Adaptive Disturbance Mitigation System Navy SBIR FY2013.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2013.2 Topic No.: N132-117 Topic Title: Adaptive Disturbance Mitigation System Proposal No.: N132-117-0307 Firm: Physical Optics Corporation Applied Technologies Division 1845 West 205th Street Torrance, California 90501 Contact: Kang-Bin Chua Phone: (310) 320-3088 Web Site: www.poc.com Abstract: To address the Navy's need to mitigate tow point surge of an unmanned surface vehicle (USV) from +/-2 knots to +/-0.5 knots in sea states <=3 at towed speeds up to 20 knots, providing a more stable tow for a sonar towed body, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Adaptive Disturbance Mitigation System (ADiMiS) based on mature proven dynamic control methodology and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS) components. The entire ADiMiS size, <=150 in.^3 and weighing <=50 lb, is easily installed on the aft area of the USV without USV modification. ADiMiS measures the real-time dynamic variables of tow systems, providing control actions for current and near-future time steps to mitigate tow point disturbance and effectively stabilize towed body motions. In Phase I, POC will develop a reduced functional prototype for analysis, modeling, and simulation to demonstrate its capability. We will use these results to develop the Phase II development plan with performance goals and key technical milestones that address surge reduction performance, space, and weight, and reduce technical risk. In Phase II, we will develop a fully functional prototype to determine its capability to meet the performance goals and Navy requirements for the tow point surge reduction system. Benefits: The use of towed sonar and other types of towed sensors, such as magnetic sensors and imaging sensors, has been increasing in marine and oceanic research. These sensors are deployed in either tow or stand-alone configuration. Examples of this application are the fish-finding sonar towed by commercial fishing boats and the ocean floor imaging sonar towed by research vessels. Regardless of the method of deployment, they all require motion stability in order to achieve optimal performance. The ADiMiS approach can be easily modified and adapted to these systems, even the standalone systems. For example, many commercial fishing vessels use sonar and sounders to detect fish and use active sonar and echo sounder technology to determine water depth, bottom contour, and bottom composition. These sensors are mounted on the bottom of the ship, making them susceptible to sea-state disturbances. However, they can be stabilized by using a gyro gimbal controlled by model prediction control (MPC). Other uses of ADiMiS include maritime security and oceanic studies. For example, with the proliferation of deployed sea mines around the globe, the demand is continually growing for the technological capability to stabilize minehunting sonars on various types of platforms. Additionally, the growing use of novel technologies to generate electrical energy from waves and the increasing development of infrastructure in the open sea will all lead to an increased need for underwater surveillance, which ultimately will benefit from technology that can mitigate unwanted motion disturbances. Return