TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Sensors, Human Systems

ACQUISITION PROGRAM: PMS NSW Naval Special Warfare Visual Augmentation Systems (VAS) Program

The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulation (ITAR), which controls the export and import of defense-related material and services. Offerors must disclose any proposed use of foreign nationals, their country of origin, and what tasks each would accomplish in the statement of work in accordance with section 3.5.b.(7) of the solicitation.

OBJECTIVE: The objective of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) topic is to investigate Micro-Lens Array (MLA) based optical components for Night Vision applications.

DESCRIPTION: Specifically, the goal is to develop and prototype MLA optical components such as Night Vision Goggle (NVG) eyepiece lenses and other optical components with the end goal of transitioning successful components to 40 degree Field of View (FOV) NVG and Wide FOV (WFOV) NVGs with approximately twice the horizontal FOV size. The benefits of this research are improved NVG performance, size, weight, and affordability. One of the key objectives is aimed at solving technical problems associated with WFOV NVG system designs. MLA technology may enable NVG eye box expansion without significantly increasing size and weight as with conventional optics. As an alternative for other conventional lenses, smaller size and lighter weight optical designs will reduce neck load on the NVG operator and associated neck injuries. Successful application of MLA based optical components will benefit Naval Special Warfare operators, Naval Aviators, Naval Surface Warfare personnel, and a wide-range of military personnel from all of the military services. For Naval and Marine Corps Aviators, benefits also include decreased risk of aircraft ejection injuries. MLA based components may also reduce the number of optical elements in some systems, which in turn could result in more affordable products.

The project requires MLA prototype components to be developed in phases with progressively more challenging requirements. The first phase includes proof of concept evaluation of off-the-shelf components and development of a concept for the first MLA prototype component for a night vision system. The second phase includes development and evaluation of prototypes for a traditional NVG device followed by development and evaluation of an MLA eyepiece component for a WFOV NVG. The third phase evaluates MLA components for production readiness in the U.S. Navy Transition Program(s). A wide range of additional transition programs are explored.

PHASE I: An optical component utilizing off-the-shelf MLA technology shall be prototyped and evaluated to proof the concept with success criteria based on the performance matching conventional optics while not distorting or creating image anomalies. Additionally, concept models shall be developed for an MLA-based Aviator Night Vision Imaging System (ANVIS) style eyepiece lens and 40 mm eye box (versus the current 25mm eye box). The goal for the concepts as compared to conventional NVG optics are to achieve equivalent or better performance, equivalent or smaller size, equivalent or lighter weight, while not distorting or creating image anomalies in the system.

PHASE II: MLA-based ANVIS style eyepiece lens and 40 mm eye box concept models shall be developed and evaluated to ensure equivalent performance with conventional optics. The goal for the MLA optical components as compared to conventional NVG optics are to achieve equivalent or better performance, equivalent or smaller size, equivalent or lighter weight, while not distorting or creating image anomalies in the system. Given successful demonstration and incorporation of lessons learned, a prototype eyepiece for a U.S. Navy WFOV NVG system shall be developed that doubles (threshold), quadruples (objective), or increases eye box size beyond a factor of four (as a stretch goal) relative to existing WFOV NVG eye box size. The goal is to significantly expand the exit pupil in an eyepiece lens without significantly increasing size or weight over conventional 25mm eye boxes. The goal for the final optical components as compared to using conventional optics are to achieve equivalent or better performance, smaller size, lighter weight, while not distorting or creating image anomalies in the system. Unclassified GFI will be provided to include U.S. Navy NVG technical data.

PHASE III: In Phase III, an MLA eyepiece demonstration model will be evaluated for production readiness into the transition program(s). The MLA based components shall meet the Transition Program expansion requirements of the exit pupil in the eyepiece lens without significantly increasing size or weight nor distorting or creating image anomalies in the system. Unclassified GFI will be provided to include U.S. Navy NVG technical data. The anticipated transition of the technology is to make innovative MLA based optical components commercially available to WFOV NVG manufacturers enabling partnerships to successfully integrate MLA based components into the U.S. Navy Transition Program(s). Additional applications of the MLA technology will be evaluated including optical components for other Naval Special Warfare NVGs and WFOV systems, Naval Aviator Night Vision Imaging Systems, Joint programs, Naval Surface Warfare applications, and a wide-range of applications in the U.S. Marine Corps, U.S. Army, U.S. Air Force, and U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: Private Industry uses MLA technology for commercial products and can benefit from this research in applying resulting concepts to develop less expensive, smaller, and lighter optical components for commercial products. Night Vision devices and other electro-optical and infrared systems are used extensively in the commercial sector to include law enforcement, security, etc. This topic has a wide range of commercial applications.

REFERENCES:
1. Duparre, J. et.al. "Artificial apposition compound eye fabricated by micro-optics technology." Applied Optics, Vol. 43, No. 22, August 2004, pages 4303-4310.

2. Tanida, J. et. al. "Thin observation module by bound optics (TOMBO): concept and experimental verification." Applied Optics, Vol. 40, No. 11, April 2001, pages 1806-1813.

3. Andersen, R.H. "Close-up imaging of documents and displays with lens arrays." Applied Optics, Vol. 18, No. 4, Febuary 1979, pages 477-484.

4. Gregory R. Brady, "Design and fabrication of refractive microlenses," Thesis submitted to Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering at McGill University, Montreal, Canada, July, 2000.

KEYWORDS: Micro-Lens Array (MLA); Optics; Wide Field of View (WFOV), Night Vision Goggle (NVG), Electro-Optic (EO); Image Intensification.

** TOPIC AUTHOR (TPOC) **

DoD Notice:   Between April 21 and May 18, 2008, you may talk directly with the Topic Author(s) to ask technical questions about the topics. Their contact information is listed above. For reasons of competitive fairness, direct communication between proposers and topic authors is not allowed starting May 19, 2008, when DoD begins accepting proposals for this solicitation.

However, proposers may still submit written questions about solicitation topics through the DoD's SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System (SITIS), in which the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing until the solicitation closes. All proposers are advised to monitor SITIS (08.2 Q&A) during the solicitation period for questions and answers, and other significant information, relevant to the SBIR 08.1 topic under which they are proposing.

If you have general questions about DoD SBIR program, please contact the DoD SBIR Help Desk at (866) 724-7457 or email weblink.