Collection
Success Story records
Multiple Mode Noncooperative Hard Target Identification LADAR Systems
NAVAIR CHINA LAKE
Coherent Technologies, Inc. (CTI) has developed a new laser source that identifies difficult targets at extended distances. This first-of-its-kind transmitter utilizes innovative 1.5 micron wavelength eyesafe laser technology. The transceiver architecture is best utilized in long range detection and noncooperative target identification (NCTID) via microDoppler vibrometry. An innovative compact diode-pumped solid-state laser is used to drive a coherent injection-seeded solid-state Raman ring resonator that produces adaptive waveforms to optimize sensor performance for a given target. The success of CTI’s laser technology has resulted in multiple Air Force follow-on contracts to mature the technology and to provide comprehensive studies for advanced tactical airborne applications.
Autopilot Development for Micro Air Vehicles
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
During 2003, AFRL contracted Procerus™ Technologies to develop the Kestrel [version] 1.45 autopilot. This unit included features to enable autonomous flight, a data link interface, three servo position commands, and a Global Positioning System (GPS) input interface. It weighed 40 g and test-flew in UAVs weighing under 1 lb. In 2004, Procerus created the Kestrel 2.0 autopilot, a more capable autopilot weighing just 16.7 g. The Kestrel 2.0 autopilot includes the sensors and interfaces required for a functional and easy-to-use UAV. The unit’s three accelerometers, three temperature-compensated rate gyros, GPS interface, pressure transducers for airspeed and altitude, and four servo outputs enable autonomous flight with GPS navigation. A modem interface allows users to upload new waypoints and download sensor data. Engineers made provisions for an integrated payload system by including payload communication and control and supplying electrical power at 3.3 V and 5 V.
AFRL Provides World-Class Virtual Flight Support
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL provided world-class virtual flight test support during an evaluation of a promising Global Positioning System antijam technology called Beamstar, an enabling technology with direct application to the Electronic Systems Center Joint Precision Approach and Landing System program. AFRL researchers successfully completed the 3-week test program under a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement with Radix Technologies, Inc. Beamstar is a candidate technology for several high-visibility Department of Defense programs that require highly robust, highly accurate position information for automated aerial refueling and land/sea aircraft landings.
Vein Viewing Technology Provides Life Saving Imagery For Battlefield Wounded
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
Scientists from the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate (ML) have invented, developed, patented and licensed a breakthrough medical technology, a Vein Viewing device that can be used to see beneath the skin and through body sections to show the vasculature, the network of blood veins in the body, in a broad range of lighting conditions. Due to the technology's potential for a broad range of civilian medical uses, ML established a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with InfraRed Imaging Systems (IRIS) Inc., of Columbus, Ohio, to manufacture and market the technology to the medical industry, and to expand the technology to solve other critical medical challenges. IRIS has gone on to further develop the technology and create a product, the IRIS Vascular Viewer, for commercial release.
AFRL Applies Voice Recognition Technology to Aircraft Maintenance
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
Applying voice recognition and activation technology to the aircraft maintenance environment increases the accuracy of data, decreases the time required to input data, and ultimately enhances the effectiveness of technicians. Improved data accuracy means that historical maintenance data becomes more meaningful and useful for analysis purposes. In terms of time and effectiveness, voice recognition and activation technology dramatically decreases the time it takes a maintainer to document maintenance actions, ensures the timeliness of status information, and often decreases the manpower needed to complete particular maintenance tasks.
AFRL Delivers C-17 Emergency Escape Door to Warfighter
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AAAI endeavors to streamline the design process by involving both the material manufacturer and the airframe manufacturer in all phases of product development. AFRL teamed with Alcoa, Boeing, Lockheed Martin, and Northrop Grumman with the ultimate goal to cut the installed cost of aluminum aerostructures by at least 50% and reduce associated maintenance requirements, achieving lower life-cycle costs while increasing performance. The C-17 escape door was the fi rst AAAI effort.
AFRL and Industry Partner Develop Braiding/Filament Winding Work Cell
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL successfully executed several phases of a Small Business Innovation Research contract to develop an advanced multiaxis braiding/filament winding work cell. The technology work cell has proven its ability to cut costs and improve the efficiency of manufacturing processes that scientists use to enhance the durability and safety aspects of critical, primary, load-bearing jet engine structures.
