TEXAS RESEARCH INSTITUTE , AUSTIN, INC. — Department of Defense STTR Phase I: N22A-T012

Description

The U.S. Navy’s Maritime Expeditionary MCM Unmanned Undersea Vehicle (MEMUUV) and Maritime Expeditionary Standoff Response (MESR) systems require technology capable of preserving and allowing for secure retrieval of essential data accumulated during missions in the event of compromised Unmanned Undersea Vehicles (UUVs) and Remotely Operated Vehicles (ROVs).  Information regarding the threat and surrounding environmental conditions can be critical to prevention of future platform losses.  Texas Research Institute Austin and Southwest Research Institute propose to develop a hardened, minefield survivable mission data module (MDM) to preserve sensitive mission data when a UUV or ROV is subject to explosive damage.  The STTR team will develop a hybrid design that resists blast and shock loading and preserves critical mission data.  Once a blast event is detected, the MDM will separate from the vehicle in preparation for recovery by expeditionary forces.  Feasibility of the design will be shown through simulation and analysis in Phase I prior to prototyping in Phase II.