sensors will be connected along the parachute suspension lines. These sensors will be integrated into an opto-electronic monitoring system. Remote sensing technology will be used for the transmission of information from this opto-electronic system to a ground station. When a parachute malfunctions, it is critical that the jumper deploy the reserve parachute quickly to ensure that the reserve has adequate time to inflate and slow his descent. Minimum container opening sltitudes above the ground for recreational skydivers are at least 2000 feet AGL, which affords the jumper enough time to determine his canopy status and activate the reserve if necessary. Military training jumps are often done from 800 feet AGL and there is very little time to determine whether a malfunction exists. Consequently, the use of an Automatic Activatioin Device (AAD) is highly recommended since the jumper's reaction time may be inadequate to ensure a safe landing. Commercially available devices cannot adequately protect the jumper at those jump altitudes and are cost prohibitive for a mass tactical setting. During the Phase I effort, a prototype low-altitude AAD was developed which used accelerometers and pressure sensors to determine whether or not a reserve had to be deployed. During this phase we propose to develop and deliver pre-production prototypes of low-cost AADs suitable for low-altitude military jumps. This cost of this device would also make it affordable for more skydivers, reducing the number of injuries and fatalities in the sport. The lower cost of our parachute automatic activation device (AAD) will facilitate military deployment of this device. The lower cost will also encourage a greater acceptance of the device in the sport skydiving circles. This will result in lowered numbers of injuries and fatalities due to parachute malfunctions. Essential elements of today's highly mobile military services are effective mobile and temporary shelters. Increasingly, there is a demand for large, easily deployed, temporary shelters for many aspects of military activities. Current shelters are generally not well insulated resulting in large heating and cooling environmental controls units (ECU's). These ECU's have large power requirements and are bulky and heavy reducing mobility and consequently the effectiveness of mobile military units. The poor insulation results in an increased thermal signature leaving the shelters vulnerable to detection and targeting. Further, the limited insulation results in internal thermal gradients within the structure and condensation further eroding the concept's usefulness. L'Garde proposes solutions to these insulation problems through a technology commonly used in space programs, multi-layer insulation (MLI). Incorporating multi-layer insulation into temporary structures will greatly enhance environmental thermal control while concurrently addressing the thermal signature reduction. L'Garde, with 27 years of experience in inflatable space structures, RV decoys and targets with prerequisite signatures over multiple spectral bands, is well qualified to conduct this effort. Our experience with thermal control of inflatable decoys and experience working with thin films and membranes can be directly applied to enhancing the thermal efficiency of temporary shelters. BENEFITS: The commercial possibilities of thermally enhanced materials and temporary shelters are immense. Once developed, the multi-layer insulation is applicable to commercial tents, temporary buildings, and even to retractable and inflatable arena roofs. Further, the insulation could be utilized in large solid structures such as buildings and warehouses. The goal of the proposed work is to create Mission Planning and Training Tool, (MPTT), a tool that will allow experienced training officers to create urban combat training scenarios in less than one hour. The importance of urban combat to the US Army is growing. Urban combat requires individual combatants to work closely with members of their tactical team while in close proximity to innocent civilians, armed civilians, hostages, and enemy forces. While simulation-based training for urban combat has advanced rapidly in the past few years, there are still gaps in the technology. One deficiency is the limited capability of existing Computer Generated Forces (CGF). We propose to create Mission Planning and Training Tool MPTT), software for simulating urban combat scenarios using a new kind of CGF. Rather than rely on complex computer intelligence, MPTT produces CGF that use the intelligence of experienced training officers who act as scenario builders. These CGF can be directly pathed, and scripted to create scenarios involving human to human interaction at close quarters, including in and around buildings. MPTT will support scenario generation, interactive mission planning, rehearsal, and training. MPTT will be a powerful and practical tool for building urban combat training simulations. BENEFITS: MPTT is dual use technology, which will be commercialized by applying it to police training, fire fighting, disaster planning systems, etc. The structural health of bridges is a crucial issue in both military and civilian sectors. In military terms, knowing the condition or "health" of a bridge is key to both mobility planning and deployment in battle situations, and to military asset management in peace time. In the defense arena, lives, battles, and wars can hang in the balance. In the battlefield environment, military bridges are vital tactical assets, and are absolutely critical for the rapid, safe movement of troops and equipment across both natural and constructed terrain gaps. From a historical perspective, the force which controls the gap to be crossed has the battlefield advantage. Knowledge of the capacity and health of the bridge in a real-time, dynamic fashion, as well as remaining life, will be a force multiplier for improving the mobility control of the battlefield commander. An innovative system concept is proposed, comprising the selection and integration of appropriate sensors and a unique, intelligent microprocessor control module. The system will allow the needed data to be sensed, converted to bridge health information and stored for transmission to field command and control centers or vehicle commanders. BENEFITS: Applying the system to the DoD's assault and support bridge inventory will provide the military with an important new tool for mobility and logistical control. And since 35% of our nation's 575,000 public bridges are now classified as deficient, a large civilian market would benefit from improved condition monitoring. Modern armor designs for personnel and vehicles against small and medium caliber threats balance the projectile-stopping (energy-absorbing) effectiveness of layers of materials against weight. As a barrier to environmental and handling damage, encapsulation of these armors incurs a parasitic weight penalty, unless the attendant hydrostatic confinement also affords an additional measure of penetration resistance. The technical objective of this program is to extend the results of the Phase I effort, integrating titanium powder metallurgy (P/M) and hot isostatic pressing (HIP) encapsulation with advanced ceramic and composite structures, into the medium armor regime. The proposed work plan consists of four (4) Design-Manufacture-Test Iterations to produce advanced armor concepts sufficient to defeat a representative medium caliber threat. A collaborative design process will select materials which offer a balance of penetration resistance and density, are amenable to P/M+HIP encapsulation processing, and can be interfacially coupled with successive layers of materials. Assembly and ballistic testing of prototype armor modules will provide a concurrent cost-benefit assessment of P/M+HIP armor encapsulation technology. Penetration performance will be analytically reconciled with actual materials, manufacturing, and non-destructive test data and radiographic images of the ballistic event. With TACOM and ARL assistance, specific commercial applications of this armor technology will be identified for both upgrades of fielded systems and for incorporation into the fundamental design of future generations of armor. Dynamet Technology, Inc. proposes to design, build and test a titanium alloy, HIP-encapsulated Boron Carbide ceramic plate, with two suggested improvements, a boron mesh backer (integrally bonded to the rear face of the ceramic) and a hydrostatic cushion in front of the confined ceramic. The powder metallurgy titanium alloy encapsulation process will generate hydrostatic compressive stresses within the ceramic, and a continuous integral bond between the ceramic and metal cladding. The geometry and relative thickness of each layer will be jointly designed incorporating ARL penetration codes and Dynamet's powder metallurgy titanium encapsulation and bonding process technology. Dynamet will produce six (6) 140mm diameter encapsulated armor stacks for ballistic testing at ARM against 7.63 mm penetrators, including multiple hit performance evaluations. BENEFITS: This proposal offers the potential for improved ballistic armor protection, permitting high ballistic efficiency with operational durability and scaleable, cost-effective manufacturing technology. The designs can be tailored and optimized for a dual-use application, from vehicle armor to small armored vests. Adiabatics, Inc. and Indiana Research Institute are proposing a joint research effort to show the technical feasibility of achieving high power density diesel propulsion technology. Design targets include cylinder heat loading of 4 hp per square-inch of piston area or greater, 4 cycle bmep exceeding 300 psi, and brake specific heat rejection of 12 btu/bhp-min. or lower. Brake specific fuel consumption and specific power outputs will be consistent with the latest technological know-how. Five (5) specific technologies being considered are: 1. High-Temperature Tribology, 2. Insulative Components, 3. Fuel Injection Enhancement, 4. Turbo-Alternator Turbocompounding and 5. Lightweight Engine Structure. Indiana Research Institute will undertake (3) and (4) while Adiabatics, Inc. will undertake (1), (2) and (5). The above assignment will assure the optimum utilization of each companies capability. A newly conceived combustion concept designated as the Spatially Resolved system is being proposed in conjunction with the Shower Head injection nozzle. The second novel concept being proposed is a cooling system involving an exhaust ejector for inducting cooling air through finned surfaces where limited cooling is desired. No coolant, moving parts or pumps, fans and radiator will be required. A carbon composite material with a coating to prevent oxidation will also be exploited. Many other interesting features will be considered in this proposal phase I program. BENEFITS: Upon completion of this investigation of advanced concepts, many features necessary to advance the compression ignition engine in the future to benefit the military and the commercial sectors will be made. The fuel energy and materials conservation will be foremost. TACAN Corporation proposes to develop a new and innovative fieldable instrument: that can be used for the detection of depleted uranium with sensitivity in the several ppm region. The system will operate in adverse conditions and in the presence of unexploded ordnance. Standard methods for the detection of heavy metals, such as atomic absorption or emission spectroscopy, require instrumentation not suitable for field use. In this work we will develop the innovative use of laser-induced plasmas and fluorescence spectroscopy for the detection of trace amounts of depleted uranium. Laser-induced breakdown spectroscopy has been employed in the detection of heavy metal contaminants in soils, and laser-induced fluorescence has been employed in sensitive detection of heavy metal ions produced in inductively coupled plasma. Through the novel use of optical fibers and compact, robust solid state light sources and detectors, we will design1 fabricate, and test a portable heavy metal detector. The system shall consist of a central unit containing the laser excitation sources and the spectral detection units, and a compact probe that will be linked by optical fibers. This device will use laser-induced plasma as a means of generating metal ions that can be detected by laser-induced fluorescence. BENEFITS: Benefits include: the development of a fieldable unit for the rapid detection of heavy metal species in soil and aqueous matrices. Applications of this development are: monitoring of environmental remediation sites, detection of heavy metals in buildings and structures, monitoring and control of industrial processes. Once a cultural or archaeological resource site has been identified, it must be assessed in order to determine its significance and eligibility for National Registry of Historic Places (Executive Order 11593). Currently, there is no reliable, non-invasive method for determining the number of buried artifacts, or their characteristics. Thus, the significance of the archeological resource cannot be determined. The objective of the proposed research program is to demonstrate the feasibility for detecting and imaging subsurface cultural artifacts using acoustic energy. Recent studies have indicated the potential of low frequency acoustics as a modality suitable for finding and imaging buried objects in soil. In the proposed Phase I program, we develop acoustic transmitting and receiving sensors, which are optimized for imaging in soil. Using these sensors, acoustic echo data is collected in soils containing buried metallic and nonmetallic test objects. By exploiting existing processing methods developed for radar ranging and medical imaging, images of the buried objects are reconstructed and evaluated. BENEFITS: Pavement inspection, tunnel inspection, location of underground pipes, cables, commercial archeological assessment, and detection of unexploded ordinance. Data Fusion Corporation (DFC) proposes to develop a method called Mixture Tuned Matched Subspace Filtering for detecting materials of interest and extracting their abundances from hyperspectral mixed pixels. This approach combines the benefits of the interference invariant schemes and the mixture tuned schemes to improve performance with fewer assumptions. BENEFITS: This technology is extremely beneficial for remote sensing for material identification. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) and University of Texas at Dallas (UTD) propose to develop a system of robust, field-deployable electrochromic (EC) devices and sensors for actively sensing the background environment of an object and adjusting its reflectivity in visible spectrum to minimize its contrast with the environment. The LEOPARD(TM) (Light Electro-Optical Active Reflectivity Device) technology comprises a large array of variable color EC devices having different color ranges characteristic of the natural terrain and Army camouflage, a high resolution color CCD camera(s), and an embedded electronic system for controlling the ECs. The system will be designed so that a variety of thin-film EC technologies can be seamlessly integrated. PSI and UTD propose to use conductive polymer ECs that best meet the requirements of camouflage color range, high cyclability, low power, mechanical ruggedness, environmental resistance, and low manufacturing cost. During Phase I, we have demonstrated the feasibility of a variable color control system and EC devices with three-color ranges. In Phase II, we will develop additional polymers, ECs devices, color matching and control system algorithms, and electronics. We will also deliver a functionally and environmentally tested, flexible camouflage panel with integrated control electronics to the Army for further test and evaluation. BENEFITS: The military market is a clear near-term opportunity for commercial applications of the LEOPARD(tm) technology, but a variety of extremely large consumer applications will ensue as the technology matures and prices are driven down through increased volume. The military market includes "smart" camouflage appliques on fixed and mobile platforms: storage facilities, radar installations, border posts, tanks, fighting vehicles, aircraft and UAVs, and small boats. The larger market for commercial applications includes Electronically Programmable Billboards for outdoor advertising, programmable displays on buildings and buses, and variable color windows. This commercial market volume is estimated to be $20B to $30B. The problem addressed in this proposal is the design and fabrication of a test apparatus to simulate blast loads from terrorist vehicle bombs and to economically test conventional building components. A shock tube is proposed as the test apparatus. The shock tube will simulate a vehicle bomb shock wave with high resolution, yet allow the tests to be conducted safely in or near a laboratory. Innovative shock designs proposed by WBE meet the simulation requirements yet are cost effective to fabricate and operate. BENEFITS: The shock tube will benefit both the Government and industry by allowing relatively inexpensive blast testing of conventional building components, and the development of improved components. Commercialization potential is high as seen with WBE's existing shock tubes. The proposed Phase I SBIR program provides a means of analyzing and extending current methods of gathering simulator and in-flight assessments of helicopter flight tasks and maneuvers through application of task performance math models. The program employs innovative research in the areas of pilot modeling, rotorcraft inverse simulation modeling, pilot-vehicle-task analysis, and simulation. Sample tasks obtained from recent piloted simulations are analyzed to develop the important pilotage-task metrics, workload effects, safety considerations, and vehicle dynamic relations. The objectives include assembly of existing math model software for off-line simulation of ADS-33 helicopter pilot-vehicle-task models, validation of derived models, construction of two compelling task model examples, demonstration of variation for pre-simulation or pre-flight study and application of inverse simulation methodology. Project tasks to follow these objectives in order, and conclude with an outline for advanced software needs leading to a Phase II study. Phase II would extend the methodology to new tasks and classes rotorcraft, extend to all axes of control and environmental conditions, and acquire needed simulator or in-flight validation data. Results of the SBIR Phases I and II extend both to military and commercial applications in engineering research and development as well as aircrew training and flight safety. BENEFITS: Provides means for augmenting conventional simulator and in-flight testing as well as enhancing pre-test planning and post-test data analysis. Applicable to engineering modifications and upgrades to existing aircraft and to development of new aircraft. Also useful in the area of aircrew training where task assessment metrics needed. Army personnel are exposed to many disease agents that are rare in the United States. Moreover, military personnel and the general population are all at risk from chemical or biological attacks by terrorists or hostile nations. Medical/rescue workers and counter-terrorist response teams must be able to rapidly detect and identify infectious disease organisms and biological warfare agents in laboratory and field settings. However, rapid detection and identification of pathogenic organisms by culture or conventional molecular assays is often difficult and sometimes impossible. Moreover, current commercial techniques for these assays do not meet the Army's needs. AndCare's goal for this multi-phase project is to develop, validate, arid obtain FDA approval for a new, fieldable platform/system designed to process molecular-based assays for rapid detection and identification of target pathogens. Phase I results demonstrate the potential for combining AndCare's proprietary electrochemical platform and gene-probe methods into a rugged, hand-held, battery-powered modular instrument that can rapidly perform gene-probe assays in the lab or the field. The technology allows simultaneous analysis of multiple test results from a single sample. The device will consist of an 8-well disposable electrochemical assay strip combined with a hand-held reader that detects, stores, and reports results and that interfaces with any Windows-based computer. BENEFITS: Phase II is expected to produce advanced, fully validated prototypes for FDA approval. Phase II success should lead to Phase III manufacturing and concurrent pursuit of next-generation automation, validation, and approvals aimed at a broad range of assays for the Army and for other government and civilian users--ultimately addressing a key segment of a U.S. molecular-diagnostics device market estimated to total more than $5 billion per year. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) requires that all blood shipped by interstate commerce be tested for certain transfusion transmissible diseases. Unfortunately, current tests can not provide rapid support for field medical emergencies that require blood in excess of the tested supply, especially when additional blood needs to be drawn from the available walking pool. Intelligent Optical Systems (IOS) proposes to develop and construct an innovative surface plasmon resonance optical waveguide (SPROW), based on label-free, wash-free, one-step reaction, that can simultaneously perform multiple transmissible disease assays with specificity, sensitivity, and simplicity. In this project, a microslide-based waveguide chip, immobilized with molecules, will be developed and integrated with optoelectronics for the simultaneous screening of multiple diseases. The system will be tested under FDA guidelines using the selected format to verify the required sensitivity and specificity. During Phase I of the project, the technical feasibility of the SPROW system will be demonstrated using HBV and HCV test antibodies. BENEFITS: A rapid and sensitive method for the detection and identification of pathogens has a wide variety of applications. Blood banks, diagnostic clinics, point of care facilities, and the food and pharmaceutical industries can all benefit from this technology. The Point Research Dead Reckoning Module provides robust position and navigation information for dismounted soldiers even when GPS signals are unavailable. Phas I established that useful physiological data that can also be derived from the DRMT and other sensors without significant increase in size, weight or power consumption. The DRM can provide a path for sending physiologic data to the Land Warrior computer radio, enabling remote triage and faster location-sensitive dispatching of medics. The objective is to save lives and reduce the suffering of casualties by making better use of the "Golden Hour" during which medical assistance is most valuable. During Phase II we propose to upgrade the DMR microprocessor, add a higher resolution A/D converter, fabricate new circuit boards, add a silicon gyro, improve the motion algorithms, integrate a miniature GPS receiver, improve the altimeter for floor determination, add acoustic processing and inputs for other physiological sensors, add a wireless interface and data recording capability, implement algorithms for estimating expended energy, respiration rate, activity level, and body orientation. 