AFRL and MDA Transfer Composite Gimbal Technology to HDTV Camera Systems
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL and the Missile Defense Agency (MDA) funded efforts to develop lightweight, low-cost, composite gimbal technology to improve on-orbit and airborne pointing accuracy. These efforts resulted in the technology’s transfer to commercial high-definition television (HDTV) camera systems, two of which are in regular use. Six National Football League (NFL) telecasts and the 2005 Academy Awards employed the gimbal for their respective programs.
Enterprising Composite Design and Structural Analysis Tool deployed to Rotorcraft Industrial Partner
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL researchers and their on-site contractor, the University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), developed a unique composite material design and structural analysis tool to provide design solutions, reduce design cost, and improve operations safety for military, industrial, and commercial helicopters and other rotorcraft. The new, laboratory-developed design and analysis tool provides rapid solutions early in the design process to assess component damage tolerance and has the potential to trim component risk reduction costs and schedules by as much as 50%. The new technology also enables mission enhancement improvements in certification and supportability. AFRL scientists, assisted by UDRI, developed the unique composite material design and structural analysis tool based on an analysis code known as the B-spline analysis method (BSAM). BSAM uses a revolutionary numerical approach to model solid mechanics problems. The BSAM software consists of evolving computer code that analyzes the three-dimensional stress behavior within a layered composite material. The software performs general-purpose solid mechanics analysis based on an innovative method of assembling B-spline approximations of deformation in a numerical format to efficiently solve complex mechanics problems.
Lightning Protection Developed for Airborne Laser Aircraft
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
A rotary lightning protection system (RLPS) was developed for the Airborne Laser (ABL) aircraft. The technology is a significant advancement over the current state of the art due to its minimal wear and particulate generation, low electrical noise production, and ability to perform well in extreme environments. Honeybee Robotics developed an RLPS for the ABL aircraft under a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract. AFRL awarded Honeybee an SBIR Phase II contract to further develop the technology for integration with the turret interface of ABL aircraft.
Silicon Lightweight Mirrors Developed for High-Energy Laser and Aerospace Systems
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
Under the SBIR contract, Schafer Corporation successfully manufactured high-performance silicon and silicon carbide foam-core lightweight mirrors up to 13 cm in diameter, and is working on manufacturing mirrors up to 56 cm in diameter. Since larger mirrors have a much broader range of applications, Schafer plans to scale SLMS mirrors from 0.5 to 1.5 meters during the next 2 years. A second significant impact of SLMS technology is the athermal characteristic of these mirrors. The silicon surface of the mirror can be easily polished to a surface figure of 0.02 waves per RMS at 633 nm at room temperature and will hold that surface figure while operating at temperatures as low as 27°K. This means these lightweight mirrors are easier to manufacture for low-temperature applications and do not have to be actively cooled to prevent distortion, further reducing the weight of the aerospace system transporting the mirror.
AFRL Transistor Technology Results in Commercial Product Development
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL and industry partner SemiSouth Laboratories, Inc., achieved a milestone in transistor technology and product development. They developed switching devices known as Harsh-Environment, Low-Loss Field-Effect Transistors (HEL2FET™), which offer electrical component manufacturers a line of switching devices with potential applications for motor drives, converters/inverters, and other electrical power equipment that has high-temperature operational requirements. The Air Force also has several power system requirements that this technology can satisfy, including electromechanical actuator motor drives to operate flight control surfaces, motor drives for fuel pumps, power modules, solid-state circuit breakers, radiation-tolerant power management and distribution components for space platforms, and integrated radar power supplies.
AFRL Reaches a Milestone with Vapor-grown Carbon Nanofibers
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL and Applied Sciences developed nanofibers that simultaneously provide tailored electrical conductivity over a broad range and mechanical reinforcement for some composite matrix materials. The nanofibers typically grow to several tens of microns in length, but subsequent milling can reduce the length to fewer than 10 microns. The SBIR contract resulted in the modification of two nanofiber grades, PR-19 and PR-24. This result is due to a nondebulking process that preserves the length of the carbon nanofiber. PR-19 contains a chemical vapor deposition (CVD) layer and has a diameter of ~150 nm. PR-24 contains a minimal CVD layer and has a diameter of ~100 nm.
