SBIR-STTR Award

The K-128 co-processor leverages insights from neuroscience to achieve superior performance. Unlike previous efforts along those lines, our approach is to create a software programmable co-processor that runs existing applications. One of the most salient characteristics of such a co-processor is its power efficiency: not just a few percent more efficient than a traditional processor, but many times more efficient. Dragonfly Pictures, Inc. (prime) and Cognitive Electronics (CE) propose to test the K-128 as an onboard visual sensor processing capability to support automated real-time identification, tracking, and selection of regions of interest (ROIs) based on environment, target sets, and mission priorities.

Benefit:
High Performance Computing hardware is a $10 billion dollar market that is growing at 8% per year according to market research firm IDC. In addition, the market for High Performance Cloud Computing hours is currently $177 million, and growing at 71% per year, again according to IDC. Among the end markets for HPC, the Federal Government is the largest, buying over $2 billion of High Performance Computing hardware per year. The K-128 processor will be tested using video processing software and ISR data to serve automate real-time identification, tracking, and selection of regions of interest. The K-128 brings a 100x performance per watt advantage.

The Unmanned Multirotor Aerial Relay (UMAR) is a tethered multirotor that lifts maritime communication radios to 500 feet in altitude. UMAR has proved range extension to 3X+ the traditional means. The tether acts as an extension cord to the ship to provide continuous power, communication, command, and control to the Unmanned Aerial System. UMAR has a basic feature set to fly completely autonomously and does not need continuous operator input. The focus of this research effort is to increase autonomy, functionality, and reliability through testing. Finally, the system may be tested on a US Navy ship, such as the Littoral Combat Ship. This work effort will increase the technical readiness level of the system.

Benefit:
Anticipated benefits of this SBIR will be to conclude the developmental work on UMAR, while including additional features. UMAR has successfully demonstrated that it can extend maritime communications: ship to ship, ship to shore, ship to UxV while performing autonomous flight. The new features will allow UMAR to fly in stronger winds and perform longer-endurance missions. The UMAR has similar commercial applications in the oil and natural gas industry, oil rigs, and other arenas where maritime broadband communication is required.

Keywords:
GPS denied, ship to ship communication, Secure communication, Sonobuoy, Autonomous, Maritime Communications, mine countermeasures, onboard processing