12 prototype units will be delivered and field demonstrations and exercises will be conducted at Government designated sites. Benefits: Facilitates force management by enabling remote monitoring of the soldier's physical condition and speeding location-sensitive dispatch of medics. Likely applications include military forces, law enforcement, fire fighting, search and rescue, and occupational safety in harsh environments. The techniques proposed for this project offer significant benefits for enhancing the imaging capabilities of existing and development on future SAR Systems. Potential applications include tactical as well as strategic operational scenarios. Essex proposes to build upon the success of its Phase I SBIR program and further develop techniques to improve 2-D image resolution, improve image quality. and enable true 3-D target rendering. The 3-D SAR imaging aspect serves to mitigate clutter and range layover that frequently corrupts FOPEN SAR imagery. while also enabling the use of 3-D AIR techniques to more accurately identify targets. These imaging products are obtained through the coherent combination of multiband, multiplatform and/or multistatic SAR phase history data sets. At the same time, the algorithms developed here could have potential for reducing the instantaneous radar bandwidth without sacrificing range resolution, offering improved jamming immunity. and ultimately reducing cost without sacrificing capability. The algorithms potentially reduce ambiguities, provide greater sensitivity, and directly lead to a formulation for 3-D SAR image rendering. All of these benefits are enabled by leveraging the collection geometry of a multipass and/or multiband collection scenario that enhances the image resolution by collecting data as if from a unified sensor array Essex plans to augment traditional SAR processing capabilities by improving the spatial resolution and extending the spatial frequency bandwidth via the coherent combination of multiband, multiplatform. and/or multistatic phase history data sets. Essex achieves this objective by refining and improving existing synthetic aperture processing algorithms developed at Essex under the Phase I effort, conducting further research to identify novel processing methods. performing analyses and trades to sufficiently define several candidate processing approaches. applying the algorithms to real and simulated SAR and developing transition opportunities and insertion plans. Essex proposes this Phase II SBIR program to define, analyze and demonstrate new SAR imaging concepts utilizing data sets from existing airborne SAR sensors. These types of imaging modalities have great commercial potential for a wide range of private and government applications. BENEFITS: The algorithms developed and validated under this program directly advance SAR image quality, image resolution, and provide new SAR image products. The techniques developed also propose to reduce costs for current system upgrades and future systems by enabling SAR imagery improvements without additional complex RF hardware to extend the spatial frequency bandwidth and improve the image resolution. Optically transparent components for lasers, envelopes for vapor lamps and infrared transparent domes for missiles require a multi-mode system of electromagnetic guidance. In recent years efforts have been concentrated on maximizing the resolution of optical materials for use in high-energy laser systems by minimizing the absorption of irradiated power and subsequent deformation caused by heating. In order to prevent deformation from heating (improving the mechanical properties of the optical part) we suggested the use of nanocrystalline aluminum oxynitride (a material which exhibits >80% in-line transmission between 0.3um and 6.0um) and lanthana strengthened yttria (LSY ?which has high transmission in the long wave infrared regions of the electromagnetic spectrum) as transmissive optical materials. We were successful in improving the mechanical properties of aluminum oxynitride and also demonstrated that a rapid processing technique such as the plasma pressure consolidation could produce transmissive gamma-alum9ina (a material recently added to the already long list of transmissive components), optical parts in <30 minutes form nancrystalline gamma-alumina powders. In Phase II, we propose to bring innovations in both he synthesis and processing technologies in order to produce nanopowders in larger volumes (7Kg/batch), and use them to produce near net-shape, optically transparent 1 inch, 2 inch and 4 inch discs in <30 minutes. The parametric influence of both synthesis and processing technologies will be modeled using finite element technique. At the end of the Phases II program we will have a fully optimized process for producing rapid, cheap transmissive optics. We intend to deliver 10Kgs of nanopowders (y-A12O3, AION, and LSY) and 18 optically transparent discs to the US army space and Missile Defense Command, Huntsville-AL, for low and high power laser threshold testing. The Data Fusion for Hypothesis Comparison system provides a technology for generating knowledge from data and using it to compare competing hypotheses. Current approaches to data fusion in the aid of decision support systems cannot dynamically synthesize knowledge about data, and filter out the more from the less likely hypotheses that result. Further they provide no means to control data deluge, missing data, or adjust as unanticipated results are discovered. By utilizing recent advances in data mining, both deductive and inductive, problems in the current technologies can be overcome. The result is a system that can support commanders at all levels by providing the best hypothesis available and giving a means of varying the parameters associated with those recommendations. BENEFITS: The benefits will accrue from improved decision making due to a better understanding of the hypotheses and assumptions used in building the decision model. Commercial applications will be found in all business areas where data from databases are used to support financial, marketing and operational decisions. We propose to monitor temperature and other environmental parameters remotely without hard wire connection or local stored-energy power sources at the sensor. The discrete sensor is a silicon integrated circuit containing capacitive structures which monitor temperature. Further development may permit monitoring of humidity with this system. The basic sensing system with a MEMS integrated sensor chip has been presented and reviewed at the 1995 International Conference on Sensors and Transducers in Stockholm. It is also covered by US patent #5,610,340 Integrated (Pressure) Sensor with Remote Power Source and Remote Readout issued March 11, 1997 with co-inventors W.N. Carr and S. Chamarti. The sensor utilizes a resonant LC tank circuit which determines the carrier frequency of the chip oscillator in addition to serving us non-inductive pickup loop for powering the sensor. The sensor utilizes a unique (patented) data communicating device/system embedded in a silicon chip of size typically 0.5x2.0x2.0 millimeters per carrier. Sensors may contain multiple carriers to encode ID information. Residual films on the silicon are oxides and thin aluminum typically less then 1 micron thickness providing a highly stable mechanical structure. Remote interrogation/power devices will store sensor read out data. BENEFITS: The remote sensing system to be demonstrated under this SBIR will have general applicability for close-proximity parameters testing using disposable microsensor chips. commercial applications include airframe environmental sensing in wind tunnels, motor vehicle tires, and materiel tracking. We propose to monitor temperature and other environmental parameters remotely without hard wire connection or local stored-energy power sources at the sensor. The discrete sensor is a monolithic silicon chip containing capacitive diaphragm structures which monitor temperature barometric pressure, and excessive shock loads. Further development may permit monitoring of humidity with this system. The basic sensing system with a MEMS integrated sensor chip has been presented and reviewed at the 1995 International Conference on Sensors and Transducers in Stockholm. It is also covered by US patent #5,610,340 Integrated (Pressure) Sensor with Remote Power Source and Remote Readout issued March 11, 1997 with co-inventors W. N. Carr and S. Chamarti. The sensor utilizes a resonant LC tank circuit which determines the barrier frequency of the chip oscillator in addition to serving us non-inductive pickup loop for powering the sensor. The sensor utilizes a unique (patented) data communicating device/system embedded in a silicon chip of size typically 0.5x2.0x2.0 millimeters. , The sensor will be extremely environmentally stable. The silicon chip melts at 1412C. Residual films on the silicon are oxides and thin aluminum typically less then 1 micron thickness. Remote interrogation/power devices will store sensor readout data. BENEFITS: The remote sensing system to be demonstrated under this SBIR will have general applicability for close-proximity parameters testing using disposable microsensors chips. Commercial applications include air frame environmental sensing in wind tunnels, motor vehicle tires, etc. In this SBIR project, we offer an innovative solution, namely Smart Isolation Mount for Airborne Guns (SIMAG), to the weapon stabilization and fire control problem. SIMAG is composed of the optimum integration of two innovative technologies, namely Vibration Control by Confinement and smart sensor/actuator/active control systems. First, these two complementary approaches will be combined to solve the firing problem at the gun mount and turret interface location. Second, the combined approach will be applied to the gun barrel to reduce its undesired vibratory motions excited by external and internal disturbances, such as gun firing frequency. Conceivably, the proposed SIMAG approach could be designed to first passively reconfigure the distribution and propagation of excess vibrational energy (i.e., intentional confinement); and therefore, confine vibrations to certain non-critical regions within a structure. Concentrated passive, active, or smart damping elements or cancellation techniques will be applied to more effectively dissipate or cancel the trapped vibrations and to prevent an energy build up in the assembly. Such combinations will result in a significant reduction in fluctuating loads and deformations. The unique feature of our SIMAG concept is the combination of the vibration energy localization theory and smart sensor/actuator/control systems. SIMAG will make significant progress towards solving the firing control problems with very small weight and power penalties by compensating for all errors in one of the two places, namely at the turret-aircraft interface or gun barrel. Even though the initial target application of SIMAG is airborne guns, a modified version can be incorporated into ground armors, such as tanks. During the first phase of this project, we will demonstrate the feasibility of our unique SIMAG concept via computer simulations. BENEFITS: The industrial and military use of an effective, efficient, and low-cost smart isolation system is a big market. Our proposed SIMAG will be offered in this market. Other versions of our technology can be applied to a variety of industrial applications in which low-level vibrations and shocks must be maintained. Commercial watercraft, aircraft, space vehicles, automobiles, machinery, machine tools, buildings, bridges, and home appliances are only few examples of the commercial applications. This SBIR project is to develop an animation, visualization and real-time control environment for automated ammunition handling manipulators. The emphasis is on the development of reusable hardware/software architectures and components for automated material handling and their applications to the Smart Crane Ammunition Transfer System (SCATS). The environment consists of a VME-bus target system with a VxWorks RTOS, a SUN workstation system with Tornado and ControlShell developing software tools, and a PC animation and visualization system with a Cimetrix Open Development Environment (CODE). These systems are connected to each other and transfer data through ethernet (TCP/IP) and serial channels (RS232). The SUN workstation system is a host to develop embedded real-time codes for the target system. The PC system is to perform the simulation, animation and visualization of robotic manipulators. The entire environment can run in two configuration modes: an off-line real-time animation simulation and control mode and an on-line realtime visualization and control mode. In the former mode, the environment is used to develop, test, and verify automatic control algorithms with a manipulator model, and in the latter, to refine, tune and test the control algorithms with a real manipulator. Although the environment developed in this project is targeted for SCATS, it can be used for various material-handling robotics. Therefore, the environment has wide commercial application potential. BENEFITS: The animation, visualization and real-time control environment developed in this project will enable cost reduction and time savings in the development of autonomous material-handling manipulators. It has wide commercial applications in industrial robotics. Planning Systems Incorporated has developed a Ground Penetrating Synthetic Aperture Radar (GPSAR) system for buried antitank mine detection. The system is currently designed to detect shallowly buried metallic and non-metallic mines located beneath the radar. The GPSAR differs from the other ground penetrating radars in several aspects. It uses coherent, synthetic aperture processing and nearfield beamforming to form volumetric images of buried objects. It also uses a clutter rejection technique which is effective in reducing ground bounce clutter. Initial tests with the GPSAR system indicate that it can detect both metallic and non-metallic antitank mines. We propose to adapt the GPSAR so that it can achieve a standoff detection capability against low metallic antitank mines such as the M19, TMA-4, VS2.2 and TM62P. These adaptations involve elevating and rotating the GPSAR antenna and developing improved signal processing techniques which fully exploit the multiple target looks afforded by a standoff detection, stepped frequency GPR. The effects of clutter will be minimized by using 3D-SAR beamforming which focuses on voxels small in relation to the size of a mine. The modified GPSAR will be used in an experimental investigation of the detectability of plastic antitank mines. BENEFITS: The successful development of the proposed technology will provide the physical basis for an improved and safer vehicular mounted mine detection system. The proposed system also has application in buried utility detection, unexploded ordnance detection and archeological prospecting. Man/hardware-in-the-loop laboratory simulation is the most cost-effective methodology for maturing advanced sensor technologies because the battlefield can be brought to the laboratory through multi-spectral synthetic battlespace simulation. Current laboratory simulation technologies cannot generate the real-time high fidelity dense RF environment required to advance space based and high altitude sensor technology development. DRA proposes to solve this challenging technology limitation by applying commercial satellite tools merged with an intelligent rules based engine to control advanced signal generation components to provide accurate stimulation of space based and high altitude sensor systems. During Phase I, DRA will investigate space based and high altitude RF sensor development requirements for weapons systems such as Global Hawk, define key simulation technologies required for generating a real-time high fidelity dense RF environment simulation, and define an architecture that integrates these key technologies. DRA will utilize the real-time simulation capability in the Sensors Directorate Integrated Demonstrations and Applications Laboratory (IDAL) to demonstrate the architecture's feasibility. During Phase II, DRA will implement a prototype capability into the IDAL and demonstrate key performance characteristics. The Phase II effort will provide a building block capability for rapid evolution of advanced RF sensor technology. The Phase I/II SBIR results shall provide a real-time high fidelity dense RF environment simulation base that will address the needs of evolving advanced RF sensor systems. This simulation technology base will be leveraged to provide RF simulation products resulting in Phase III initiatives that address both government and commercial applications. Present reflex triode design is limited by the dynamic response of the debris shield. Debris shield deformation defines the closest permissible location of the test object and therefore determines the maximum achievable dose. The deformation of the debris shield can be reduced without sacrificing transmitted fluence by minimizing the stimulus that drives the debris shield. Ktech proposes to reduce the impulse generated by the explosive vaporization of the converter and cathode foils by optimizing the material selection, configuration and thickness of each of these foils. Ktech has pioneered the development of thin, large area, high Z foils so that consideration of very thin converter foils in the optimization process as a practical alternative. This program will develop silicon wafer substrate deposition processes specifically for the production of thin, large diameter converter foils. PUFF-TFT hydrocode analyses will be used to model converter and cathode coil blow off and define the dynamic loads on the debris shields. The ITS Monte Carlo radiation transport code will be used to model Bremsstrahlung production and debris shield transmission. Hardware will be designed to allow the thin converter foils to be mounted in the DECADE reflex triode. Prototype thin high Z converter foils will be manufactured and tested on DECADE QUAD. Extensive instrumentation is required to verify designs and validate proper operation of all advanced aircraft structures and components prior to incorporation into flight use. For a gas turbine engine test cycle, up to 9 months are required to install and calibrate over 1000 sensors on the engine, costing several million dollars. In response, wireless technology is proposed to decrease instrumentation set-up time and operating costs by replacing conventional wired connections, eliminating the expensive interconnection cabling and routing. Unfortunately, no wireless systems are currently available that can withstand the harsh environmental conditions present in aerospace testing facilities. Luna Innovations proposes the development of a wireless sensor system for aerospace area ground test applications. All situations where a reliable, low cost wireless sensor link can be established in lieu of wires/cables will directly result in major savings to the Air Force during installation, testing and turnaround. The miniature battery powered telemetry unit will be designed to meet the necessary system performance metrics and withstand the necessary environmental constraints. The system will be capable of interfacing with common sensors (such as strain, pressure and temperature) as well as differential analog signals, broadcasting this information to a central using a broadband wireless link. Thin film photovoltaic modules fabricated on polymer substrates have a number of very attractive features for space use. Flexible a-Si modules: 1) have shown minimum degradation due to radiation; 2) can have low fabrication costs; 3) have demonstrated very high power to weight ratios; 4) have high tolerance to vibration and shock; 5) can be monolithically integrated to give very flexible design options. Iowa Thin Film presently manufactures ultra lightweight amorphous silicon solar cells using a polyimide web substrate for the terrestrial market. Typical efficiency for the terrestrial product is approximately 5%. Finished solar cells of this type are presently capable of a specific power of 750 W/Kg. With a full focus on developing maximum efficiency for space use, laboratory results indicate that efficiency could approach 10% Under this effort, ITFT proposes a systematic program to transition our existing production-based terrestrial flexible monolithic integrated a-Si to a low cost space-rated PV. Since ITFT has already developed the core manufacturing processes of depositing on a flexible polymeric substrate and monolithic integration, we are in the unique position of being able to concentrate solely on the issues associated with converting a low-cost terrestrial PV into a space PV. The primary goal of Phase I is to develop and demonstrate the feasibility of a new deposition process for a back surface reflection enhancing layer on our roll to roll fabricated, polymer based devices.In addition to lightweight power for space use, polymer based flexible photovoltaics have significant other DOD uses. These include lightweight portable fold-up or roll-up modules for field communications and modules integrated into tents or other temporary structures to power communications, lighting and filtering systems. Commercial uses include photovoltaics integrated into building structures for grid and non grid power as well as power for portable electronic devices. Power integrated into emergency shelters is another use. The current tone-based analog command destruct systems have been in use for decades Head-Mounted Displays (HMDs) used with voice input can support hands-free maintenance with technical information being available at all times. Speech recognition is the preferred method for documenting maintenance activities performed, and for quickly accessing technical information required for a specific maintenance task. The maintenance support system will benefit from a multimedia interface with the flight-line technician. The adaptation of multiple noise abatement and speaker voice tracking technologies is proposed in the system together with TERI Research Inc. (TRI) state-of-the-art speech Natural Language Speech (NLS) recognition, synthesis and HMD interfaces. These technologies include: Parabolic noise canceling microphones, Dynamic noise canceling filters, Random noise canceling algorithms, Stationary noise feature set extraction, Word and Context tracking, Speaker Tracking and Beamforming techniques. The combination of these emerging technologies are expected to be very resistant to accuracy