Wireless Airborne Data Recovery System Navy SBIR FY2005.1 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2005.1 Topic No.: N05-004 Topic Title: Wireless Airborne Data Recovery System Proposal No.: N051-004-0881 Firm: AEPTEC Microsystems, Inc. 700 King Farm Boulevard Suite 600 Rockville, Maryland 20850 Contact: Willis Drake Phone: (301) 670-6779 Web Site: http://www.aeptec.com Abstract: With the advent of miniaturized electronics in airplane avionics and digital cockpits, the type and amount of data that can be recorded during an aircraft flight has increased dramatically. Data could include basic flight data, "weapon system" data (such as radar performance), or aircraft health monitoring and usage data (such as engine data or airframe stress and corrosion data). The ability to download data securely, wirelessly, with automatic or remote download control offers attractive advantages. The primary advantages afforded by radio frequency (RF) signaling are the drastic elimination of wire runs, underground conduits, and disruption of operations during installation, increased efficiency of data download, and reduced labor and safety risk to technical support personnel. This Phase I proposal will build upon the experience and results gained from 3eTI's Phase III shipboard implementations of secure wireless LAN's and secure wireless machinery monitoring and ITCN's Phase III airborne implementations of multiple stream, real-time, data monitoring and correlation to develop a concept design for a wireless data download from a T-45C Airborne Data Recorder (ADR) to a Ground Station. The design concept will be an innovative, integrated, secure wireless solution that is ready for prototyping in a Phase II demonstration. Benefits: The Navy has already capitalized on emerging wireless technologies and emerging wireless security solutions to demonstrate the advantages of wireless applications shipboard. These advantages include reducing the cost associated with rewiring for additional sensors and taking advantage of mobile computing for administration, training, and maintenance in shipboard environments. Wireless hardware qualified to military standards and software certified to FIPS 140-2 security standards has been developed. The Navy is in position to capitalize on these same emerging wireless technologies and security solutions to reduce the cost associated with downloading airborne recorder flight data. The development of innovative airworthy aircraft equipment that will permit the collection and secure transfer of data via a wireless method with minimal aircraft rewiring will allow rapid, safe, effective data download from the T-45C ADR and offer the opportunity to expand data collection and data usage from the T-45C as well as other aircraft. The solution also will provide opportunity to integrate the data collection and downloading with other mobile technologies such as remote technical documentation access and remote parts ordering/status reporting on the flight line or in the hanger. Return