SBIR-STTR Award

Mine Warfare and Mine Countermeasure decision-makers have few in-situ observations, infrequent remotely sensed images with course resolution, and a limited ability to synthesize the different types of information into one analysis. Limited datasets do not provide warfighters with a thorough understanding of the littoral environment necessary to make accurate decisions. The overall objective of this proposal is to develop the Mine Warfare Environmental Data Analysis and Fusion System (MEDAFS). This system will receive different types of environmental data (in-situ and remotely sensed), organize and integrate the data through Geographical Information Systems (GIS), fuse the data and analysis into a relational database and disseminate the information. Phase I Objectives - Design the laboratory necessary to create, test, and evaluate MEDAFS. Determine the data collection systems to be used in PHASE II where in-situ systems might include HF Radar, buoys, in-situ atmospheric and oceanographic packages; remotely sensed data might include ocean color systems (SeaWifs), NOAA polar orbiters (AVHRR), scatterometers (ERS), altimeters (GFO) and sea-surface microwave imagers. Modify Ocean Technologies' existing GIS software to receive, organize, and integrate the data collected within the laboratory. Design new methods for packaging the data and analysis together to disseminate to shipboard tactical decision aids.

Ocean Technologies’ goal is to develop a volumetric cube of environmental parameters for MCM decision aids based on multiple real-time data sets. This system will be called the Mine Warfare Environmental Data Analysis and Fusion System (MEDAFS). Step 1) Incorporate real time remotely sensed thermal and salinity gradient profile data and energy disbursement data, derived from HF radar radial values, into a hierarchical GIS database. Step 2) Provide a platform for simultaneously profiling multiple data sets with heterogeneous spatial characteristics. This should be accomplished without corruption of the embedded attributes, allowing for spatial isolation of gradients and algebraic fusion of the spatial quires. Step 3) Provide the resulting homogeneous environmental parameter to MCM decision aids in an isolated format. Ocean Technologies will study and verify accurate representation of HF radar data, salinity and temperatures through the MEDAFS software. Ocean Technologies will also verify proper response data received from queries performed in the MEDAFS software. Lastly, Ocean Technologies will develop a distribution center for accumulating and disseminating various data sets. The distribution of data is necessary for the scientific community as well as the development of commercial markets.

Benefits:
With MEDAFS fusing multiple data sets, the user can get a complete real-time oceanographic image of an area despite cloud cover. The MEDAL Tactical Decision Aid can incorporate new environmental data without requesting a new program software build, as presently required. The algorithms created during this project to enhance Ocean Technologies’ in-house GIS software package can be used by other GIS packages to give their software the ability to fuse data, with values intact, with any given data set. Hence any GIS software being used at this time could possibly be upgraded with this new technology and the price would be the costs to have the algorithms added into the current programs.

Keywords:
Surface Currents Data Fusion Real-Time HF Radar Remote Sensing Mine Counter Measures