degradation caused by both continuous and impulse noises present in military platforms and on flight-lines, as well as in the presence of other voices. An integrated micro-miniature system will be designed that is able to accurately interpret spoken statements and speak responses in dialog fashing, effectively controlling maintenance technical information and displaying it on the HMD. Unique to this research is the approach that will maintain high accuracy speech recognition in the presence of changing and variable high noise environments without having to change the speech corpus or user profiles. The TRI developed state-of-the-art speaker independent speech recognition and synthesis software will perform speech recognition and voice response in real-time, maintaining speech recognition and transcription accuracy in a high noise environment. The weak link in the intermodal transportation chain is the transfer between modes. At every container depot in the world, whether it is at a modern seaport, or a quickly established military field unit, the container must either be transferred using expensive material handling equipment located at the site or the container is stored on an expensive chassis until it is ready to move out. Many problems would be solved if the chassis holding the container were able to load or unload the container without the need for additional MHE or manpower. Such a concept is only practical if the solution can provide a number of qualities such as: the ability to be adapted to existing chassis and flatbeds; the ability to work efficiently when operated by a single unskilled driver; low costs; does not dramatically reduce the carrying capability of the truck; etc. Phase I result will be a concept that is both technically and economically feasible. This proposal presents a clear and concise methodology for the development of the concept. The proposer's past successes in producing innovative technology lends assurance that the methodology will lead to a concept that will have an excellent chance of performing as desired. BENEFITS: Such a solution would have many benefits. It would free up the chassis for use in further moves; eliminate the need to have local MHE, and operators; reduce the land required per container by permitting the containers to be stacked; and speed up the transfer process by allowing the truck driver to load/unload the container without the need to queue up for MHE resources The key innovation of this proposal is the use of Time Modulated Ultra-wideband (UWB) Radar to implement the Grizzly Terrain Mapping Sensor. Within the last few years low cost ultra-high precision oscillators have become available, and these now make it possible to build UWB radar systems which have no base band frequency. The only signals transmitted are single pulses. Impulses in the time domain generate very wide bandwidth signals in the frequency domain, and the signals generated by our current hardware have bandwidths in the several gigahertz range. UWB is able to penetrate foliage because of its low frequency components, which allows pulses to easily pass through foliage, tree trunks, etc. In the system we propose to use, these pulses are generated in a pseudo-random sequence, making them virtually impossible to detect, and very difficult to jam. The energy from each pulse may be far below the noise level and is only detectable if you know exactly when to listen for the pulse, and can average many pulses together. During Phase 1 we implemented and field-tested an operating system. One-tenth inch accuracy was achieved, even through obscurants and heavy foliage. BENEFITS: Our partner company, Time Domain Corporation (TDC), is the patent holder on much of the technology for TM-UWB radar and radio. They have $30 million in private funds and have already begun marketing several products. IAI will work with TDC to commercialize the technology for a terrain mapping sensor, and in several other niche areas. To support the Army Research Laboratory's development of high power, continuous wave laser illuminator for a unique surveillance ladder, Physical Optics corporation proposes a nonimaging beam combiner-collimator for imaging ladder applications. The proposed NIBCC will produce an extremely high quality collimated beam with 0.5 mrad divergence. It will be rugged and stable over harsh battlefield conditions, as well as inexpensive to produce. The proposed NIBCC will be 10 times more compact than conventional optical design technology, such as optical telescopes or collimators. The key feature of the proposed NIBCC is a special arrangement of imput light delivery fiber with focusing gradient index lens assemblies. All the proposed elements can be mass produced, so the NIBCC can be manufactured at low costs and with reliable replication methods.BENEFITS: The proposed high efficiency beam combiner can be used in many military and civilian applications. Civilian uses include ladars and illumination systems for atmospheric measurements, collision avoidance systems, and terrain mapping. A hydride-dehyride (HDH) reactor in combination with the patented Solid-State Spray Forming (SSF) process is proposed as a low cost method of fabricating near-net-shape titanium alloy components for armored vehicles. The dehydride design of the reactor uses a high temperature inert gas to remove hydrogen from chemical hydride forms of the titanium alloy feedstock. The material benefit of using the SSF process over powder metallurgy or laser rapid prototyping is the improved ballistic performance anticipated by spray forming Extra Low Interstitial (ELI) titanium alloy powders at low temperature in a non-oxidizing environment. It is anticipated that the strength of the material will be improved over high temperature processes by limiting the grain growth, while the ballistic performance is enhanced through in-situ dehydride treatment of titanium- alloy hydride powders. In Phase I. the object of the work will be directed toward investigating and demonstrating the feasibility of spray forming ELI titanium alloy components using the SSF technology in combination with the dehyride reactor. A target cost of S10 per lbm for the finished product is anticipated by using a recycling SSF system for gases and powders, along with low cost hydride form of the titanium alloy powder. BENEFITS: The anticipated benefits of this research is significant weight reduction of military ground vehicles and gun systems enabled by near net shape fabrication of titanium alloys with a high strength-to-weight ratio, excellent ballistic performance, and corrosion resistance. In addition to the military applications, titanium will find increased commercial applications. Degradation of signal level, caused by transmission and distribution losses, is an important problem in integrated optoelectronics. While transmission loss can be reduced by minimizing waveguide length andlor by improving material quality (for example, reducing absorption or scattering loss), distribution loss is intrinsic to device design, as in the case of lxN splitters. Erbium-doped thin-film waveguides, suitable for monolithic integration with other guided-optic devices, are promising as loss-compensating devices for photonic integrated circuits and systems. In this program, we will address the major challenges in the development of lossless integrated optics beamsplitters based on Er-doped glass films: the requirement of higher Er concentrations, the limitations on the maximum-obtainable gain of Er-doped thin-film amplifiers, and the development of a suitable lxN beamsplitter architecture. Our efforts will include materials and process refinement demonstrated through the fabrication of simple Er-doped amplifiers and beamsplitters. The integrated optics design capabilities and the marketing expertise of Rice Systems, combined with the Er-doped thin film expertise of the University of Pittsburgh Optoelectronics Laboratory, form a well balanced team for the development and commercialization of an Er-doped lossless splitter, for improving system gain in integrated optic sensors, and for increasing the laser diode sharing factor in distribution systems. BENEFITS: Rice Systems has several integrated optics sensors under development for sensing rotation and acceleration. The incorporation of a lossless Er-doped splitter into our sensors would allow us to increase the sensitivity of our devices, opening a large market in navigational grade inertial instrumentation. A Head Pressure Analysis System (HPAS) needs to make many measurements close together and have sensors that conform to multiply curved surfaces. Furthermore, to make the sensors unobtrusive, it must be thin and flexible while easily accommodating the variation in the size of the people. Existing pressure distribution measurement systems do not conform to multiply curved surfaces and the quality of the measured data is poor. Pressure Profile Systems, inc. has developed a proprietary technology called Conformable Tactile Sensor (CTS) that can be wrapped around irregular and spherical surfaces. Application of this technology for the HPAS will provide a thin, conformable, robust, and sensitive measurement systems for researchers and designers. Consequently, the proposed HPAS will be able to accurately measure interface pressures of head mounted devices such as helmets, goggles, masks, virtual reality systems, night vision systems, head mounted phones, and head motion detection systems. BENEFITS: With the growing number of head-mounted devices that are being developed and used, obtaining the interface presume with the HPAS for assessing comfort, fit, impact pressures, fatigue, seal, and stability of these devices is critical. There have been number of new technologies have been developed over the past decade to produce metallic and ceramic nanopowders, the market for which is growing rapidiv. However, much needed user-friendly characterization techniques for this new class of materials have not been developed. Traditional methods, used for submicron powders are not always suitable for nanomaterials, because of inherent limitations. In this program we propose to develop and deliver a generic and user-friendly bench-top Small Angle X-ray Scattering (SAXS) system, with proprietary data analysis software designed specifically for nanomaterials. SAXS can yield accurate information on particle characteristics, such as size, size distribution. Morphology, thickness of surface layer, extent of agglomeration, and surface area. In addition, sintered materials can also be characterized. The ultimate objective is that the instrument be used by an individual who is not a trained scatterer. Sample nanopowders of metals and ceramics will be characterized by SAXS in Phase I, and the instrument will be packaged in Phase II of else program. The instrument will be sold on a commercial basis in Phase III of the program. BENEFITS: Instruments needed to characterize nanopowders on a routine basis, have not kept pace with the development in nanoparticle production technologies. The instrument that we propose to develop in this program is designed to address this issue. If successful, every nanopowder production louse and research facility will benefit from sucks, user-friendly bench-top system. Triton Systems proposes an innovative nanotechnology that will develop novel transparent nanocomposites with high abrasion- and scratch-resistance, high barrier to chemical agents, superior flame-resistance and weatherability characteristics, as well as high ballistic strength. These nanocomposites will be based on Polycarbonate, and will significantly expand its already wide usage by enhancing its properties. We will use two parallel technical approaches to achieve our ambitious objectives. We will ensure the success of both approaches of the proposed effort by careful control of the filler morphology, its surface chemistry, and the processing parameters. These nanocomposites will serve numerous applications of the US Army as well as commercial markets, viz., aircraft windows, helicopter canopies, vision block for vehicles, safety goggles and face shields for soldiers, architectural glazings, lenses, public transit windows etc. BENEFITS: This successful Phase I will develop an enabling technology that will benefit many military and commercial applications including helicopter canopies, aircraft windows, architectural and security glazings, goggles and face-shields for soldier and chemical laboratory personnel, as well as smart materials systems. The proposed Phase 11 SBIR program will produce a comprehensive development of analytical pilotage task characterizations to model and simulate a range of rotorcraft flight maneuvers for different classes of rotorcraft. The program employs innovative research in the areas of pilot modeling, rotorcraft inverse simulation, pilot- vehicle-task analysis, simulation, and fuzzy inference identification. The objectives include analytical characterizations of several ADS-33 flight tasks in conjunction with various rotorcraft types. development of a refined and tested analysis software tool suite, acquisition of simulator or flight test validation data, and brief examination of applications to aircrew training. Project tasks consist of augmenting the analysis of Phase I tasks, extending analysis to additional vehicle types, preliminary design of analysis software, acquisition of validation data, implementation of realtime analysis software, software testing, and production of a final report. Phase II builds on the successes of Phase I which include use of inverse simulation to show effects of task parameter variations, fuzzy inference identification to study pilot control law features, and incorporation of task performance objectives in pilot/vehicle analyses to predict handling qualities ratings. Results of the SBIR Phases I and II extend to military and commercial applications in engineering R&D as well as aircrew training and flight safety. BENEFITS: Creates the basis of a computer software product for commercial and military use with all types of vehicles, enhances the engineering consulting expertise desirable for supporting simulator and flight test support, and opens a large-scale new market for application of this technology to aircrew training. Visidyne, Inc. proposes to design and demonstrate the feasibility of an optical and intertial helmet-tracking system. This hybrid system will integrate two patented technologies, the commercially available InterSense IntertiaCube inertial sensor and Visidyne's optical range sensor OpticalGPS to provide six-degree-of-freedom head tracking within a moving vehicle. These mature technologies will be merged in an innovative hybrid system to yield a helmet-tracking system with capabilities far beyond any commercially available tracking system. BENEFITS: The technology we propose will provide precise six-degree-of-freedom helmet tracking using technologies that are mature and commercially viable. The technology has a high degree of commonality and may also be applied to telesurgery, telepresence, augmented and virtual reality, and indoor navigation. Innovative research and development leading to a dual-use advanced technology product is proposed. The product is a methodology and software for design and life prediction of ceramic matrix composite (CMC) engine components. The primary focus is on a Nicalon/SiC composite, which is the prime candidate material for JTAGG III combustor liners. But the software and methodology win be applicable to a much broader class of CMCs for military and commercial applications. The product is of direct and immediate use to AlliedSignal Engines, Pratt ~ Whitney and other IHPIET Prime Contractors for design and development cost and risk reduction. Additionally, the product will be highly marketable to commercial jet engine, space propulsion systems, and industrial gas turbine manufacturers. Phase I win involve the development and validation of crucial modeling techniques for predicting the initiation and growth of relevant damage mechanisms. Full advantage will be taken of recent test data as wed as modeling techniques developed under various DoD and NASA programs. Additionally, RAI will work closely with AlliedSignal Engines to ensure that the proposed research and development and the product are directly relevant to JTAGG m. The Phase I innovative research effort will focus on developing and validating mechanism based (mechanistic) modeling methods to describe CMC response under general stress states and load conditions, and thermal and environmental conditions of interest in JTAGG m. The development of a mechanistic modeling approach is a necessary pre-requisite to developing a marketable product in Phase II. BENEFITS: Due to the proliferation in potential applications of ceramic matrix composites in military and commercial aerospace and in industrial gas turbine industries, the proposed dual-use high technology product has an immediate and expanding market. RAI will market the software to these and other industries which will directly benefit by design and development cost reduction and risk reduction. Theseus Logic has developed and demonstrated a proprietary new logic family, NULL Convention Logical (NCL), which integrates data transformation and control into a single expression thus producing inherently clockless, data driven, and effectively delay insensitive circuits and systems. Theseus proposes to take advantage of the NCL circuits developed both internally and in on-going programs such as Clockless Logic (DARPA contract DABT 63-96-C0057) and Cascade Processors (BMDO contract N00014-98-C-01) to demonstrate the advantages of an NCL design approach for combining computing speed with low power consumption. Specifically, Theseus proposes to use NCL components from these programs to build a DSP architecture testbed which will demonstrate the ability of an NCL architecture to provide the following benefits; Low Power - Data dependent processing. Gates not processing are quiescent and only consume leakage current. - Dynamic reduction of power supply voltage to match circuit speed to data rate. Plug and play system integration. - Collections of NCL circuits self synchronize at their highest common operating frequency. - NCL asynchronous interface circuitry for crossing multiple clock domains Reconfigurabilty and Adaptibility. - NCL circuits can be programmed into Xilinx FPGAs without the need for detailed timing analysis at the chip or system level. BENEFITS: NCL produces circuits which are clockless, data driven and effectively delay insensitive. As a result of these features they are extremely well suited to battery operated portable systems because power consumption is inherently matched to data rate. Thus conserving battery life and providing improved reliability because a low battery results in a low data rate not a failed system. These benefits are applicable across a wide range of military and commercial systems. Under this Phase I contract NAVSYS Will develop a baseline system architecture for a Navigation/Electro-optic Sensor Integration Technology (NEOSIT) applique. This applique will be designed to optimally integrate navigation data, sensor imagery and image or terrain database to estimate and correct for errors in each data source. This effort will leverage NAVSYS existing GI-Eve and GI-View products which arc designed to integrate GPS, inertial and sensor imagery to apple feature updates to estimate errors in the inertial solution calibrate for sensor errors and estimate target locations. Tic proposed NEOSIT solution will implement these capabilities and Will also include the capability to calibrate for offsets between different image and terrain geospatially referenced databases. Thc architecture will leverage COTS image processing and image understanding software tools to lead to a real-time system for correlation of onboard platform visual and navigation systems With imagery and terrain databases in Phase II. Thc final delivery of this Phase I effort will be a system specification, a description of the proposed system, architecture and a concept of operations. Under the Phase I option a demonstration will be performed with NAVSYS GI-Eye system using feature updates to best approximate platform position in the absence of GPS updates. BENEFITS: ThE proposed systemm will have application for sensor fusion across different platforms and data sources and Will also provide a back-up navigation capability in the absence of GPS. Military applications include battlefield data management and navigation for MOUT and UGVs. Commercial applications include GIS data manipulation and robotic navigation. Astron proposes to develop and demonstrate a series of compact, extremely high power transmit/receive anennas to cover (with a minimum number of antenna elements) the HF through UHF frequency range. These antennas are intended for on-the-move operations in airborne and also vehicular applications. Antenna miniaturization and broadbanding are stressed. Current methods for screening of phage display libraries require time-consuming biological amplification steps which can lead to the loss of potentially valuable clones that do not replicate. With the rapid growth of the use of recombinant protein products, an automated system which would allow rapid screening of phage libraries would be of significant benefit to military and industrial researchers. Agave BioSystems proposes to develop and demonstrate an instrument capable of real time, automated screening of recombinant phage libraries. Two parallel technologies for marking display phage will evaluated each of which will help to report the presence of a bound phage. Key to detecting these marked bound phage is the development of a highly sensitive fluorometer based on an innovative and proprietary design. Coupled to optimized marker systems, this novel instrument would allow real time detection of a single phage binding event which would in turn allow capture of the desired bacteriophage. BENEFITS: This technology has potential use for drug and vaccine discovery, diagnosis, and resistance monitoring for infectious diseases. By using biomolecules for targets of commercial interest, low-cost, portable diagnostic equipment will be developed. Due to the broad range of applications, this technology is expected to have a major impact on the large medical research and clinical markets. Advanced autonomous detection of chemical warfare agents and other organic materials has long been a major military concern and is becoming an increasingly realistic threat. Foster-Miller, Inc. proposes to develop a robust miniature mid-infrared spectrometer covering the atmospheric window wavelengths between 7.5 and 14.3 microns that features no moving parts and a low cost uncooled linear detector array. Optical performance capabilities approach those of an FTIR, making it possible to detect chemical agent plumes against a cold sky background. The entire spectrometer including optics and electronics will be about the size of a deck of playing cards and weigh less than 1 lb., allowing for eventual large scale, low cost