Physical Optics Corporation — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N152-117

Description

To address the Navys need for a low-size, weight, power, and cost (SWAP-C) magnetic anomaly detection (MAD) system, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Magnetic Anomaly Detection Tracking and Localization Noise-Compensated UAV-Enabled Sensor System (MADNESS). This proposed MADNESS solution is based on integrating state-of-the-art miniature atomic magnetometers, low-SWAP-C data acquisition electronics, and novel noise reduction, tracking, and localization algorithms. Specifically, innovation in the MADNESS system design, noise reduction, and target detection, localization, and tracking algorithms will provide enhanced MAD performance with low SWAP-C. As a result, MADNESS offers magnetic noise floor <0.3 pT/rtHz, <0.5 lb. weight, <$10k cost in small quantities, which directly address the PMA-264 requirements for UAV-enabled MAD ASW missions. In Phase I, POC will demonstrate the feasibility of MADNESS by evaluating the performance capabilities of the MADNESS total field magnetometer and software approaches for noise reduction and dipole detection and localization, reaching a technology readiness level (TRL) of 4. In Phase II, POC plans In Phase II, POC plans to construct a MADNESS prototype including reference magnetometer, and demonstrate the prototypes performance against a simulated target in flight test, raising the TRL to 6 by the end of Phase II.