Silvus Technologies, Inc. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase II: AF093-034

Description

The continued growth in the number of Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance (ISR) platforms, such as unmanned aerial systems (UASs), combined with the increasing ability of sensors to generating ever greater amounts of data, are taxing the capabilities of current data links and the available spectrum for pushing sensor data off-board as a primary concept of operation. Platform sensor suites are beginning to migrate towards high definition cameras, multispectral suites, and collaborative collection with other embedded and external sensors. These new sensors and platforms with multiple sensors are producing data rates which exceed or sorely tax the physical and practical limits of the current beyond-line-of-sight (BLOS) and line-of-sight (LOS) data links which fit in UAS. The spectrum required as the logical trade-off is also becoming a significant limiting factor. These limitations lead to impacts on the number of platforms and sensors that can operate in a given area per a given time. The USAF seeks to increase the capability of UASs to transport ISR data from the sensor to the user with low latency, while minimizing size, weight, and power (SWaP) impact. The goal of the Phase I effort is to develop an approach that increases the capability of UASs to deliver various ISR products without increasing the spectral occupancy. This initiative can include but is not limited to, advanced data compression techniques, on-board signal processing, data link waveforms, Forward Error Correction techniques, dynamic bandwidth allocation, foveal /BW agile sensors, etc. An approach may synergistically integrate these techniques to achieve the desired outcome. Solutions which reduce the bandwidth required to deliver to transport ISR data are also of interest. Solutions need to minimize Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) impacts.