N6833523C0189

Small Technology Transfer Research Program (STTR) Phase II

Passive Acoustic Cued Electro-Optical (ACE-O) DAA for sUAS

Combined Electro-Optics/Infrared and Radar Sensor System for Detect and Avoid of Non-Cooperative Traffic for Small Unmanned Aerial Systems

Detecting and Avoiding (DAA) manned aircraft from small Unmanned Aircraft Systems (sUAS) remains the unsolved problem for safe integration of sUAS into civil airspaces where Navy UAS must pay Due Regard to the laws of civil aviation. The difficulties are manifold. The solution requires both ultra-low SWaP sensors that track aircraft over long ranges, providing 360o field-of-regard (FOR), and often through difficult visibility conditions with potential for limited line-of-sight. Detect and Avoid is a system concept, depending on maneuver capability of the UAS to avoid collisions and navigation solutions for reliable evasion. SARA is teaming with the ACAS sXu team at John Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory to combine ACAS sXu decision support and avoidance navigation support with fused data from SARA's proven acoustic DAA sensor and a cued EO sensor. The result will be a complete and multi-modal DAA system requiring low SWaP. The result will be an advanced DAA system providing a Due Regard capability for the Navy. Solution to the challenge of DAA will unlock the commercial drone economy' by enabling safe Beyond Visual Line of Site (BVLOS) operations and autonomy as is necessary for drone services businesses in agriculture, linear inspection and package delivery

The goal of phase II is to continue the R&D efforts initiated in Phase I. Funding is based on the results achieved in Phase I and the scientific and technical merit and commercial potential of the project proposed in Phase II. STTRs are completed in conjunction with a research institution.

John Hopkins University/Applied Physics Laboratory

N21A-T003

N21A-T003-0078

21.A

Shari Dougherty