EMS Mobile - Emergency Management System for First Responders
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
EMS Mobile is a mobile "store and forward" solution for patient triage. Ths system records, saves, and transmits demographic and clinical information to an external storage device (smart card) for movement with the patient or wireless transmittal to the next level of care prior to patient arrival. The system began as MedSTARS, a project of the Air Force Surgeon General's office. ProLogic Inc. then modified this original system into what is now EMS Mobile. The system was designed for clinicians' use as a replacement for paper trauma forms. The patient injury is assessed, details surrounding the injury event are noted, and initial medical treatment is documented. Information is stored on a hand-held PC device capable of withstanding extreme heat, cold and impact, and then forwarded automatically to the next medical echelon upon sensing availability of a network connection. In addition to improving patient outcomes through availability of timely, accurate medical information, details on all aspects of the injury and its circumstances are consolidated. EMS Mobile was developed by ProLogic to meet the pre-hospital electronic patient care record requirements of First Responders. A new user interface was created to capture information on the EMS unit and personnel; dispatch and trip details; emergency situation details of national, state and public interest; medical and injury assessment and treatment; narratives; signature forms; reimbursement information and patient destination and disposition. The same tablet PC device is used with data stored on the device until a wireless or wired network is discovered.
AFRL's Laser Technology Leads to Successful Airborne LIDAR Pipeline Inspection System
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL recently completed a four-phase project that resulted in a differential absorption light detection and ranging (LIDAR) system that progressed from a conceptual laboratory demonstration to a unit suitable for field use. AFRL initially designed the system to monitor Air Force base environmental cleanups and dumpsites and detect underground diesel fuel tank leaks.
AFRL/Industry Research Effort Improves Semiconductor Film Quality
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
The quest for new and improved electronics and photonic devices drives the continual pursuit of epitaxial technique advancements and a clearer understanding of epitaxial growth’s underlying physics. Scientists use epitaxial techniques to match the orientation of a deposited crystal with the orientation of the crystal that comprises the underlying substrate material. When the crystal orientations of two or more different materials (heteroepitaxial) are not properly aligned, defects (i.e., misalignment and dislocation of atoms) result. An accumulation of these defects is known as the defect density. AFRL is exploring ways to reduce defect density and thereby increase semiconductor efficiency.
Scientists Develop Ceramic-based Body Armor for Warfighters
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL scientists and engineers collaborated with industry to develop a novel metal-ceramic hybrid material for use in higher-performance, lighter-weight small arms protective inserts (SAPI) for body armor vests. In 18 months, this low-cost, high-payoff technology development program evolved from initial laboratory research into a technology system that exceeds the capabilities of most SAPI plates. If the technology continues to perform beyond specified requirements, AFRL scientists expect several military branches to purchase it at a cost savings of approximately $400 per armor vest, resulting in a total cost savings in the millions.
Characterizing Aeroacoustic Loads
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
The AFRL Air Vehicles Directorate developed an accessible and extensive database of dynamic acoustic loads that affect aircraft structure and subsystems. This database will allow engineers to produce aircraft with longer structural life, lower maintenance costs, and increased readiness. During flight, an aircraft is subjected to strong pressure fluctuations caused by airflow and acoustic resonance. The resulting acoustic loads have high sound pressure levels at high frequencies that can damage weapons, crack nearby surfaces and components, and radiate intense noise. With the laboratory-developed database, engineers can assess the effects of this phenomenon and use the knowledge to design aircraft with increased structural life, lower maintenance costs, and increased readiness.
AFRL Improves CFD Analysis Methods
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL and Aerosoft, Inc., developed a post-processing tool that gives engineers a better way of analyzing solutions obtained using computational fluid dynamics (CFD). This new analysis method provides a greater understanding of CFD results at a fraction of the cost of traditional methods.
Breakthrough System Utilizes Foveal Vision Paradigm with Infrared Multiresolution Imagery
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
Nova Sensors developed the Variable-Acuity Superpixel Imager (VASI™) under a Phase II SBIR contract to reduce the bandwidth required for IR imagery readout and processing while maintaining maximum resolution foveae on regions of interest (ROI). This accomplishment maps the biologically motivated paradigm of foveal vision from the visible to the IR spectrum. Vertebrate eyes typically have a small area of high resolution (foveal region), in addition to radially decreasing resolution in the periphery. These characteristics allow an animal to maintain visual awareness of its surroundings, they provide the animal with sufficient resolution (using the fovea) to identify objects of interest while processing the imagery with enough speed to successfully react to most dangers. In contrast, most engineered visible or IR camera systems have a fixed spatial resolution that requires trade-offs between the resolution, field of view (FOV), and frame rate in order to process the resultant imagery in real time. Biological systems inspired some designers to develop visible spectrum cameras that have either a programmable or a fixed (requiring a pan/tilt assembly to control the gaze of the system) multiresolution capability. Nova Sensors developed a system that combines the benefits of foveal vision with the advantages of IR sensing.