manufacture. Our light-weight, high throughput wedge concept and monolithic construction lends itself to suitable air drop packaging for the intended application. The Phase I effort will fabricate a bench-top prototype and demonstrate required sensitivity for the stand-off detection. Once the optical instrument design parameters have been established, Foster-Miller will propose packaging and deployment concepts leading to a preliminary concept design of an engineering prototype for development and testing during Phase II. BENEFITS: The ability to perform standoff infrared sensing of chemical agents and other organic molecules of interest has incredibly broad potential use in both military reconnaissance/chemical defense and commercial applications. A small footprint low-cost device will find numerous applications in space, ground and airborne based monitoring for security, air quality and environmental sensing. SY Technology, Inc. proposes to design, build and demonstrate a smart camera capable of screening a 512X512-correlation surface or an image to identify, enhance, rank and output only regions of interest (ROI) for further processing. A processing rate in excess of 60 frames per second will be achieved by implementing an array of smart pixels at the focal plane of the camera. The regions are selected by a Pulse Coupled Neural Network (PCNN). Functionally, the camera consists of three components. The first component (photo-detector array), receives optical input and generates binary output in which small clusters of zeros or ones indicate regions of interest. The second component, ROI detector, is hardwired to find locations of these clusters and interrupt an on-board Digital Signal Processor (DSP). The DSP extracts, enhances, ranks and outputs the corresponding regions. Phase I effort has proved the feasibility of the ROI camera by successfully developing/fabricating and testing algorithms, hardware architecture and VLSI chips needed to build the proposed camera. BENEFITS: SY Technology Inc., during Phase II, effort, intends to develop products for the detection of land mines in infrared images, cancerous lesions in bone scans, and infarction and ischemia in cardiac scans. A hardware implementation of the PCNN based image smoothing algorithm is also planned. In general, the ROI technology is useful in all areas (surveillance, medicine, deep space telescopes, etc.) where there is a need to reduce noise and identify regions of interest. Studies by SY Technology, Inc. demonstrate that this ROI technology can improve the human's performance when it is integrated into an image interpretation system. This demonstration was performed in a FDA clinical trial. The Objective of this effort is the development of a dynamic IR scene projector (DIRSP) which is based upon a commercially available spatial light modulator. The DIRSP developed during this effort will be suitable for hardware-in-the-locp applications and could potentially be used for built-in-test and mobile field test applications. The proposed DIRSP offers the potential of lower cost and improved performance over currently available DIRSP technologies. Potential performance improvements include higher spatial resolution, frame rate, and spatial uniformity. During Phase I a limited performance prototype DIRSP will be fabricated and tested to demonstrate the feasibility of the proposed concept. During Phase II a fully functional DIRSP will be fabricated. BENEFITS: The result of this effort will be an IR scene projector which has the potential to improve the state-of-the-art in dynamic IR scene projectors for HWIL simulation and test applications. This project addresses the issue of improving return on investment for control software, primarily the test program sets (TPSS), for automatic test Systems (ATSS) by establishing generic instrument classes (GIC) for asset drivers that will reduce compatibility problems, the cost of TPS development, and the adverse impact of instrument change-out. Through a systematic analysis of alternatives that impact the end effect over the entire control path, a methodologies for establishing optimum classes will be established. The methodology will be tested on four categories of assets: digital multi-meters, power supplies, counter timers, and digitizers. An innovative use of Quality Function Deployment (QFD) will accelerate the process of preparing specifications for the resulting GICs. BENEFITS: Reducing cost of TPS and assets driver development. Greater re-use of TPS and freedom to insert new devices in ATS. Broader base for asset supplies to amortize driver costs due to greater asset interoperability among different suppliers. Reduced cost of ATS reduces support cost for all industry. Cost of ownership of factories, aircraft, trucks, and automobiles will be reduced. AcuSoft proposes to research and develop a database correlation tool to maximize the reusability of existing and future Computer Generated Forces Terrain databases and to improve upon current terrain database correlation methods. In the Phase I effort, AcuSoft will 1) Study simulation database formats used by ModSAF, ITEMS, and ATCON, 2) Formulate and show feasibility of an effective methodology, using SEDRIS, to convert and correlate ModSAF terrain databases with ITEMS and ATCOM database formats, and 3) Develop and demonstrate a functioning prototype software tool that can support database conversions and correlation testing. AcuSoft's research will emphasize the automation aspect of the correlation process. The methodology and tool developed for this effort will allow ModSAF, ITEMS and ATCOM users to evaluate database correlations rapidly. In addition, AcuSoft's proposed correlation methodology would cover all Synthetic Environment issues addressed by SEDRIS, including terrain, atmosphere, EM, etc., that concern CGF interoperability. The goal is to produce a tool that can be 1) used by CGF users to check the correlation of simulation databases, and 2) used by database producers to produce SEDRIS databases readily usable by various CGF systems. This proposed Phase I effort will re-use software developed during AcuSoft's on-going SEDRIS development efforts. BENEFITS: The DoD M&S community will benefit from having a SEDRIS-based database correlation tool. This tool will help various CGF simulations achieve higher levels of interoperability through correlated databases. Commercial database and simulation developers will equally benefit from the technology developed under this effort. Engine manufacturers are faced with ever-increasing demands to improve engine performance, fuel efficiency and emissions reduction. This demand is resulting in a surge of maturing technologies for automotive applications to achieve lower emissions, improve engine performance and fuel consumption. The U.S. Army's diesel engines can benefit from technological advances through; l) the innovative research and development of new technologies and 2) developing insertion techniques into existing diesel engines. Orbital Research proposes an in-cylinder pressure sensor using shape memory alloys that will provide real-time cylinder pressure information to the Engine Control Unit. The US Army can benefit from this technology and achieve significant fuel savings and cost objectives for their diesel engines well into the 21st Century. The proposed in-cylinder pressure sensor utilizes Thin Film Shape Memory Alloy (SMA) as the sensing element. SMA undergoes a phase transformation through which its electrical resistance, which is a function of temperature and pressure, changes by 20% SMA can be customized for certain temperature environments through several proprietary techniques. SMA can be designed for specific temperature and pressure environments up to 10,000 psi and 700 degrees C. Orbital Research is confident that this in-cylinder pressure sensor can provide performance benefits and savings to US Army diesel engines. BENEFITS: Engine manufacturers agree that an affordable in-cylinder pressure sensor can yield improvements in engine control, fuel efficiency, and emissions. An SMA pressure sensor can meet these requirements for in-cylinder pressure sensing as well as in oil, coolant, tire and fuel pressure applications. A key decisions that is made at the highest levels of any military he trade between allocating resources to system acquisition vs. allocating resources to maintain force readiness through training. Advanced distributed simulations provide a mechanism for tactical combat training through man-in-the-loop simulators and computer generated forces (CGF). The potential for using ADS to address the trade-offs for allocating resources is dampened by the unrealistic behavior of CGF. Current CGF entities in virtually all of the ADS models do not not change their behavior as a result of performance 3haping factors (PSF). There are currently no ADS models that predict he combined effects of training and other PSF. Phase I of this project developed algorithms, data structures, and a methodology for incorporating effects of training and other PSFs to make CGFs more realistic. For Phase II, we propose to expand and enhance the technical feasibility for including training effects and other PSFs in CGF entities on simulated battlefields. The product we propose for Phase II is called the Training Effects and Stressor Integration Module (TESTIM). It is a stand-alone software module that can modify performance for virtually any human performance model based on training and other PSFs. BENEFITS: The TESTIM software module will provide the Army with the ability to improve the realism of computer generated force entities in advanced distributed simulations and other human performance models. TESTIM can also be used to assess the expected payoff of a training investment in terms of improved performance. Site characterization on military bases includes the detection of hazardous materials and artifacts buried in the ground as well as an assessment of subsurface layering and groundwater properties. Currently available technology develops, at best, poor-quality images and also has a limited-detection sensitivity for non-metallic objects. Creare proposes to develop an acoustic soil imaging system to address all these needs. The Creare design is built around a novel acoustic array configuration designed to produce images of high resolution, compared to present methods, of objects buried in the upper 10 meters of the soil. Image generation and evaluation times will be significantly smaller than times required by current methods. The system features a sparse array of dynamically focused imaging transducers. This system leverages Creates experience in developing state-of-the-art medical ultrasound instruments and is designed to overcome the unique challenges created by the acoustic properties of soil. BENEFITS: The technology developed under this program will meet the Army's need for high-resolution imaging of geological structures. Besides providing a tool for rapid detection and identification of hazardous materials, the technology developed under this program may also be used on military and civilian construction projects to locate other buried objects such as pipes and conduits. This project addresses needs for identifying and measuring effects of therapeutic agents or toxic agents with sensitive, practical in vitro bioassays employing multi-cellular organisms as Biological Indicators (BI). Our proposal is to develop an innovative bioassay approach based on measuring agents' effects on the metabolic activity in vitro of small waterborne invertebrate BI's, in particular Artemia (brine shrimp), Daphnia, and similar organisms. Novel disposable sensors will be used in our bioassay to measure metabolic activity within BI cultures, serving as me indices of changes in me BI population. Phase I of this project is designed to investigate and establish the feasibility of the proposed bioassay concept in two fundamental aspects: (1) that the sensing approach for a metabolism readout is an efficacious means of assaying multi cellular organisms' activity/health and identifying changes therein induced by exposure to agents; (2) that early stage embryos of Artemia and Daphnia have potential value as a biological-indicator model for assaying agent effects. The goal is to ultimately provide a new methodology presenting opportunities for inexpensive, rapid field bioassays using multicellular organisms potentially prepared conveniently from dry, stable embryos. BENEFITS: This project addresses needs for identifying and measuring effects of therapeutic agents or toxic agents with sensitive, practical in vitro bioassays employing multi-cellular organisms as Biological Indicators (BI). Applications for drug development, toxicological testing, and food or environmental screening, exist in commercial, research, and government laboratories, and simple fast tests have utility for field-testing. Systems and Processes Engineering Corporation (SPEC) proposes to build 0.18 m or 0.25 m CMOS Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) to process and store Hyperspectral Imaging data. The ASICs will be able to process hyperspectral images up to 512 x 512 16 bit pixels spatial, by 256 values spectral data. It will be able to perform algorithms using the hardware currently implemented in FPGAs for match filtering and convolution. The use of ASICs can represent space savings of approximately 10:1 over FPGAs. The ASICs will be able to process a throughput greater than 1giga-pixel(16 gigabits) per second with a parallel architecture using an 1:8 GaAs de-multiplexer. Data storage capabilities will be of initial, intermediate, or processed data and will be on the order of 1megabit per ASIC. The system of ASICs will be able to perform a number of Government supplied algorithms including Match filtering and convolution using a multiply/accumulate process to perform operations such as haze and atmosphere removal and unmixing. BENEFITS: Hyperspectral Imaging is predicted to have wide use in both military and industry. Several applications, listed by category are; military, target detection, industrial, agriculture, pollution, semiconductor production, anti-terrorism, counterfeiting, and medical. With all of these possible uses for hyperspectral imagery will come a great demand for a processor capable of effectively separating anomalies from the data. The high cost of corrosion has led to a lot of research efforts that have focussed on sensors for monitoring or detecting corrosion. These sensors are desirable for use particularly in automotive, military and structural applications. The choice of a sensor depends on its ability to monitor corrosive action, and convert 'its chosen mode of operation' to interpretable data in an easy simple and reliable manner. Corrosion phenomena can be monitored by a number of methods, but fast data interpretation is required to predict microscopic corrosion, since it manifests itself in macroscopic corrosive action (such as rust). In this Phase I project, Materials Modification Inc proposes to evaluate fast sensors, especially those with fiber optic relays and radio frequency (RF) output units. MMI will also evaluate two methodologies for corrosion monitoring and compare the results with commercially available products. In Phase II we will select either commercial sensors that are most viable/simple easy to use/reliable or develop such sensors. Extensive corrosion testing will be performed on the sensors by attaching them to tactical wheeled vehicle fleet of the Army in various locations. BENEFITS: Corrosion sensors for application in tactical wheeled vehicle fleets, monitoring corrosion in structural components such as bridges, and railroads and automotive parts. Q-DOT proposes to develop a wide bandwidth, highly versatile Direct Digital Synthesizer (DDS) System capable of supporting multiple radar and communication systems. A common, highly capable DDS system will simplify logistics, training and maintenance, thereby significantly reducing Operation and Support Cost. Bar-Giora Goldberg, co-founder of Sciteq, and world-renown DDS innovator, will guide the DDS architectural design. A single DDS system will provide 3 GHz of bandwidth in a 1-20 GHz range with a robust menu of modulations and >60 dB spurious free dynamic range. The DDS system will be realized with IBM's production SiGe BiCMOS process which combines advanced HBT with state-of-the-art CMOS to produce sophisticated yet inexpensive mixed-mode components. This effort will build on Q-DOT's experience in designing and building SiGe MMIC's, including VCO, PLL, active mixer, ADC, and DAC. The proposed DAC portion of the DDS system will be based on an existing 14-bit, 5 Gs/s, >80 dB SFDR part realized at Q-DOT in SiGe BiCMOS. Phase I will result in a conceptual design of key subsystems optimized for the Army's future systems. Under the Option, portions of the existing DAC will be assessed with respect to DDS system requirements, and detailed design will begin. A functional prototype will be realized in Phase II leading to productization in Phase III. BENEFITS: Its low cost, silicon based technology combined with its exceptional functionality, positions the DDS system well for insertion into commercial markets. A version of the DDS system will support numerous, diverse products, including: advanced digital cellular telephones, personal communication systems (PCS); collision avoidance radar for automobiles; automated marking/printing, ultra-high-resolution imagers; wafer inspection/yield enhancement; and, analog/RF component/ASIC testing. Atmospheric turbulence adversely affects imaging systems by causing a random Optical fiber lasers are gaining widespread interest due to their numerous advantages over traditionalgas and solid state lasers including extremely high damage thresholds, excellent beam quality, superior wavelength and temperature stability, small size, and very high powers using novel double-cladding fiber (DCF).DCF lasers are a unique solution for obtaining high-power diffraction-limited laser beams due to the ability to inject multiwatt pump powers into their large-area, large numerical aperture primary cladding. To date, however,polarized DCF lasers have not been demonstrated and may be critical to the future success of non-linear optical wavelength converters and coherence-based power combiners for kilowattclass lasers. During Phase I, Lambda Instruments proposes to investigate the feasibility of fabricating Yb-doped polarization-maintaining DCF as well as using conventional Yb-doped DCF with novel fiber grating polarizers to demonstrate a polarized, high-power DCF laser. With their excellent beam quality, thermal stability, high-power, and wavelength versatility,fiber lasers are beginning to displace conventional solid-state and gas lasers in a diverse range of markets including telecommunications, cable television, satellite communications, printing, medical, data storage, consumer electronics, sensor, defense, materials processingand instrument markets. Network administrators are outgunned and outstaffed on the emerging, electronic battlefield. Malicious attackers have, at their fingertips, sophisticated communication networks, easy access to the latest cyber-weapons, and extreme time and patience. To adequately defend their networks against this threat, system protectors need to become more proactive in assessing attacks. Unfortunately, several factors prevent these administrators from becoming computer forensics specialists.Many support tools focus on data without determining the relative merits, uses, and meaning of the data. Other tools take the decisions out of the administrators' hands, and make complex judgments and assessments behind the scenes. We suggest a better approach. We will identify new and innovative strategies and data elements used to assess cyber-attacks in real-time and after the fact. We will focus on uncovering the critical cues and information sources used by experts in computer forensics, as well as their strategies for assessment and decision making. We will validate these new data elements and strategies (and likely discover more) by having actual skilled hackers attack an extensive wargaming network. This will serve as the framework for developing a tool that presents relevant information for making assessments in a way that truly supports effective analysis of unauthorized system use. Any government or commercial entity that must maintain the security of a large-scale network will benefit from the proposed system. The system will help security administrators charged with the daunting task of assessing network attacks more quickly form and maintain situation awareness of their systems, and more quickly detect anomalies and deter potential invaders. Although all networks are different, we are confident that all security administrators encounter common challenges that will be supported by the general framework provided by this system. A three part approach is proposed to develop and demonstrate a system for Dynamic Effects Based Command and Control that will support and enhance joint future operational capabilities. The approach uses (a) an innovative effects-based planning and execution process that integrates intelligence, planning and execution functions for dynamic planning and tailoring actions to the desired effects; (b) a Phase I proof of concept demonstration that utilizes both COTS and already developed experimental software; and (c) operational and systems architecture views of the proposed system that conform to the C4ISR Architecture Framework version 2. This conformance is essential if COTS software is to be used so that future evolution of the system will allow the use of both upgrades of current commercial packages and the incorporation of future packages that offer improved performance and functionality. The architecture and its effectiveness for providing the link between major planned actions and overall desired effects of those actions will be demonstrated through the use of an existing suite of COTS and experimental tools. The demonstration will show the functionality of the effects-based planning and execution process and will set the requirements for the COTS software that will implement the systems architecture in Phase II. An innovative suite of tools and techniques that support development, execution and dynamic assessment of the application of resources to meet overall objectives will not only improve mission performance in military environments, but will be invaluable in civilian crisis management, including terrorist incidents, natural disasters (e.g., earthquakes) and man-made disasters (e.g., transportation and power plant accidents). Silicon carbide (SiC) is the most promising substrate material for the next generation high power, high frequency power transistors replacing traveling wave tube for radar power applications. Such devices in both, group III nitrides (III-N) and SiC have been under development for these applications. SiC possesses advantages that are unmatched by any other substrate for both III-N and SiC based devices. High frequency power transistors