BARRON ASSOCIATES, INC. — Department of Defense STTR Phase II: A15A-T012

Description

Barron Associates, Inc. proposes to develop the Phase II Automated Deployable Robust Training (ADROIT) System, a comprehensive environment to train and deploy vertebrates to detect and mark landmines and unexploded ordnance (UXO) quickly and accurately. The ADROIT system will be designed to be cost-effective, automated, flexible, scalable, modular, and robust, with a focus on training efficiency. Animals can be trained for a variety of field-use scenarios using the system. The ADROIT system will incorporate graphical user interface software featuring an automated scoring system to objectively measure a suite of metrics, including each individual animal's accuracy, sensitivity, and detection speed. The proposed work is the evolution of a previous, highly successful effort to develop a first generation system. Animals will be trained in custom, modular operant chambers using Pavlovian conditioning procedures following an optimized multi-stage behavioral shaping protocol. The ADROIT system will automatically compute performance statistics and advance individuals animals through the training process at an adaptive pace. The animals will wear a custom, patent-pending electronics jacket that will wirelessly relay detection information in real-time. The ADROIT system's modular nature will facilitate both parallel training and field deployment to increase reliability and operational efficiency.