AFRL Demonstrates Upper Surface Blowing Concept
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL scientists worked with Compositex, Inc., as part of a Small Business Innovation Research program to prove the upper surface blowing (USB) concept as one method to achieve powered lift. Engineers successfully demonstrated USB during the flight test of a small unmanned air vehicle (UAV) that weighed approximately 6 lbs. Not only did the demonstration’s success prove the possibility of using USB technology, it also opened up possibilities for using the same type of small UAV to demonstrate future air vehicle concepts.
Software Development Produces a CYMFONY of Information Extraction Tools
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
While traditional Information Extraction (IE) is almost exclusively restricted to indexing based on keywords, research pursued by this team supports a more sophisticated form of IE based on a detailed grammatical analysis of source text. Text documents are processed based on the presence of important entities (e.g., names of people, places, companies, products, brands), relationships between entities (e.g., person “X” is employed by company “Y”), and key events such as the venture capital industry and management changes in companies.
High-Performance Modulators Spark Second Phase of Photonics Revolution
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL scientists and engineers working in conjunction with Air Force (AF) contractor IPITEK, achieved significant advancements in the research and development of low-cost, high-performance electro-optic polymer modulators instrumental in achieving very high modulation rate signals on optical carrier beams. Electro-optic polymer modulators satisfy a number of current and future military needs. The commercial potential for low-cost, high-performance electro-optic polymer modulator technology could impact the entire spectrum of information communication systems. The commercial market potential for fiber-to-the-home technology is huge, given the estimated 100 million households and 50 million potential commercial and institutional users in the US alone.
Extending Gas Turbine Engine Blade Life Saves Millions
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL officials from the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate’s Manufacturing Technology (ManTech) Division, in partnership with LSP Technologies, Inc. (LSPT), of Dublin, Ohio, anticipate greater cost savings for the warfighter with their RapidCoaterTMoverlay application system, which introduces automation to the Laser Shock Peening (LSP) program. LSP technology is already credited with over $100 million in cost avoidance.
New Visor Offers Clear Improvement
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
A newly developed visor for flight helmets permits aircrew members to vary the visor’s tint from 15–65% simply by turning a knob. The visor can also adjust itself automatically as lighting conditions change and operate for many hours off of a small battery. This unprecedented capability will allow pilots to optimize their vision and enhance the visibility of helmet-mounted displays (HMDs).
Nickel Nanostrands™ Expand Nanotechnology Engineering Capabilities
MATERIALS & MANUFACTURING DIRECTORATE
Researchers at the Air Force Research Laboratory Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, working with Metal Matrix Composites of Heber, Utah have developed a new form of nano-structured nickel that dramatically expands nanotechnology design engineering capabilities. The new materials are called nickel nanostrands™ and were developed under Phase I of an Air Force Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) program. Nickel nanostrands are strands of sub-micron diameter nickel particles linked in chains, microns to millimeters in length. They are very similar to carbon nanofibers but provide the additional properties of nickel, significantly expanding the variety of options available for developing tomorrow's nanostructure technologies.
New Rechargeable Battery Packs and Recharger Provides Continuous Operating Capabilities to the Warfighter
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL designed and built rechargeable, state-of-the-art lithium battery packs and a universal recharger for Air Force Special Operations Command (AFSOC) small unmanned air vehicles (UAV) in less than 4 months. These packs reduce the annual operating cost of batteries for AFSOC’s Pointer and Raven UAVs by nearly two orders of magnitude (~1/70 of the current cost). These new packs will last for hundreds of cycles and their associated rechargers will last for thousands of cycles, dramatically increasing system field life. These rechargeable packs provide the Air Force a tremendous savings in operational cost and logistics, along with greater flexibility to recharge the packs in remote locations worldwide.