fabricated on semi-insulating silicon carbide (SI-SiC) substrates (via heteroepitaxy or homoepitaxy) will benefit significantly from the substrate's high thermal conductivity to dissipate heat generated during operation. Devices made on SI-SiC substrates have an added advantage of increased frequency performance due to the lower parasitic losses compared to conducting substrates. In addition, SiC is well suited for growth of III-nitrides due to its small lattice mismatch. Reduced lattice mismatch is critical in achieving low defect density layers in heteroepitaxial growth. In Phase I of this Air Force SBIR, JENTEK has demonstrated the capability of high resolution imaging MWM-Arrays to detect and map inclusions and deleterious surface alpha in the near-surface region [within the first 0.1 inches (2.5 mm)] of Ti-6Al-4V castings. JENTEK has also demonstrated reliable crack detection in Ti-6Al-4V and contamination assessment of titanium welds. Using model-based inversion methods, multi-channel instrumentation, high-resolution MWM-Arrays, and filtering techniques, JENTEK will focus in Phase II on (1) adaptation of smaller imaging MWM-Arrays to accommodate actual Ti-6Al-4V cast component geometries of interest, (2) enhancement of MWM-Array capability for high-resolution reproducible imaging for a range of Air Force applications, including but not limited to inclusions and surface alpha for parts, (3) development of fieldable procedures for detection of buried inclusions and surface alpha in titanium castings; and (4) enhancement of existing capabilities for one or two additional applications selected by the Air Force, e.g., hidden corrosion detection or detection of cracks and thermal damage under coatings. Physical Sciences Inc. (PSI) responds to the Air Forces need to demonstrate the viability of inflatable optics deployed from picosatellites. The PSI PicoSat Inflatable ((PSI)2) will be designed to provide surface metrology data during optic inflation pressure changes, and through eclipse. PSI will set design goals for optical performance and mission lifetime and apply them to the allocation of the available space on two tethered picosatellites. One picosat will contain an inflatable optic with torus and standoff truss, inflation and make-up gas, and imaging systems. The other picosat contains data logging, control and management, communications, and power. PSI has considerable experience successfully developing inflatable optics, and has designed and constructed experiments for the space environment for over a dozen missions. PSI has teamed with Prof. Robert Twiggs, of the Stanford University Space Systems Development Lab, to assist the data logging control and management, communications, and power design and optimization. On a Phase II effort, PSI will build the (PSI)2 dual tethered picosats, that will be launched and tested on a Phase III effort.Low cost SmallSats with sub-kilogram masses that utilize inflatable optics to view regions of the Earth have widespread commercial applications. Aerial viewing of any region of the planet could be achieved with low cost launch fees because of the light-weight of picosat imagers. Law enforcement, weather surveillance, regional high resolution mapping, and agriculture and fisheries monitoring could all be achieved through low cost, light weight imaging picosatellites. The Air Force requires a method of tracking released aircraft stores during operational testing, at altitudes from ground level to 100,000 feet, and at ranges up to 100 miles. This Phase I program will provide a rigorous feasibility study and working demonstration of system design and technology implementation methods for a cost effective and highly practical software controlled radio and Global Positioning System (GPS) based tracking and scoring system to meet this mission. It shall use commercial off the shelf components and standard PC's for control and databasing. A modular system design adaptable to a variety of air and ground assets (places where radio terminals are placed or carried) is planned. The system shall be primarily externally mounted on air assets using an electrocleavable adhesive, thus minimizing system integration cost by use of line aircraft as opposed to specially instrumented test aircraft. A flexible design provides for levels of sophistication ranging from point to point links to airborne cellular networks, depending on the mission and the assets available. Any desired range may be supported via air to air relaying in the airborne cellular mode. Assets supported include ground stations, aircraft, UAV's, and sea based buoys and vessels.The military services have a direct need for Radio/GPs based tracking, and may reasonably be expected to issue procurement contracts for systems such as the one proposed. Commercial reuse is also very likely, such as tracking at risk personnel such as police and firefighters, and high value assets such as truck fleets. This system is designed using low cost COTS components and using the ISM bands in order to allow direct commercial reuse. Simulation of the real world has long been recognized as an effective means both for testing military equipment and for training personnel. However, effectiveness of such simulation is highly dependent upon its fidelity. It becomes paramount, therefore, to accurately model the environment in which simulation takes place. For human-in-the-loop simulations, the need for fidelity places severe demands upon display technology; demands that push the limits of virtual imagery with respect to resolution, brightness, color depth, and contrast ratio. Systems & Processes Engineering Corporation (SPEC) proposes the Hyper-ASIC Program to impact hyperspectral imaging and fast parallel processing of algorithmic data for non-destructive inspection, smart munitions, target identification and classification, and battlefield damage assessment. Hyper-ASIC penetrates to the heart of the commercial semiconductor market with a unique product strategically placed among the field programmable gate array (FPGA), digital signal processor (DSP), and traditional single application, non-adaptive ASIC chipsets. The innovation of the research is the uniquely adaptive architecture featuring a Mathematical Matrix Algorithm Processor (MMAP) consisting of Dynamically Configurable (Mathematical) Macros (DCM) pipelined in hardware to support high speed parallel processing of data under software control. Hyper-ASIC is optimized for 16 bit performance and can be expanded as requirements dictate. Detailed analysis of the system reveals that 16 bit (and future expansion) performance is supported without truncation of data during internal computations. Hyper-ASIC has exceptional system performance metrics - frame dimensions of 1024 pixels for both X & Y dimensions, spatial pixel resolution of 16 bits, data rate of 32 Gbps supporting 5 channels parallel processing, algorithms include "MATLAB r on a chip," and data storage to support algorithms with access to intermediate and final results. The goal of this project is development of an acoustic system for imaging buried objects and underground geological features like bedrock layers, underground stream channels, and fracture zones. Current technology for imaging these features relies on the use of electromagnetic radiation and suffers from limited spatial resolution and limited penetration depth in areas of high soil conductivity. During Phase I we demonstrated the feasibility of using acoustic energy for this application by imaging a granite block buried in clay. In Phase II we will develop the hardware and software components required for a field-deployable imaging system. Once completed, the system will be used to conduct field surveys at several sites of interest to the Army. We will also attempt to use the technology developed under this program as a base for commercial products serving the environmental remediation and construction markets. The use of organic based emulsions in the construction industry goes back over 50 years. The first commercial asphaltic emulsions were emulsified-asphaltic oils for dust control. Continued development of this technology produced asphaltic-based emulsion/aggregate systems strong enough not to flow or rut under traffic loading yet were resilient enough not to crack or break apart through weather extremes. In addition, organic based emulsions were developed for generic soil stabilization and dust control use. Professional guidelines have been published for the use of organic based emulsions in soil stabilization. The Asphalt Institute Manual Series MS-1, MS-10 and MS-14 covers specifications and methods for emulsified treated base. We have proven that an emulsion can also be made to sequester most cationic metals rendering them insoluble within the treated soil matrix. We propose to test both modidfied asphalt and tall oil pitch based emulsions for characteristics beneficial to mitigating on-site physical and chemical migration of depleted uranium(DU) in firing range soils. The study will evaluate treated soil strength parameters, DU solubility, DU corrosivity, biological impacts, and methods of field design and application. We also propose to conduct a field pilot test based on results of the laboratory work. Potential clients for this technology include DOD,USDOE, USEPA, and private industry. BENEFITS: In place stabilization of DU contaminated soils should prove to be the most efficient and cost effective approach to remediation and on-going maintenance of active ranges. The technology could not only prove to be viable at DU contaminated manufacturing and military sites, but at other public and private facilities containing contaminants such as lead and arsenic. As an alternate to chemical batteries a milliwatt power supply utilizing tritium as the power source will be developed. Radiation (betas) from the Tritium will not be discernable since the tritium is encapsulated in a metal can and the betas are easily shielded. Thermoelectrics will be used to generate the electric output. This technology is presently funded by DOE and DARPA and doing well. The U. S. Army need only develop the heat source in Phase I. Hi-Z recommends two other heat source concepts be pursued: A miniature fossil-fired burner analogous to cigarette lighters and molten salts that after heating above their melting point exhibit very slow cooling rates so four hour mission lifetimes can be attained. Long life and high reliability are expected, such that for military use these can be "install and forget" power supplies. From cost and dependability standpoints this battery replacement will be a significant improvement over the status quo. Work will include design of the generator, detailed safety analysis and projections of economics in military and in civil (dual use) deployment. BENEFITS: Development of this compact generator as a battery substitute will benefit military and commercial users of rechargeable and/or one-use chemical batteries. It provides longer life, greater energy density, competitive cost and high reliability. A range of consumer electronics from camcorders to cell phones could use this power source. The overall objective of the Phase II effort is to improve the Army aviator's ability to perform night missions by developing innovative symbols that capitalize on the advantages of new wide-field of view (WFOV) helmet-mounted displays (HMDs). We will build upon the successes of the Phase I effort, in which we identified more than 100 valuable new symbols through mission analyses, developed the symbols with our logical, systematic procedures, and evaluated a subset of them with our powerful flight simulator and a state-of-the art WFOV HMD. Eliminating noise from communication channels is important for both military and commercial applications. Conventional approaches to noise elimination use only one sensor, i.e. the ordinary microphone. Although noise can be eliminated, the distortion of the speech signal due to signal processing actually reduces speech recognition rates even compared to the original noisy speech signal. TheSmallWorld.com, Inc. is proposing to conduct R&D with the objective of producing a working prototype that will connect a customized online linguistic data center for unique speech-to-speech and text-to-text natural language translation applications to a mobile communications system. The main focus of our research will provide specific solutions for a variety of real-time translation applications for both military and commercial purposes. Understanding the limits of language translation technology and computational linguistics, we recognize that we must develop systems that incrementally reduce translation error rates, in part by recognizing and constraining subject domains and by customizing dictionaries that match these constraints. The practical application of speech recognition and speech generation to machine translation systems using wireless internet interfaces such as WAP portals on web-enabled cell phones, connected to LEO satellites, will involve development of middleware, (i.e. software systems architecture that bridges gaps between each component of the system). The Army's need for high specific output power, durable and maintenance free turbomachinery such as Auxiliary Power Units (APU) and small gas turbine engines for helicopters, Uninhabited Air and Air Combat Vehicles (UAV/UCAV), missiles, and drones, dictates that light weight, high-speed and high-power propulsion systems be developed. Compliant foil gas bearings with the ability to operate without DN limitations of conventional bearings and high temperatures without lubricants have the potential to make significant improvements in advanced turbomachinery thrust to weight ratios and fuel efficiency. Key issues to be addressed under this program will include foil journal bearing scaling, thrust foil bearing load capacity and multiple system development cost reductions. Design requirements for a broad range of both power systems and gas turbine engines will be reviewed, design optimization tradeoff studies completed and rotor system integration analysis completed to demonstrate the feasibility of developing foil bearings suitable for a wide range of applications at reduced development costs. A universal test rig for use in Phase II will also be conceived and a preliminary design completed. BENEFITS: Potential additional applications for this enabling technology include small general aviation gas turbine engines, pipeline compressors, stationary auxiliary power units, turboexpanders, air cycle machines, and cryogenic turbopumps. The key benefit of this program will be improved foil bearing designs and the associated development tools. Critical Army initiatives established weight reduction goals of up to 50% for armored combat systems, to improve deployment, mobility, and transportability, without sacrificing survivability, lethality, or maintainability. This presents the opportunity for a systems approach to armor design, using multifunctional materials, with light weight designs achieved through identifying and exploiting beneficial synergies between system components. This program will demonstrate an armor technology capable of reducing the weight of current ceramic composite armors used on military land vehicles by 30%, with negligible increase in system costs per area. Two unique, highly tailorable material process technologies will be examined: fiber reinforcement of patented, orthogonal 3-D weaves, and aluminum metal foam, fabricated by a patented, low cost powder metallurgy process. The proposed systems will address multifunctional requirements, including load bearing, damage tolerance, maintainability, signature reduction, and environmental resistance. Weight reduction will be achieved by grading armor properties through the system thickness to optimize performance. Failure mechanisms at various locations through the thickness, and important interfacial interactions will be considered. Understanding gained in this program can be applied to achieve greater weight savings, potentially 50%, at increased cost with higher performance raw materials. BENEFITS: The result of the proposed program is not only a multi-functional, lightweight, functionally graded 3-Weave/Metal foam armor system for defeat of specific ballistic threats, but also substantial engineering know-how related to use of these novel materials in lightweight ballistic applications. This know-how can be applied to reach the severe weight goals of the Army's new vehicles such as the Crusader self propelled gun system and resupply vehicle, the Future Scout Vehicle, or the Future Fighting Vehicle, and even the lighter weight tanks. The combination of weight and cost should also make it a candidate for the nearer term weight reduction or performance improvements in vehicles such as the XM11115 HMMWV. The armor system validated in the proposed program should have immediate use as an applique armor on currently fielded military vehicles such as armored personnel carriers, fighting vehicles, armored gun systems, and some troop transport vehicles. The engineering know-how developed in the proposed program can also be used to apply the functionally graded 3WeaveT/Metal Foam armors to a broad spectrum of light weight, durable, multi-functional cost sensitive armor applications including; aircraft armor, such as in cargo aircraft which are less weight sensitive and more cost sensitive than in helicopter applications, gun shields on ships and patrol boats, rolling barriers and shields for law enforcement or VIP protection. 3WeaveT/Metal Foam armor is a multi-functional system possessing exceptional strength and stiffness to weight characteristics, excellent energy absorption, thermal management capabilities, fire resistance, and vibration and dampening. One of the remaining barriers to the wide acceptance and implementation composites in structural applications is the high cost associated with the manufacturing of structural composite parts. Preform assembly, as it is currently done, is the single most costly step in the fabrication of fiber-reinforced polymer composites. Current techniques of assembling preforms for most liquid resin infusion processes involve the hand lay-up of individual fiber plies in a molding tool. An inexpensive and effective means to connect a large number of individual fiber plies so that the desired preform shape is achieved has been developed and demonstrated by Solectria Corporation. The objective of this effort is to investigate and evaluate the performance of preforms created by using this preforming technology with respect to composite armor requirements. Aspects of the binder behavior that will be investigated include: 1) The mechanism in which the binder interacts with the type of glass used in composite armors. 2) The compatability between the binder and the fiber sizing and 3) The effects of binder chemistry, particle size and concentration on the properties of the stabilized preform and molded parts. BENEFITS: The project will result in a preforming technology package capable of producing preforms for market such as: 1) Add-on composite armor packages for fielded systems, 2) body armor products, 3) the Crusader program, 4) the Future Scout vehicle and 5) other automotive products for the army. SiC-based materials exhibit excellent thermal, mechanical, and optical properties. In addition, excellent polishability has been established for CVD-SiC. The use of CVD-SiC in optical applications requires the joining of dissimilar materials. This proposal offers an integrated approach to fabricate optical structures. No conventional joining is required. Ultralightweight, extremely stable structures can be produced. A functionlly-graded (FGM) approach is implemented to minimize the residual stresses. Chemical Vapor Reaction (CVR) processing is used to form an optical quality (2 Angstroms rms) SiC surface. Specific laser optics evaluation will be performed. Up to 18" flat and parabolic mirros with ~/140 merit will be produced. Triton Systems Inc. proposes an innovative single step method for fabricating low density, high performance, in-situ nano metal matrix composite (MMC) structural foam materials to net-shape. Triton Systems is teamed with Laser Fare on the proposed effort to enhance a novel solid freeform fabrication process known as Laser Engineered Net Shaping (LENS) technology to produce nano TMC foam structural materials. The proposed program will take advantage of Triton's recent advancements in laser processing TMC's, which have shown significant property enhancements compared with monolithic metals and alloys, to further improve the specific properties of the foam structure. The proposed technology will enable net shape manufacture of foam structures in a single fabrication step and allow the structure to be engineered (as opposed to the random nature of current metallic foams) to take maximum advantage of the material for a given application. The proposed material and process technology will enable the design and manufacture of structural foam parts to be optimized for a given application (in terms of weight, strength, energy absorption, etc.) and decrease cost by eliminating expensive tooling. BENEFITS: The proposed materials and process technology will enable the affordable manufacture of high performance engineered structural foams designed for specific applications. Potential applications include energy absorbing components such as armor for the military and automobile bumpers for civilian use and high temperature combustion engine components. We propose to develop a whole field measurement technique that is capable of simultaneously sizing multiple transparent droplets on a plane from scattered light features that are independent of laser beam intensity and obscuration. Light scattered by reflection and refraction from droplets immersed in a laser sheet is recorded holographically to yield the smallest possible probe volume and correspondingly largest number density. Preliminary measurements demonstrate the ability to measure droplet concentrations from optically thin conditions to concentrations in excess of 10E5/cc. The size and position of each droplet will be measured on a plane formed by a pulsed laser. In regions of excessive droplet concentration resulting in clusters of overlapping images, the technique will report the number of droplets in each cluster. This will preclude a deficit in the mass flux calculation from unknown data rejection. A program consisting of modeling and proof-of-concept experiments is proposed for the Phase I effort. BENEFITS: The proposed system will measure the size distribution of droplets in a plane of a spray. This measurement capability will expand current point measurement techniques like PDPA in the same way that Particle Image Velocimetry (PIV) expands the capability of laser Doppler velocimetry (LDV). That is, the technique represents a logical and much needed evolutionary step in two-phase flow diagnostics. We anticipate developing a technique with large commercial potential given the demand for instantaneous planar measurements. DoD collects large