A low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle with towed miniature atomic magnetometer array Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2012.1 Topic No.: N121-006 Topic Title: A low-cost unmanned aerial vehicle with towed miniature atomic magnetometer array Proposal No.: N121-006-0914 Firm: Twinleaf 848 Alexander Road Princeton, New Jersey 08540 Contact: Thomas Kornack Phone: (609) 759-0859 Web Site: www.twinleaf.com Abstract: We propose a research and development program spanning Phase I and Phase II with three main elements: 1. Development of a towed & onboard miniature atomic magnetometer array for platform noise avoidance and compensation. 2. Development of magnetometer array signal processing algorithms that compensate for platform magnetic noise and heading errors. 3. Development of a complete tube-launched prototype UAV system design optimized for MAD with both low magnetic noise components and a sensor array for noise compensation. The technology developed in these tasks may be widely applied to alternative UAV platforms. In developing a complete system with a focus on low overall system cost, this team would be in a position to fill a significant need for military, government and commercial customers. Benefits: Magnetic field survey is a large and important market that remains dominated by labor intensive survey techniques. Aerial magnetic survey is presently accomplished by large manned airplane and helicopter platforms that do not generally achieve low altitude flight, where the magnetic signals are strongest. The analysis and noise suppression techniques are also performed entirely offline after data collection is complete. Twinleaf and Latitude can offer a complete magnetic survey package for these users that makes their work significantly easier and more effective through faster survey times, higher quality data due to the fast survey and the noise processing techniques, and the ability to redirect the flight in response to to high quality magnetic mapping data obtained in the field in real time. We plan to market this solution to all present users of magnetic field survey instruments. Geologists working on resource location would be able to execute effective magnetic surveys over a large area at a modest cost. Because the results are returned with heading error and noise suppressed in real time, the operator can command the system to continue, refine or move to a new location at any time in response to incoming data. The markets that presently make extensive use of magnetic survey include oil and gas exploration, unexploded ordnance detection, geology, volcanology, and archeology. Return