AFRL Ladar System Exceeds $2 Million in Commercial Sales
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL performs research and development related to laser radar (LADAR) seekers for precision guided weapons. With Phase II Small Business Innovation Research funding, Burns Engineering (Orlando, Florida) developed the Burns Active Infrared (BAIR) LADAR system and used over 14,000 units in submunitions as height-of-burst fuzes. Burns Engineering has now developed a compact, eye-safe BAIR (E-BAIR) with 1.5 cm range precision for terrain mapping applications.
AFRL Blast Protection Experts Enhance Blast Resistant Window and Glazing Technologies
MATERIALS & MANUFACTURING DIRECTORATE
During recent conflicts, the United States has seen a dramatic increase in the use of improvised explosives as methods of warfare and terrorism. The AFRL Materials and Manufacturing Directorate's Force Protection Branch, located at Tyndall AFB, FL., is pursuing blast mitigation technologies for buildings and expeditionary structures that will help minimize the casualties caused by a terrorist explosive attack. This type of technology is particularly important because the vast majority of injuries and fatalities caused by an explosive are the result of flying glass and wall debris. ML's Range Operations and Support Group has two reaction structures at Sky Ten with the capability to expose up to eight windows and/or wall systems at one time to a 1,000 pound TNT charge. The Range Control building on site is a hardened concrete structure which protects researchers, visitors and data acquisition equipment during detonations. Range Control is a two minute walk from the detonation site and has multiple live video feeds with vantage points outside and inside the reaction structure. Trials executed at the range are monitored and controlled from a master control board with over 100 channels available for recording critical scientific data during and after explosive detonation. In addition, the trials are also visually recorded using high-speed digital and traditional video which is edited to provide researchers with another tool to analyze results.
AFRL SBIR Program Benefits Microfabrication Company
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL’s Space Cryogenic Cooling Technology Group has worked with International Mezzo Technologies since 2002 on AFRL Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) projects to develop and fabricate advanced regenerators. The group used innovative techniques to improve the performance of low-temperature cryocoolers for AFRL and the Missile Defense Agency. These research efforts led to developments in microfabrication techniques that benefited Mezzo’s other heat exchanger products. The techniques for making advanced recuperators and micro heat exchangers benefited from these regenerator projects and now have their own SBIR programs.
Engine Data Mining Software Provided New Capability for Air Force Engineers
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL collaborated with researchers at ISTL, Inc. (formerly InfoScribe Technologies, Ltd.), to develop a software program to allow Air Force engineers, researchers, and maintenance personnel to search through fighter jet engine inspection data more efficiently. The resulting design, known as the Intelligent Agent Architecture, allows shop managers to narrow their search for engine data, which will reach storage levels as high as hundreds (or thousands) of gigabytes per year. Users can receive electronic reports within minutes. Thus, initial estimates show that the data search and associated reporting methods will save hundreds of man-hours annually.
Collaborative Outreach Program Strengthens Ohio's Industrial Base
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
AFRL is working with the Edison Materials Technology Center; UES, Inc.; and the University of Dayton Research Institute under the Collaborative Technology Clusters (CTeC) program’s industrial outreach initiatives. The CTeC program allows commercial research activities to leverage AFRL’s world-class capability to support innovative research and development efforts that contribute to the region’s economic vitality. The CTeC program is so successful that as many as 40 research projects have received support over the past 5 years. Several projects resulted in substantive technological advancements, initiating increased levels of competitiveness and enhanced profits for participating companies.
Composite Patch Vacuum-mold Repair System Transferred to Commercial Industry
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
Prior to the development of vacuum-mold repair, the most effective way to repair metal aircraft structures depleted from excessive wear and fatigue or damaged in combat was to fly the aircraft to a maintenance depot or complete the repairs at a field location using conventional splash-mold techniques. Splash-mold techniques, using plastic or ceramic curing compounds, are effective in repairing multiple contour structures; however, they are also costly and time-consuming, since they requireone-time use molds. Splash-mold techniques require large quantities of repair materials to complete several repairs. They also necessitate an unacceptably longdowntime of an equivalent undamaged aircraft while the mold is curing. Another disadvantage of splash-mold techniques is that the compositematerial handling and processing methods employed require cold storageof materials using “clean room” equipment that is bulky, heavy, expensive,and requires extensive training and experience. Transport of aircraft to maintenance depots for metal aircraft structure repair is very expensiveand often creates logistics problems, since maintenance workers work the repairs in around periodic maintenance already scheduled or in progress. VMRS employs a mechanically hardened tooling technique that uses a sealed rubber bag containing lightweight granular filler. Once positioned over the damage location of an equivalent aircraft, the maintenance technician draws a vacuum within the bag, which causes the rubber skin to constrict on the filler, locking it in a firm arrangement and replicatingthe surface geometry of the damage location.