amounts of digital imagery from diverse sources such as hospital radiology A field portable monitoring system is proposed that will provide ARO with the capability to measure the 3-D in-situ state of stress in soils which results from vehicle element's terrain interaction. The system will comprise a compact 3-D stress sensing package that is connected via a rugged flexible cable assembly to a field-portable controls/ excitation-and-amplification source and to an integrated data acquisition / Lap Top PC arrangement. The approach to stress measurements will consist in using three solid- or fluid-coupled high-output thin-film piezoresistive Carbon stress gauges that are orthogonal-mounted on the faces a suitable solid substrate block or behind its faces at the bottom of small fluid cavities. The 3-D sensing package will be integrally attached to a short rigid stem that extends into a set of armored and flexible output leads. Such arrangement can be made very small ( one cubic centimeter ) or as large as needed to meet the requirements. The Carbon stress gauge is capable of resolving stresses as low as a few PSI up 15,000 PSI or above in dynamic or static environments. Relying on nearly thirty years of experience in designing and manufacturing numerous types of soil stress sensors for UGT and AGT applications in support to nearly all US DOE and DOD Laboratories, the proposed system will be constructed and fully evaluated, and rendered functional at our test facility under simulated but representative stress environments prior to its delivery to the Army. Coupling to soil and methods for minimizing ground disturbance will also be investigated. A very degree of success is anticipated from this effort. BENEFITS: To allow researchers to model vehicle element interaction with soils. Earth Quake measurements and mining industry applications. The proposed Phase II program develops a unique meteorological sensor to provide a new capability for volumetric range-resolved wind velocity and aerosol and tracer gas concentration to ranges of several kilometers. The proposed novel sensor is based on existing CTI-developed commercial off the shelf 2 &#61549;m pulsed coherent Doppler lidar hardware that is critically augmented with an optical parametric oscillator (OPO) to enable tunable mid-wave infrared (MWIR) operation for multi-color lidar aerosol characterization as well as differential absorption lidar (DIAL) measurement of tracer gas concentration. The ongoing Phase I program is conducting system performance trades to establish sensitivity and spatial and temporal resolution capability for various system configurations. A novel receiver architecture has been identified to both improve system sensitivity and reduce system complexity. The proposed Phase II program will develop a detailed design, supported through carefully-designed risk reduction measurements, based on the Phase I preliminary design. An existing (Army Research Office owned) transceiver and signal processor will then be modified to incorporate the MWIR transmit/receive architecture. Field measurements will be conducted at an Army facility to evaluate system performance as a function of range, and update and scan rate (spatial resolution). The introduction of Sun's Jini technology and its innovative concept of spontaneous, "just-in-time" federations of services will fundamentally change the way software-intensive systems are developed, deployed, and utilized since it represents the next logical step in the progression and fusion of distributed component architectures with network technology. Jini's "federation of services" concept is consistent with the DMSO High Level Architecture's concept of federations and provides the additional advantage of widespread commercial acceptance and adoption. The symbiotic combination of Jini and HLA technologies represents a tremendous opportunity: Force XXI mission context modeling and simulation benefits from the application of advanced commercial-sector distributed component integration technologies, and the commercial-sector benefits from the application of high-fidelity formal semantics and runtime dynamics provided by HLA interoperation technologies. The overall objective of this effort is to design a Collaborative Environment based on the cooperative application of Jini and HLA technologies for the integration and interoperation of distributed simulators, simulations, models, tools, and databases supporting Force XXI mission context materiel development and evaluation. BENEFITS: A Jini/HLA Collaborative Environment has extraordinary dual-use potential: In addition to its tremendous value to Simulation-based Acquisition (SBA) and design, the Collaborative Environment is of potentially greater value in the commercial sector where it is ideally suited to the integration of enterprise-class applications and databases, an expanding $1 Billion market. The Army Material Command (AMC) Research, Development, and Engineering Centers (RDECs) have a goal to implement a RDEC Federation. The objective RDEC Federation is to be able to transfer system and subsystem engineering data from Collaborative Environments (CE's), being implemented at each RDEC, into performance parameters, model geometries, and functional behaviors to a common Real-time Evaluation Environment (REE). An implementation goal is to connect the individual RDEC CE's to the REE through a Collaborative Biome (CB). The primary objectives of the proposed project are to (a) improve the Army aviator's ability to perform night missions by developing innovative symbols that capitalize on the advantages of new wide field of view(WFOV) helmet-mounted displays (HMDs); (b) determine the best content, location, format, and behavior of these new symbols; and (c) implement fully functional symbology sets in a simulator suitable for part-task and mission-oriented testing. To meet these objectives we will: (1) Identify the relevant characteristics of forthcoming WFOV HMD technology, their relationship to the human visual system, and their advantages in performing mission tasks; (2) Identify the elements of information that, if presented on the HMD, would potentially reduce the pilot's workload and improve his situation awareness and task performance; (3) Employ research-based recommendations for symbol location, format, and behavior in order to guide the symbology development team through the symbol creation process; (4) Dynamically prototype the resulting symbology on PRISMS, a sophisticated helicopter flight simulator with a new WFOV HMD, assess pilot performance, and obtain pilot judgments of symbol utility; and (5) Produce a comprehensive plan for Phase II work, which will include identifying additional information elements, creating innovative symbols, and performing experimental evaluations of all of the new symbols. BENEFITS: The new WFOV symbology will improve the pilot's situation awareness, target acquisition, and movement through the environment as well as presenting critical information in an easily-understood manner. The commercial applications include (a) portable, rapidly reconfigurable HMD symbology training systems for Army training centers and operational units, and (b) private sector HMD systems using symbology to identify airspace control zones, restricted areas, approved corridors, airport traffic areas, and other "invisible," but critical limits to fixed-wing or rotary-wing flight. Government agencies and corporations have quickly deployed packet-based networks as a primary means of communications and electronic information exchange. Ethernet (IEEE 802.3) is the pervasive network protocol standard for Local Area Network (LAN) technology. Currently, the most widely used LAN technology is the 10-Mbps Ethernet twisted pair (10 Base-T), however, the 100-Mbps Fast Ethernet (100 Base-X) has emerged as the dominant technology. Traditional high grade cryptographic equipment provides point-to-point data en/decryption capabilities but are not well suited to protect packet-based, network-centric information. The U.S Army has recognized this deficiency and Mykotronx, Inc. is in a strong position to provide a complete, low cost, National Security Agency (NSA) compliant solution. Our proposal describes an approach for developing a flexible, secure, Layer 2 Ethernet Encryptor that is based on two NSA approved, cryptographic Application Specific Integrated Circuits (ASICs) developed by Mykotronx: the CAPSTONE (MYK-82) and KRYPTON. We propose an architecture that will allow use of either CAPSTONE for commercial and medium assurance Government applications or K RYPTON for high grade, classified data applications. Both implementations provide Layer 2 protection in an in-line Ethernet encryption device configuration that can be quickly setup to protect any commercial Ethernet network. BENEFITS: The Layer 2 Ethernet Encryptor will have the following benefits: 1) Total protection of Ethernet information from rogue attackers on the LAN (via Ethernet network sniffing or RF sniffing), 2) Easy and quick installation on existing commercial Ethernet networks, 3) Physical security protection of stand-alone unit, 4) Simple keying with EKMS compatibility for Type 1 version, Commercial applications include the following: 1) Corporate sensitive information/data protection 2) Intellectual Property transmission protection (such as digital distribution of music/movies, etc.), 3) VPN on dedicated bandwidth but sharing common transmission facility (such as commercial satellites, long distance carriers, etc.), 4) Protection of monetary information. In order to expand the utility of unmanned ground vehicles in today's military, a In roday's digitized Amry, more information that ever is available to the Our approach incorporates an emerging technology, a 10.6 micro-meter laser source, with appropriate power, coupled with an innovative, very small Micro-Electro-Mechanical System (MEMS) based adaptive optics system, a low noise photo receiver, and an error correcting code. Each of these technologies alone show some promise for handling the scintillation conditions for the army battlefield application.With these technologies all integrated into a system, they will provide a high data rate capability with outstanding reliability. The system also includes a pointing and tracking system that uses a retro-reflected scheme with a high bandwidth closed loop fast steering mirror to mitigate the base motion jitter. Signal acquisition can be achieved within milliseconds with virtually no start-up time for both mobile and stationary communications. The system will be developed such that it can be retrofitted into existing platforms. In Phase I a proof-of-concept test will be performed in the lab, demonstrating the performance of the laser source coupled with the MEMS adaptive optics technology. Defining the requirements for ruggedizing this system will begin in Phase I and the development will commence in Phase II. BENEFITS: High data rates, large bandwidth, secure communications, over a wireless network are the benefits. Commercial applications include robotic, automobile, and helicopter high bandwidth communications. We propose to develop a software environment for rapid prototyping and implementation of blind demodulation algorithms. The system will be embedded in a high-level programming environment for algorithm research and simulation. Real-time C/C++ and VHDL libraries of communications algorithms will be provided to enable porting of algorithms to hardware, e.g. DSP chips and FPGAs. The system will be unified through an iconic interface that will allow engineers to graphically design algorithms, perform simulations, and subsequently implement the final systems on the desired platforms. In Phase I, we will conduct research on blind demodulation, drawing on promising algorithms in the published literature, and conducting our own research where needed. Our Phase I research will set the stage for Phase II by providing an initial library of communications algorithms and laying out the design of the final toolkit. In Phase II, we will port these algorithms to real-time hardware via C and VHDL implementations, and develop an iconic interface to enable graphical design, simulation, and implementation of blind demodulation schemes. The resulting system will be widely useful both within and outside of the DOD. BENEFITS: While a variety of communications design tools are available commercially, no software tools are currently available that enable users to go from high-level research and simulation to implementation on DSPs and FPGAs. The proposed development system will thus be useful to a wide range of engineers from research laboratories to product development organizations. In addition, we will incorporate the results of our research into other signal analysis products produced by or under development at MathSoft, including communications, signal processing, and wavelet toolboxes for Splus and Mathcad. Early detection is a key aspect of biowarfare (BW) defense, and the foundation for a variety of detection methods has been established using biorecognition molecules such as antibodies. Moving these methods to durable field instruments will probably require replacing the relatively delicate biomolecules like antibodies with more robust, synthetic recognition elements. This proposal presents an antibody alternative based on molecularly imprinted polymers (MIP) that are designed with templates, or molds, of the target biohazard in the covalently linked polymer network. While MIP's for small molecules have been developed by this company and others, a unique objective of this proposal is the development of MIP's for relatively large protein molecules, and eventually, bacteria and viruses. A variety of alkoxysilanes will be used as monomers during the initial imprinting steps, with careful control of the chemical conditions to create films that are thin and structurally robust, and also compatible with the delicate, three dimensional nature of proteins. Combinatorial chemistry is well suited to MIP production and will be investigated. Creating synthetic antibodies will not only support more durable field operation, but it will also allow optimized coupling between the recognition element and a reagentless detection method. BENEFITS: Development of a molecularly imprinted material for proteins and larger macromolecules will provide significant economic and practical benefits to medical, chemical, and environmental analyses. The material would be useful for chromatographic separations, office-based diagnostics, and in situ environmental monitoring. This project develops and tests a microfabricated sensing platform that is capable of processing and identifying toxins, viruses, and bacteria in volumes of 100 microliters, or less. The Phase I effort demonstrates the feasibility of integrating micro-avalanche photodiode (microAPD) arrays with a simple microfluidic system in poly(dimethyl siloxane) (PDMS), which solves the key problem of high sensitivity detection in microfabricated biosensors. The Phase I work will explore different analysis configurations and determine the sensitivity of detecting a protein, using fluorescence or absorption, in a prototype system. We will also evaluate necessary adaptations in fabricating microAPDs, which are 10 to 30 micron diameter photodiodes with gains ranging from unity to 100,000,000, for accommodating the more common glass and silicon-based microanalysis systems. BENEFITS: The development of a microfabricated sensing platform provides a needed tool for constructing microanalysis systems that can cope with biological attacks, as well as non/counter-proliferation. The technology can also be applied to monitoring microorganisms in public environments, such as in hospitals, schools, airports and airplanes. It can also be applied to such areas as high-throughput drug screening/discovery, crop disease and monitoring the nation's food supply. This versatile technology will produce instruments that analyze water quality for home and EPA inspections, as well as home health care products for the expanding web-based medical services market. DoD personnel and domestic first responders have an immediate and pressing need for a lightweight, man-portable system for rapid detection and quantification of CBW agents in the environment.. MesoSystems Technology, Inc., teamed with Micronics, Inc. and the University of Washington, propose to develop the components and then demonstrate an integrated system for monitoring personnel for BW exposure. By incorporating new techniques from the field of microfluidics, combined with proven analytical methods such as immunoassay and flow cytometry, this team will radically reduce the size of a precise analytical instrument to the point where it can easily be transported by one person and used/worn individually or in a defensive network linked by telemetry. BW agents will be retained in the device for subsequent DNA fingerprinting. Testing will be conducted using Bacillus subtilus var. niger (BG) spores, Erwinia herbicola, MS-2 bacteriophage and ovalbumin to test a spore, a vegetative bacteria, a virus and a toxin. BENEFITS: Virtually all biosensors and detectors require clean, concentrated samples. There is strong market demand for smaller, faster detection systems for environmental monitoring of pathogens. The proposed biosensor will combine the selectivity of immobilized oligonucleotide This SBIR solicitation is to develop small, single-element GPS CRPA systems for missiles. The desire is to develop a system that would have an antenna no bigger than 4 in. x 4 in. and be conformal to a 9-in. diameter missile. The antenna must work at both L1 and L2 with a signal acquisition and suppression time less than 10 ms. Our approach is to use an innovative design methodology that we have invented to develop small, single element, AJ GPS controlled receive pattern antennas. Specifically, Toyon will use our techniques for designing Electronically Reconfigurable Antennas (ERA) to develop a 4-in diameter, anti-jam antenna system. This AJ antenna technique has been proven recently on a Phase II SBIR with the Air Force. However, it is necessary to develop a fast feedback control system for this GPS antenna system. In Phase I the control algorithm will be implemented in software. The goal is to provide 30 dB improvement in J/S from single and multiple continuous wave, broadband noise (20 MHz BW), and pulsed jamming signals for both the L1 and L2 bands. BENEFITS: This antenna concept is applicable for any commercial application of GPS, which is subjected to electromagnetic interference such as business aircraft or helicopters flying in and out of populated areas. It would be particularly useful for commercial aircraft, which might be subjected to potential terrorist threats employing low power GPS jammers around airports. GPS provides a high degree of precision at affordable cost for weapons guidance systems, but has inherent susceptibility to jamming and interference. This program applies ERI's interference suppression technology to GPS antijam requirements for small precision guided missiles and munitions (PGM). The program develops a rugged, small, low-cost interference suppression capability for PGM GPS using a combination of new and repackaged ERI ISU technology. The program transfers current design concepts to a rugged L1/L2 P-code RF antijam system electronics module for PGM flight test demonstration, and develops critical areas of the system to meet size and temperature objectives. The solution will suppress and track jamming with rapid convergence times compatible with the high dynamics of PGMs, and provide an effective cost/performance solution to protect GPS receivers using a single GPS dual-port aperture. Phase 2 designs, builds and tests a flight worthy, prototype, PGM antijam system that will meet protection performance and environment requirements. Recombinant expression of human proteins is a potentially valuable method for large scale production of hemostatic materials. However, manufacturing-scale production using traditional recombinant DNA techniques is problematic due to the low yield of active protein and complex purification. We propose to utilize a novel technique to produce hemostatic human proteins in bacteria and mammalian from completely synthetic genes designed in the computer. The approach is based on the complete chemical synthesis of large DNA molecules encoding fibrinogen a, b and g subunits and modified versions of these genes produced as an array of component oligonucleotides that are then assembled, ligated and expressed in E. coli. This approach is enabled by inexpensive high-throughput oligonucleotide array synthesis developed by Egea Biosciences that allows complete customization of the protein/vector/expression system. To maximize expression, synthetic genes will be designed using E. coli, yeast or mammalian preferred codons to increase protein expression as well as specific sequences to enable high efficiency protein purification. The re-engineered gene/vector/host combination will be a platform for further sequence alterations to maximize protein expression and enable large-scale manufacturing. Artificial gene design, construction and expression will be explored for the production of recombinant active fibrinogen and other hemostatic proteins for commercial use in "smart" bandages. BENEFITS: This work will result in: 1) a new technology to enable the custom design of synthetic genes and proteins for the large scale production and manufacturing; 2) a novel synthetic gene and expression system for the production of active human fibrinogen subunits as components hemostatic products such as bandages, and 3) ramp-up possibilities for the application of these and other synthetic proteins to the problem of wound healing. Threat location and analysis require commanders to monitor large and diverse streams of information, to corroborate the information with multi-domain background knowledge, to profile enemy capabilities, and to infer enemy intent. To assist the decision-making process in this complex and critical task we propose the development of an agent for common sense reasoning for threat inference and analysis. The agent assists commanders by assessing incoming theater information, by integrating it with related knowledge in associated domain contexts, and by generating an intelligent update of the overall situation description. In addition, the agent supports the commander in retrieving and associating critical pieces of information, and includes capabilities for reasoning about and inferring potential threats. The proposed approach will contribute to the extension of CYC domain ontologies into the theater missile domain, and will build on and integrate with related knowledge engineering efforts within the high-performance knowledge bases community. BENEFITS: The proposed effort has significant potential aplications, both as a technology and as an end-product. As a technology the approach will provide tools for validation, and intelligent integration of real-time information streams into a global situation description, and