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High Accuracy Navigation Systems for Low Power UUVs
Navy SBIR 2011.1 - Topic N111-064 ONR - Mrs. Tracy Frost - [email protected] Opens: December 13, 2010 - Closes: January 12, 2011 N111-064 TITLE: High Accuracy Navigation Systems for Low Power UUVs TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Ground/Sea Vehicles, Sensors ACQUISITION PROGRAM: Unmanned Cooperative Cureing and Intervention FNC RESTRICTION ON PERFORMANCE BY FOREIGN CITIZENS (i.e., those holding non-U.S. Passports): This topic is "ITAR Restricted." The information and materials provided pursuant to or resulting from this topic are restricted under the International Traffic in Arms Regulations (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120 - 130, which control the export of defense-related material and services, including the export of sensitive technical data. Foreign Citizens may perform work under an award resulting from this topic only if they hold the "Permanent Resident Card", or are designated as "Protected Individuals" as defined by 8 U.S.C. 1324b(a)(3). If a proposal for this topic contains participation by a foreign citizen who is not in one of the above two categories, the proposal will be rejected. OBJECTIVE: Develop new technologies or manufacturing techniques to reduce the size, power, and cost of high accuracy underwater navigation system used in large unmanned vehicles, remotely operated vehicles, and submarines to enable low power UUVs and gliders to navigate in the complex littoral environment. DESCRIPTION: Low power UUVs and gliders are becoming a workhorse platform for sensors in both the military and research community. The Navy is procuring over 150 undersea gliders for battlespace awareness with the worlds research community using a equivalent number of undersea gliders for oceanographic research. In addition, the Navy operates over 50 man portable and light weight UUVs for mine reconnaissance and bottom mapping missions for over the past five years. Due to the size of the man portable, light weight, and undersea glider UUVs, they do not have the space, power, or can afford the expense of today's state of that art undersea navigation systems. However, they could benefit greatly from the navigation accuracy offered by these system which greatly surpasses a compass heading to extend their capability to navigate in the littorals. This topic is looking for either new manufacturing techniques to reduce the size, weight, and cost of current navigation systems or new technologies that can provide equivalent navigation performance as current systems. Navigation parameters of the current system: Navigation objectives of the proposed protoype: This topic will consider approaches for the entire system or components of the system. Example cutting edge technologies include but are not limited to mems inertial navigation units, single crystal transducers, advanced navigation algorithms, multi UUV navigation techniques, etc. PHASE I: Phase I should include the development of the concept. Detailed report with the mathematical proof of the proposed concept which may include theoretical calculations, modeling and simulation, or collected data. Reduction of key risk items and proof of concept demonstration of high risk and critical component technologies for both manufacturing or technology development proposals. Complete the preliminary design of the proposed system or component. PHASE II: Complete the detailed design of the proposed system or component. Fabricate three prototype systems or components. Conduct testing to validate that the performance of the proposed system or component against the predicted performance in the phase I final report. PHASE III: Integrate proposed system or component onto a small low power UUV and complete at sea testing. The Office of Naval Research will provide two low power UUV as test platforms for the Phase III testing. These UUVs will be located at SPAWAR System Center San Diego where the integration will occur. ONR will provide technical support for the UUVs for integration and test boats for the at sea tests from non SBIR funds. The contractor should develop prototypes, an installation kit that meets the government defined interfaces, support integration tests, and lead at sea testing. PRIVATE SECTOR COMMERCIAL POTENTIAL/DUAL-USE APPLICATIONS: This system will increase the navigation capability of UUVs in oil and gas industry for very high accuracy tasks, recreational diving industry for increase awareness while diving, and local search and rescue units with remotely operated vehicles to increase navigational accuracy during search and rescue responses. REFERENCES: 2. OSD Unmanned Systems Roadmap: http://www.jointrobotics.com/documents/library/UMS%20Integrated%20Roadmap%202009.pdf KEYWORDS: UUV; Undersea; Navigation; low power; manufacturing; single crystal
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