AFRL Develops Airspace Operations' Sensing Requirements for UAV and Transfers Technology to Civilian Users
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
In order to share airspace with manned aircraft, UAVs must detect conflict situations effectively as manned aircraft. Because this is not currently the case, the Air Force segregates UAVs from manned airspace--placing a significant restriction on UAV operational usefulness. To eliminate this segregation, UAVs need to sense the presence of other aircraft in their operating environment. For this reason, directorate researchers identified a need to replicate the human see-and-avoid capability on board UAVs for acceptance into the National Air Space. Not all aircraft have air traffic transponders, so UAVs cannot rely on those alone. UAVs must use on-board sensors to detect aircraft and fuse that with available transponder information to give UAVs and UAV operatorssituational awareness of the airspace around the vehicle to ensure that unmanned aircraft are as safe as our manned aircraft.
ALON Material Successfully Scaled Up for Military and Commercial Applications
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
Engineers at the Materials and Manufacturing Directorate, working with Raytheon Electronic Systems, completed an advanced development effort to evaluate forming techniques and optimize fabrication processes for a tough, lightweight, transparent ceramic material that offers outstanding potential for both military systems and commercial products. ALON addresses a wide range of technological interests throughout the Department of Defense and other federal agencies as well as private industry. As part of the advanced development effort, the engineers fabricated several 14 in. x 20 in. ALON plates for flight testing, ballistics testing,and transparent armor applications. Their efforts demonstrate that ALON has excellent mechanical and optical properties and provides a number of advantages when compared to conventional transparent armor includingdramatic life-cycle cost savings.
New Technology Provides Powerful Security Protection for Wireless Communications
AIR FORCE RESEARCH LAB
The Sensors Directorate sponsored new technology developed by Robert Gold Comm Systems, Inc. (RGCS) under a Phase II Fast Track Small Business Innovation Research program. This technology provides powerful security protection for wireless computer networks, cell phones, and other radio communications. Benefits include highly secure communications with the overhead of encryption and selective addressability of receivers, individually or in groups.
Multi-Gas Analyzer (MGA)
ARNOLD ENGINEERING DEVELOPMENT CENTER
Using Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contracts Advanced Fuel Research, Inc. (AFR) conducted research and development on innovative optical designs, hardware designs, and software designs that resulted in a package of new technology that provides benefits to the Air Force. AFR developed the Multi-Gas Analyzer (MGA), based on extractive Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy, to simultaneously measure multiple chemical species in exhaust gases.
Nighthawk Micro Air Vehicle (MAV)
Applied Research Associates
Nighthawk is a hand-launched MAV that uses GPS and autopilot technologies to navigate into unfriendly territories. The vehicle, originally fielded by the USAF and US Army Rapid Equipping Force, carries forward and side looking Electron Optical cameras and a side looking thermal imager in a removable pod providing real-time situational awareness and targeting information to the operator. Nighthawk rolls and stores into a 6" tube with no assembly required prior to use. The ground station incorporates PC-based GUI technology to provide real-time visual feedback and mode control. Assisted flight control is accomplished with a small, single- hand joy stick. The Ground Control Station (GCS) allows the operator to switch between views during flight, or to “mark the spot,” which causes several frames to be saved along with GPS data. It also has operator-activated beacons to provide visibility during night landings or if the stealthy aircraft lands in a hard to find area. Operators can select from these options in the field and change configuration prior to launching. The GCS employs a Panasonic Toughbook laptop computer. Its GUI is completely touchscreen-operated with a stylus or fingertip. The GCS gives the operator control over autopilot mode, camera views, and data storage and retrieval. This includes altering the flight path or autopilot mode in flight to meet changing mission requirements. The display includes real-time streaming video, battery life indicators, GCS and aircraft position, altitude, airspeed, ground speed, heading, and aircraft orientation information. The GCS logs these data from takeoff to landing. The operator is aware at all times of the aircraft location using the FalconView Geographic Information System tool. Safeguards are imbedded into the system to prevent aircraft loss. If the command and control signal is broken, the aircraft will return to a pre-selected rally point for safe recovery.