will enable decision-makers to reason about the possible development of the situation. Candidate domains range from command and control centers, to market analysis, and to assessment in complex medical domains. As an end-product, the theater missile domain knowledge and the associated knowledge engineering tools will integrate into and support on-going DoD efforts to develop multi-domain collections of knowledge bases, analysis and reasoning tools, that will enable the warfighter to take rapid, informed and effective decisions in complex, real-time situations. This proposal responds to a key challenge faced by the U.S. Army in fielding L-band HPM devices: the need for a high peak-power (>100 MW), pencil-beam (G ~ 30 dB) antenna, which is also lightweight (< 250 kg), rapidly-steerable, and compact enough to be deployed on a standard Army land vehicle or air platform. During Phase I, SARA applied a powerful combination of analytical, numerical, and experimental tools to simulate and/or measure the electromagnetic behavior of all the key components of our proposed approach. We performed in-depth assessments of gain, power-handling, steerability, bandwidth, polarization, and more. This work led to improvements in our initial parameter choices, resulting in higher gain, greater compactness, and greater efficiency. Our conclusion is clear: we can definitely meet the Army's requirements for a practical, deployable, compact, lightweight, rapidly-steerable, high-gain, L-band HPM antenna. In Phase II, SARA will construct two prototype antennas for experimental pattern characterizations and high-power tests, the latter to be performed with an ARL-supplied HPM source. The resulting data, in concert with more sophisticated numerical modeling and analyses, should drive additional improvements. The mechanical support structure and steering/folding mechanisms will be engineered with a strong emphasis on suitability to tactical field applications. Today's ground vehicles primarily utilize the NAVSTAR Global Positioning System (GPS) for positioning and navigation (POS/NAV) which produces moderately accurate results. High accuracy POS/NAV is achieved is achieved using integrated systems that are large, heavy, and prohibitively expensive for large-scale deployment. Modern battlefield scenarios would greatly benefit if all ground vehicles could determine their position with high accuracy. There is also a growing non-military demand for vehicle navigation systems that are highly accurate and can operate when GPS signals are obscured. A system comprised of a GPS receiver augmented with low-cost sensors that individually yield only moderately accurate data when integrated together produces a highly accurate result. In our Phase I effort we developed a system that uses inexpensive accelerometers, gyroscopes, magnetometers, and vehicle wheel sensors coupled with high fidelity models of the earth's gravity and magnetic fields. Using low-cost, high performance digital signal processors (DSPs), sophisticated mathematical filters can produce high fidelity position and heading information. T use of these passive sensors is key to providing POS/NAV solutions in cases where GPS signals are unavailable due to satellite signal availability problems, enemy jamming conditions, and obstacles such as buildings common in "urban canyon" environments. Flexible querying of geospatial databases, schema (dictionary) integration and automatic data translation are significant problems for the interoperation and integration of distributed geospatial systems. We seek an innovative solution to these problems through the development of a semantic mapping tool. This tool will build upon a base of codified semantic information, distributed over networks, by using advanced, Internet-enabled semantics modeling languages such as OML/CKML and RDF/Schema. Using the semantic mapping tool, database administrators will be able to map schema elements in source and target schemas to semantic information in this distributed knowledge base. This will then provide these schemas with the semantic information that is required to support automated or semi-automated derivation of schema maps, which in turn provide the basis for flexible queries, schema integration and automated data translation. The objectives of this Phase I project are to study Army/DOD requirements and the current state of semantic translation technology, and to design a semantic mapping tool that supports automated semantics-aided translation of geospatial data for Army/DOD, civilian and commercial applications. BENEFITS: Reduces data production and maintenance costs by improving data reusability. Improves information access, integration and sharing. A technology enabler for new value-added information products and services, due to reduced interoperability barriers. Commercial Applications: Information integration and sharing technology and services for information communities, clearinghouses, e-commerce and Web applications in government, private enterprises and the consumer market. Robust, portable and minimum power combustion devices are needed to reduce Army meal waste to a small ash residue. Current technologies either address large mass burn waste applications or small highly specialized, and costly, hazardous waste applications. Neither of these technologies will meet Army needs. Altex has identified a self-driven solid waste combustion system that has the potential to meet all of the Army requirements at low cost. The objective of the Phase I effort is to design a full-scale system, and then fabricate and test a proof-of-principle system that will demonstrate the concept's performance in the laboratory. Test results will define system safety, waste burn rate, flexibility, operability and emissions performance. Based on test results and an economic analysis of first and operating costs, the performance and economic benefits of the system will be defined and conclusions reached on the commercialization potential of the concept. BENEFITS: Deployment of the self-driven waste combustion concept will reduce the cost of Army meal waste disposal by 80%. Given the generation of 280,000 tons of total waste per year, deployment of the concept will save the Army $5.6 million/yr. Furthermore, the system could be deployed in foreign militaries and in civilian outdoor events, saving an additional $8.4 million/yr. Also, deploying the system will ease difficult negotiations, that occur when trying to dispose of substantial Army wastes in foreign countries. The Air Force needs the capability to land aircraft at any suitablelanding site worldwide, in any weather conditions, and on short notice. This requires the development of instrument approach procedures (IAPs)for areas where there is no current knowledge of obstruction locationsand heights, and where terrain data coverage may not be adequate. TheIAPs must comply with the terrain and obstacle clearance requirements ofthe FAA, ICAO, or other governing agency.The Phase I effort will be to design an automated, near real-time dataintegration system that interoperates with existing and future automatedapproach design programs, such as the USAF AFTERPS-R. The systemarchitecture will include four processes: (1) Given the currentcartographic data, determine and prioritize the data required for IAPdesign, (2) allocate available collection assets and design plans tocollect the data, (3) acquire, transform, and integrate the collecteddata with existing cartographic and remote sensing data, and (4)interface the integrated data in an automated instrument approach anddeparture procedure development workstation. The result will be atop-level architecture for an automated IAP data acquisition system. AFTERPS-R and other automated IAP design packages need accurate terrainand obstacle data to perform design for arbitrary worldwide locations. This effort will design a complementary data acquisition system that isautomated and operates in near real-time. The system will facilitatesafe and reliable access to remote landing areas, and will thereforegreatly enhance the utility of automated IAP design packages. It willallow for faster, cheaper, and more reliable IAP design and update. Systran Federal Corporation (SFC), proposes a Parallel Delta Sigma (PDS) Architecture for use in defense systems requiring a high speed/high resolution Analog-to-Digital conversion (ADC). As jamming-to-signal ratios increase, an alternative to the limitations of today's ADC architectures is required. Current requirements mandate ADC of reaching 100 MSPS, 16-bits of resolution, signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) of 90dB, and a low power draw of 100mW. The combination of parallelism and recent advances with PDS can provide the architecture to reach the desired specifications. In Phase I we will investigate PDS techniques to develop the optimal ADC configuration. Simulations of the selected configuration will be performed and it will be implemented in Phase II. Devices resulting from Phase III would find uses in the communications, data I/O, and military markets. Our envisioned PDS ADC would provide the capability of high resolution, high frequency, and high SNR in a small low powered package. Such a device would help to overcome the increased jamming-to-noise ratios in the military environment and would help provide faster, cheaper ADC solutions. The proliferation and effectiveness of Distributed Mission Training (DMT) systems is dependent upon the life cycle cost/benefit ratio of such training systems. Unfortunately, long-standing problems associated with wide field-of-view visual displays for ground-based simulator-training applications--to include poor resolution, poor intensity (i.e., luminosity), and high costs-have significantly affected the fielding of DMT training capabilities to date. Display resolution problems are being addressed through current Air Force efforts to develop color imaging systems with greater than 5120 x 4096, non-interlaced pixel resolutions at reasonable prices. The proposed Phase II AAcuity20/20-HD (Hyper-Drive) PC-IG Array efforts focus on developing the interface module for driving such displays. Phase II concentrates on interfacing high-resolution projectors that present out-the-window imagery in high-performance flight trainers for DMT and other display applications. The AAcuity20/20-HD design supports the Air Force's capitalization of the rapidly developing PC-based graphics market to provide imagery for these systems. These innovations, founded on PC-based technology, will be capable of presenting 5120 x 4096, 60 HZ, non-interlaced video providing a large, scalable virtual-screen Hyper-buffer that can be read and written to simultaneously by multiple parallel devices. Scalability and Upgradeability are built-in features of the modular distributed architecture design of the AAcuity20/20-HD (Hyper-Drive) PC-IG Array. The overall objective of this SBIR project is to develop technology and methods for using software execution trends and time correlated system data to provide advanced diagnostic and prognostic indications that can be integrated with current and future maintenance and sustainabilty programs in the DOD as well as commercial applications. The prognostic approach will consider the entire system when determining indications for maintenance actions. A "Systems Data List" for prognostics will be developed for the sample system. An "Instrumentation Approach" for acquiring the "System Data List" will be developed. An "Interface" to the maintenance and logistics elements will be defined. Finally, a "Communication Media" must be established for information transfer. There a potential applications for this prognostic approach in virtually every sector of the Embedded System market. Any application that has software intensive elements would benefit from the ability to predict impending problems with these difficult-to-maintain units. There appears to be a ready market for this technology. The task ahead is to develop a viable product that can be adapted to the myriad of potential applications.This prognostic capability will be useful in analyzing any system that has a repetitive behavior. These include:Aircraft (Commercial & Military)&#61623; Avionics&#61623; Engine&#61623; Electronic Warfare&#61623; Aircraft StructuresGround Vehicles&#61623; Automotive&#61623; Trucks&#61623; Off road Heavy Vehicles&#61623; Buses&#61623; TrainsSea Vehicles&#61623; Subs&#61623; Surface shipsProduction Machinery&#61623; Continuous Processes&#61623; Machine Tools&#61623; Factory Robots The US Army has developed computer models to predict and manage the physiological burden on soldiers in various situations, including combat. These models require environmental data on a micro scale from the area where operations are being conducted. ADA Technologies, Inc. has designed and fabricated a miniature Microenvironmental Sensor Package (MSP) to make local measurements of these necessary environmental parameters and send the data to a field portable, hand-held data collection/processing station for use in the computer models. Each MSP is self-contained with no moving parts, and is designed to collect data for up to 72 hours including temperatures, wind conditions, humidity, and precipitation. A GPS unit provides data on each MSP location, and a radio modem transmits data to the central collection point. Fully automated, the MSP needs no maintenance once deployed. In Phase II, ADA will reduce the weight of the MSP to under 12 ounces, and will finalize a rugged package design. The hand-held data collection station will be programmed to automatically network the MSPs and process the transmitted data, and field trials of the system will be conducted. Twenty MSPs and four hand-held data collection stations will be delivered to the Army for extensive evaluation. Blood lactate concentration is a sensitive measure of anaerobic metabolism and hence of tissue oxygen deprivation, and is a reliable indicator for assessing trauma, blood loss, and shock in wounded personnel. Development of a rugged, unobtrusive device for continuous monitoring of tissue blood lactate in the field is proposed. Its key component is a silicon microprobe, comparable in cross-section to a human hair, protruding subcutaneously from a small button-like device firmly affixed to the skin with adhesive. An electrochemical lactate sensor integrated into the microprobe continuously measures lactate concentration, and the data are transmitted via a low power telemetry chip to a suitable receiver. This device combines two successful technologies: electrochemical biosensors and silicon microprobes. Biosensors have attained a high level of performance based on more than thirty years of development in many laboratories. Silicon microprobes which possess high strength, flexibility, and fracture toughness are an advanced development from extensive MEMS (microelectromechanical systems) R&D in the proposer's laboratory. Impressive biosensor R&D progress has not yet resulted in commercial devices for in vivo applications because other workers in needle biosensors have used conventional configurations and fabrication methods. The strength of this new approach lies in the combination of biosensors and our unique silicon microprobes. By rendering their use easy and painless and sharply reducing the cost, disposable continuous lactate sensors become practical. A design for such devices with a useful operating lifetime of one day, and experimental tasks for their development, are presented. The Phase I Basic Program will demonstrate feasibility by integrating lactate biosensors into silicon, fabricating lactate biosensor microprobes, and performing in vitro testing. The Option will fabricate sensor probes suitable for in vivo testing, and initiate animal tests. BENEFITS: Small, rugged, unobtrusive sensors applied to the skin, and capable of continuously monitoring tissue blood lactate and transmitting this data to a medic or other location, will be widely used in military battlefield casualty care and civilian emergency response care. Similar sensors for other analytes will be applicable to precise control of diabetes, control of blood levels of therapeutic drugs, and continuous physiological monitoring for self-care, clinical, and research purposes. 0 Nanocomposites consisting of nanotubes in a polymer matrix have the potential to Reflective optics for short-wavelength applications are required having ultrasmooth finishes, with rms roughness in the range below 10 angstroms. Typically this is achieved by extensive figuring and superpolishing of bulk samples or deposited thin films, an expensive and time-consuming process. SKION proposes to employ its unique negative metal ion beam deposition (NMIBD) technique to fabricate high quality reflective optics with a super smooth finish without the need for a final polishing step. The need for polishing is eliminated because NMIBD films actually become smoother during deposition, unlike conventional film deposition processes. This innovation will make possible the fabrication of mirrors which not only avoid the above-mentioned problems, but which also can be deposited at lower temperatures than many techniques such as CVD, thus reducing cracking and distortion, and enabling deposition on less expensive low temperature substrates. SKION's unique ion beam deposition process can achieve a breakthrough in the fabrication of high-energy short wavelength reflective optics with better performance at lowered cost. SKION has recently developed the only commercially available large area ion beam source, which will be adapted and utilized for this program. BENEFITS: Successful completion of this program will provide new technology applicable to many military and commercial optical needs for space-based and synchrotron radiation optics as well as optical components for laser welding, drilling, and other high-power uses. This proposal addresses the need to develop improved laser beam quality and efficiency for high powered lasers such as the 12 - 14 kW HF/DF chemical and other related high powered lasers. This objective is achieved by using inproved resonator design solutions based on proprietary algorithms and computational software. The analytical approach breaks through current design limitations by establishing super quasi-resonant modes obtained from the expansion of bi-orthogonal wave functions matched to each of the primary laser resonator optics. Our analytically sophisticated design solutions can be applied to both perturbed and aberrated local oscillators and power amplifiers. Benefits of this design approach include increased power intensity on target and the capability of designing more compact, efficient, reliable and portable lasers. BENEFITS: Improved high powered laser design, diagnostics, and reliability In the proposed research, the angular velocity response of the crankshaft will be measured using non-contacting magnetic pickup sensors at the front and rear of the crankshaft. This measured angular response will then be deconvolved through a mathematical model of the system to estimate the torque applied by each individual cylinder in the engine. The current state of the art in similar methods is limited to engines operating under conditions where crankshaft torsional deflection is not pronounced. Dynasim Research Ltd. has demonstrated success with a new diagnostic method that places no restriction on the amount of crankshaft torsional deflection. The method has been experimentally validated using measured data taken on a Cummins 19 liter heavy duty diesel engine. The method is suitable for retrofit on existing mechanical engines, as well as on new electronic engines. Successful implementation will allow the identification of cylinder combustion and compression faults before other symptoms occur. BENEFITS: On-board implementation could be used for near real-time cylinder health assessment, and for cylinder fueling control schemes. Off line implementation over a broad population of engines can be used reduce engine downtime, improve engine efficiency, reduce maintenance costs, improve fuel economy, and reduce emissions. Commercial applications include an engine build quality check, a dealership diagnostic tool, and on-board misfire detection. CFDRC's Phase I effort laid the foundation to successfully build and test an automatically-controlled prototype gel mixing system. The addition of a load cell and linear potentiometer to the AMCOM mixing rig enabled the integration of CFDRC's control systems technology to the mixing process. Development of advanced CFD analysis in Phase I provided the unique capability to simulate the non-Newtonian fluid flow aspects of the gel mixing process. CFD simulations in Phase II will be critical to analyzing and optimizing the mixing process or exploring new mixing configurations. A very effective pulse charge algorithm that reduces battery gassing, a battery In general, hyperspectral sensor hardware is ahead of development of algorithms and software required for real-time and near real-time analysis of the data. Consequently, SGR has developed the software framework for processing hyperspectral data. This framework is comprised of C++ classes for input of data, calibration, conversion to a protected internal data format, area of interest (AOI) analysis, data visualization and data output. Currently, the capability is limited to colorimetry, but this platform provides an ideal opportunity to extend the analysis capability with pattern matching tools based on spectral, spatial, and combined spectral/spatial analysis techniques. Under this Phase I program we propose to develop and implement a set of algorithms within the existing software framework which analyze the detectability and conspicuity of target-bearing regions relative to adjacent pixels and the extended background. We will provide this capability in a PC-based software system operated using a menu-driven graphical user interface. BENEFITS: The proliferation of multi- and hyperspectral sensors provides extensive commercialization opportunities exist for the software package which will be developed under this program. As part of our commercialization strategy we will market the software to the Army, other DoD components, and comsumers of multi- and hyperspectral imagers. Potential markets include Earth resources monitoring, and low observables technology development and testing organizations. This Army Phase I SBIR addresses the feasibility of using a portable dual Raman/Absorbance spectrometer operating in the 1100-1600 nm range for real-time fuel quality analysis. In the analysis of fuels, both Raman and absorbance spectral data are needed to accurately classify and quantify fuels. This method will provide a high degree of certainty where single spectroscopic methods fail. BENEFITS: The current market is dominated by scanning dispersive and interferometer based instruments. Our preliminary market research indicates that there is a large demand for low-cost, no moving parts dispersive instruments using diode array detection and fiber optic sampling. In order to expand the utility of unmanned ground vehicles in today's military, a number of practical hurdles must be overcome. Better navigation aids must be provided, and in a way that fits into the current communications infrastructure. The current DoD Standard Teleoperation Kit (STK), which allows any vehicle to be controlled remotely, employs a standard broadband video link for communication between the operator and vehicle. This link is limited to line-of-sight applications over a relatively short range. In addition, it has been observed that the monocular video provided for vehicle navigation can be inadequate for recognition and avoidance of obstacles in the vehicle's path-ditches, fallen trees, etc. Leveraging its extensive background in video compression and transmission, Trident proposes to develop a video compression module for attachment to the STK that provides high-quality stereo video imagery over a single SINCGARS radio link, and allow the operator to view the imagery in stereo. BENEFITS: Successful completion of this project will significantly improve the navigation ability in remotely operating unmanned ground vehicles, and in providing high-quality stereo imagery over narrowband communication links. In addition, this technology can be successfully transitioned to commercial applications in both remote vehicle operation and imagery transmission in general. Detection and clearance of unexploded ordnance (UXO), especially landmines, is a global challenge. Estimated 500 people per week are killed or injured from ~100 million landmines. Additionally test ranges used by military become contaminated with UXO over time. Advanced technologies are needed for remote UXO detection and mapping over large areas. Infrared polarimetry, capable in discriminating thermal signature of man-made objects in complex environment, is one of the promising approaches to used in fusion with other remote detection techniques. Implementation of this method requires advanced detectors equipped with expensive polarization filters. The proposed effort seeks to develop a novel polarization sensitive IR radiation detectors. The approach is based on synthesis and integration of aligned arrays of high aspect ratio semiconductor nanowires, which selectively absorb radiation with electric field vector aligned along the wires, therefore enabling polarization sensitivity. Moreover, nanoscale confinement provides additional opportunities for tuning of optical and transport properties, which may help to overcome limitations of conventional detectors, such as limited frequency range. The Phase I will demonstrate the proof-of-concept by evaluating polarization sensitivity of proposed material. Phase II will optimize and scale-up the technology, provide working prototypes to the Army for evaluation, and initiate commercialization effort. BENEFITS: Polarization sensitive IR detectors, if realized, can potentially enable new levels of performance and functionality, as well as significant cost-saving in comparison with the state-of-the-art. Potential applications include remote detectors for unexploded UXO, advanced night vision and targeting systems, sub-surface imaging, satellite mapping for weather forecast, IR astronomy, etc. The effort will also provide a foundation for a new generation of polarization-sensitive radiation detectors in other then IR spectral ranges. This proposal describes a 3-D bistatic radar imaging system to visualize the interior of man-made structures for non-destructive evaluation (NDE) and for detection of camouflaged targets. By use of a microwave sensor, penetration through obscuring media is feasible and therefore images of objects that are obscured by materials of various dielectric constants are reconstructed. The backscatter received from obscured, scaled-down versions of targets are collected in a test facility and first processed to ensure good image quality by reducing sidelobe levels, compensating for motion errors, and improving target-to-clutter ratio using unique signal processing techniques. The 3-D image is formed using a modified backprojection algorithm in a Quad-tree configuration for fast processing. The proposed system is a significant improvement over traditional 2-D monostatic radar imaging systems and has applications to both civilian and military systems (3-D images of a simulated landmine buried 6 deep are presented). In Phase I of this work, we develop the 3-D imaging algorithm, conduct simulations using Method of Moments (MoM) modeling software, and collect initial limited angle data of scaled obscured targets. Phase II will concentrate on performing benchmarking experiments and developing software for complete automation of data acquisition and image display. BENEFITS: The proposed 3-D imaging system can be configured to mount on a military vehicle for development of a forward looking mine detection system for the U.S. Army. This would allow for detection of buried mines and buried unexploded ordnances (UXO). Commercial applications include the Non-destructive evaluation of roads and bridges as well as detection of buried wires, pipes, and other structures. This evaluation and detection could be achieved by simply driving over areas of interest with a vehicle equipped with the proposed system. Shape Memory Alloys (SMA's) have frequently been used as high force/high stroke actuators. They show huge potential as a smart material alternative to hydraulic actuators. Unfortunately these materials show very limited speed of operation because of heat transfer issues. The material has to be heated to get useful work and then cooled before it can be restrained. To date practical devices have only been able to work at 1 Hz. Some studies have shown that very thin wires can be made to operate at 100 -150 Hz, but these have very little practical applications. The device proposed here will actively cool a shape memory alloy with little added power. This will be done by integrating micro cooling channels in the alloy. The cooling of the alloy will allow an actuator to operate at 50 Hz with forces up to 4 kN. The method is simple, reliable and cost effective. The overhead needed is negligible when compared to hydraulic actuators. This allows for a very attractive high force, high strain high-speed alternative actuator that can be implemented in a wide variety of devices. BENEFITS: Practical smart material actuation devices have a high demand in both military and comercial applications. Lower power, lower cost and "cleaner" technologies will easily find their way into the market. We propose to design and prototype a Multi-agent Architecture for Robust Adaptive Decision-aiding (MARAD), specifically designed for incorporating into advanced fire support elements (FSEs). MARAD agents will communicate and cooperate with other agents in the distributed battlefield environment, implementing multi-agent decision-aiding strategies for coordinated weapon engagement. The proposed architecture will support decision-aiding at multiple-layers of abstraction and complexity, ranging from simple data fusion to support key battlefield event detection, through situation assessment to support enhanced situation awareness, to response recommendation to support more complex decision-making. Adaptive assistance is assured by learning of patterns in sensor data which predict significant events, and also by learning preferred user task and display profiles. Robust performance is assured through the use of complementary AI techniques including fuzzy logic, probabilistic belief nets, and rule-based argumentation. The architecture exhibits reactive behavior by responding to current events automatically, generating appropriate alarms and decision recommendations. We propose to implement MARAD using COTS software, demonstrate its use in advanced FSEs such as Crusader and Paladin, and interface to other C4I systems such as the Advanced Field Artillery Tactical Data System (AFATDS). We also propose to investigate compliance with the Joint Technical Architecture (JTA) standards to ensure interoperability across DoD. BENEFITS: Commercial applications of the generic MARAD architecture and methodology exist for a wide variety of contexts characterized by high-information flow rates, decision-making under uncertainty, and distributed `players.' Such application areas include operation centers for complex process control (e.g., nuclear power plants), financial services, and rail and air traffic management centers. Vertical applications for these markets would significantly enhance decision-aiding and improve effectiveness and safety in a number of life-critical applications. A proficient gun barrel technology is proposed, in which a fiber optic sensor system is integrated with the gun barrel. The system is capable of monitoring round exiting velocity, barrel temperature, barrel bending and other important parameters indicating the functional performance and structure health of the gun barrel in real time. Such a system will be very valuable in improving the performance, enhancing safety and reduction of operational cost. In Phase I, a functional prototype system will be developed to demonstrate the feasibility of the concept. BENEFITS: The immediate market for this technology is medium and large caliber guns, where the monitoring of exiting round speed and barrel bending can directly improve the accuracy and operational efficiency of the weapon system. The proposed fiber optic sensor system also has a broad application in monitoring the health of a wide range of structures including aircraft, spacecraft, bridges, and dams. The concept of Network-Centric Warfare is rapidly becoming reality for today's military. In practically every operational context the tools used by the modern digital warrior are networked and software based. In such digital environments, the successful warfighters are those who possess a solid foundation of adaptive digital-literacy that goes beyond abilities to utilize specific tools and applications, and includes deep knowledge of digital concepts that are relevant in every context of use. For our Phase I effort, we propose to develop a digital-skills training package that is based on contemporary cognitive theory and training practice, provides today's warfighter with a deep foundation of digital skills and knowledge, provides opportunities for practice in multiple contexts, teaches focused learning strategies to maximize the transfer of prior knowledge, and delivers training content directly to operational settings using modern distance-learning methods. Our experience and expertise in observing and measuring performance using digital tools in military environments, applying knowledge elicitation techniques (e.g., cognitive task analysis) to capture and structure expert skills and knowledge across many different domains, developing innovative training packages, and evaluating training effectiveness makes the Aptima/Executive Consulting Group (ECG) team exceptionally well qualified to address the difficult problem of training transferable digital skills. BENEFITS: A flexible training program that allows a user to train general principles of specific skills, instead of just training specific behaviors, will be valuable to both government and industry in this quickly changing, complex, fast-paced, technology-intensive environment. This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project, "Spin Dependent Tunneling Sensors With Improved Stability and Low Hysteresis," is designed to demonstrate the feasibility of building spin-dependent tunneling (SDT) based sensors for ultra-low magnetic field applications such as vehicle and armed troop detection. Current SDT approaches have been plagued by hysteresis, noise, and a need for improved sensitivity. The approach proposed in this program is to address these issues by stabilizing edge magnetizations in SDT sensor elements. Sensitivity is expected to surpass five percent per oersted with a noise floor of better than forty picotesla per root hertz at higher frequencies. Improvement in hysteresis for edge stabilized devices is expected to be over tenfold. Technical objectives required to develop the proposed technology are: A) design a process protocol that merges hard edge treatment with SDT technology; B) design and layout the physical SDT sensor; C) process SDT sensors with stabilized edges; D) characterize SDT sensors; and as a program option objective E) revise hard edge SDT processing and device design to drive the full development of stabilized SDT sensors in Phase II. BENEFITS: The technology developed has commercial application in vehicle detection, geomagnetics, and more general markets such as digital switch devices, currency detection sensors, two and three-axis compasses, rotary encoders, automotive-specific markets, and current sensors. The ability to rapidly adapt mission plans is key to operational success on the modern battlefield. Although particularly true for front-line forces, long-term success also requires capable and aware force sustainment. Therefore, this abilityis equally critical for Combat Service Support (CSS). On the digital battlefield, the technologies necessary to allow rapid planning and adaptation include: 1) data fusion, 2) analysis automation, 3) battlefield visualization, and 4) collaborative planning. A prototype Logistics Site Planning and Operation Tool (LOGSPOT) that planners can use to optimize logistics site layouts and plan daily operations will be designed. This tool will be fully digital: capable of integrating information from intelligence reports, radio frequency (RF) supply tags, Digital Topographic (DTOP) and Vector Map (VMAP) terrain data, as well as tabular data from legacy systems such as the Standard Army Management Information System (STAMIS). The requirement for LOGSPOT to co-register geographic data and provide high-quality map products implies the need for embedded Geographic Information System (GIS) functionality. However, additional requirements for efficiency and minimal training imply a customized, easy to use tool. TSC proposes to marry the extensive functionality of ESRI's commercial ArcView GIS with the customized algorithms and interface required for intuitive logistics planning. BENEFITS: An inexpensive, prototype PC-based tool that logistics planners can use to perform routine operations and share information in a timely fashion will be designed. The tool will be flexible enough to be useful for either military or commercial logistics applications by varying the rule sets, symbology and terminology employed. The ability to rapidly adapt mission plans is key to operational success on the modern battlefield. Although particularly true for front-line forces, long-term success also requires capable and aware force sustainment. Therefore, this ability is equally critical for Combat Service Support (CSS). On the digital battlefield, the technologies necessary to allow rapid planning and adaptation include: 1) data fusion, 2) analysis automation, 3) battlefield visualization, and 4) collaborative planning. A prototype Logistics Site Planning And Operation Tool (LOGSPOT) that planners can use to optimize site layouts and plan daily operations will be developed. This tool, based on the concept development version developed during Phase 1, will be fully digital: capable of integrating information from electronic intelligence reports, radio frequency (RF) supply tags, digital terrain databases (vector, raster and imagery), and tabular logistic knowledge and rules. The requirement for LOGSPOT to co-register geographic data and provide high-quality map products implies the need for embedded Geographic Information System (GIS) functionality. However, additional requirements for efficiency and minimal training imply a customized, easy to use tool. TSC proposes to combine the extensive functionality of ESRI's commercial ArcView GIS with the customized algorithms and interface required for intuitive logistics planning. Yardney Technical Products proposes to develop a novel type of dual-use Li-ion cell optimized for future Army applications. In addition to offering specific energy, energy density and low temperature performance beyond that possible with current Li-ion technology, the program will focus on the development of a technology that offers high temperature performance, pulse power capability and cost consistent with the Army's anticipated battery needs. The batteries will achieve these performance goals through development and incorporation of improved cathode, anode, electrolyte and ancillary materials that address materials limited criteria, including high temperature stability and pulse power capability. The metallic anode material to be developed and optimized in this program will be based on a material that offers unparalleled capacity density, 3.8 times that of carbon. This program will address the material's optimization for high power application and use in extreme temperature environments. The proposed mixed metal oxide cathode material offers high capacity, long cycle life, and low cost. The proposed electrolyte system permits extended life, high pulse power, and improved low temperature capability. These innovations will yield a new generation of Li-ion cells that offer improved energy density, electrical performance, and meet projected Army rechargeable battery performance criteria. BENEFITS: The proposed program will develop a new type of Li-ion battery that offers performance beyond that possible with current technology. This power source will permit the development of new apparatus currently not possible due to the lack of a viable power source. Commercial applications of the proposed technology include commercial aircraft batteries, radios, power tools and cameras. The Army has implemented multiple programs to develop and field rechargeable alternatives to currently used primary batteries. These programs are motivated by the need to reduce peacetime (MOOTW, military operations other than war) battery costs. While the performance characteristics of Army rechargeable batteries approaches the state-of-the-art relative to available battery technologies, battery capacity, shelf life and high temperature stability are significantly less than primary battery alternatives. To improve rechargeable cell chemistry to more closely meet the Army's needs, Yardney Technical Products, Inc. proposes a Phase II SBIR program to develop and demonstrate novel negative electrode materials for Li-ion batteries. In particular, the program will build upon past success with tin based anode materials and focus on materials that have the potential to enable the development of rechargeable batteries with significantly improved energy density, shelf life and high temperature stability. Anticipated benefits to the Government include longer life rechargeable batteries, facilitating reduction in Army battery costs. Further, a unique rechargeable cell chemistry that offers performance superior to currently available technologies will reduce production costs and enable the establishment of new business opportunities for battery manufacturers. A broad variety of military environments subject soldiers to severe shocks, vibrations, and rapid sharp motions on a regular basis that can contribute strongly to musculoskeletal disorders (MSDs) and other repetitive stress injuries (RSIs). In order to understand the causes of MSDs, particularly to the head and neck, it is necessary to determine the forces and stresses imposed upon the head and neck and correlate the results with the response of the major muscle groups as measured by electromyographic (EMG) activity. Physical Optics Corporation proposes to develop a Compact Upper Extremity Tracking and EMG Recorder (CUE-TER) system, with wired and wireless capability, in which microelectromechanical system (MEMS) sensors measure the accelerations and rotations of the head and torso while simultaneously sensing the EMG activity of the major muscle groups of the neck and upper back. The resulting data is relayed from these sensors to a solid state recorder, which compresses and stores the results in non-volatile flash memory. From the recorded data, military personnel can extract the forces, torques, and stresses on the head and neck, and the associated muscle activity. This information can then be used to identify and ameliorate the causes of MSDs, and to design laboratory simulations. The objective of this phase I and eventual phase II effort is to deliver a prototype fiber-optic delay line capable of delaying an instantaneous bandwidth from 4 to 12 GHz from 0 to 30 msecs, programmable in 10 nsec steps. The Phase I effort will focus on completion of a detail simulation of the proposed delay line configuration to project system performance and determine potential problem areas before the system construction begins with phase II. A recent study involving an experimental recirculating fiber-optic delay line to 25 msecs has shown that the proposed WDM fiber-optic delay line will be completed with low risk. A problem experienced with previous very long fiber-optic delay lines has been the unacceptable side mode activity of single frequency source lasers. An additional important goal of the phase I effort is to design a high performance DFB laser bias circuit which will result in maximum side mode suppression. The delay line resulting from this effort will provide exceptionally long delays of very wide bandwidth microwave signals not previously available, which will result in substantial cost savings in applications where the delay line is used for target simulation and telemetry systems testing. BENEFITS: This research will result in a delivered prototype fiber-optic microwave delay line capable of delaying microwave signals from 0 to 30 msecs, programmable in 10 nsec steps. A substantial cost savings will result by using the delay line as a radar target simulator instead of real targets. This project proposes the development of a robust, low cost, high density, hybrid power system. The most important features of the proposed approach are: 1) The implementation of the best commercially available power production components with emphasis on simplicity, robustness, and low cost. The baseload and intermediate power (15 W to 50 W) will be provided by a proton exchange membrane fuel cell (PEMFC) commercially available from H-power and the peak power will be provided by a proven, high performance Nickel-Metal-Hydride battery available from Energizer. In phase I bottled hydrogen will be used to fuel a brass board demonstrator and in phase II one of two candidate hydrogen storage technologies will be integrated. 2) A robust and simple overall configuration which places the fuel cell and battery directly in parallel. Careful selection of cell counts in both the fuel cell and battery will lead to a system that does not draw from the battery until the power level reaches ~ 50 W but still provides enough overvoltage at baseload power (15 W) to trickle charge the battery. This simple approach is made practical by the implementation of a battery management strategy based on slight variations in fuel cell air stoichiometry (