Average GPS Signal Availability Estimation Paul Bohne, Principal Investigator Problems:
As the availability of low-cost GPS receivers has increased, more government agencies are using GPS to obtain precise position data. Unfortunately, GPS does not work everywhere, and it is difficult to predict where and how well it will work. In particular, the performance of GPS is adversely affected by line-of-sight blockages caused by buildings and trees.
Objectives:
This research will develop a model that can be used to estimate the performance of PGS for users on the ground who are adversely affected by signal blockages. The approach used is to correlate GPS readings with the characteristics of the surrounding terrain, including the type of land coverage and elevation.
Activities:
Key activities will include building tools to capture and process GPS data, obtaining characteristic data for land coverage and elevation, developing a model that estimates performance, collecting GPS performance data in the field, comparing model estimates with actual performance, and packaging and publishing results.
Impact:
The results will help users to plan field operations that reply on GPS for position data. The model will provide statistical estimates of how well GPS will work in a given location. Planners can use this information to determine if GPS will satisfy their requirements and if they will need alternative metnods of position determination in areas where GPS will perform poorly.
Approved for Public Release: 07-0283 Presentation [PDF]
Coherent Tracking via Keystoning David Zasada, Principal Investigator Problems:
Current radars require enhancements in their ability to reliably track surface moving targets. These radars can experience tracking problems due to a variety of environmental conditions. Better tracking performance will enhance our ability to prosecute time critical or otherwise fleeting targets.
Objectives:
1.To develop an integrated suite of algorithms to tightly couple novel waveform and pre-detection processing techniques with state of the art target post-detection tracking and data exploitation techniques
2.To exploit radar data collections to verify and quantify algorithmic performance
3.To develop detailed cost functions to facilitate integration and dynamic tasking of coherent tracking waveforms into conventional radar platforms
Activities:
We will develop a suite of coherent tracking algorithms for range-Doppler-interferometric phase tracking via keystone processing coupled with look-ahead constant false alarm rate processing and modern tracking concepts. We will select and exploit appropriate radar data collections to exercise these algorithms. Finally, we will develop parameterized prototype cost functions to score the algorithms.
Impact:
This technique will be beneficial wherever continuous tracking of high value targets is of paramount importance. This unique marriage of SAR and Surface Moving Target Information techniques supports our technical staff engaged in both imagery and moving target exploitation. It allows MITRE to bring something new, unique, and needed to the table to support our warfighter and research partners.
Approved for Public Release: 06-1428 Presentation [PDF]
Evaluating Behavioral Indicators for Maritime Domain Awareness Robert Kobee, Principal Investigator Problems:
Daily monitoring of thousands of ships and associated cargo and passengers in the maritime domain -- U.S., coastal, open ocean, and foreign port regions -- is a difficult ongoing task. The United States needs a capability to identify potential threats in the maritime environment that is based on motion indicators of anomalous behavior by bad actors.
Objectives:
The objective of this MOIE is to develop a proof-of-concept capability to recognize anomalous behaviors in the maritime domain that helps relieve operator workload. This capability will leverage and demonstrate the effectiveness of integrating information that is accessible from multi-organizational sources
Activities:
We will collect data and develop techniques, such as a Bayes network, using Matlab to combine motion-based ship's actions and the contextual-based information to correctly identify ship as VOIs. This process will minimize false alarms, help users to understand the nature of the anomaly, and improve confidence in the decision by combining multiple indicators.
Impact:
This research can have a significant impact on the mission of maritime domain awareness operators. It will lay the groundwork for a family-of-systems test bed to investigate maritime, air, and ground situational awareness systems and process interactions. It will leverage the large body of ongoing work with which MITRE is involved.
Approved for Public Release: 06-1485
Lightweight Beacon System for UAS and Other Aviation Applications Robert Strain, Principal Investigator Problems:
Unmanned aircraft systems (UASs) and sport aviation class aircraft pose an increasing safety risk to aircraft operating in the same airspace. Current transponder and Automatic Dependent Surveillance-Broadcast (ADS-B) units require aircraft electrical systems, are heavy and costly, and are not mandatory in uncontrolled airspace, yet ADS-B is currently the only technology available to address this risk.
Objectives:
We will demonstrate a small, low-powered beacon transmitter suitable for less-maneuverable or special-use aircraft operating in national airspace to improve visibility to proximate aircraft. The beacon would use the Universal Access Transceiver (UAT) waveform and comply with ADS-B performance requirements. We envision a modular architecture to enable this device either to stand alone or be integrated with other electronics or sensors.
Activities:
We will conduct a proof-of-concept flight test using modified UAT ADS-B avionics to determine whether a low-powered transmitter will meet operating goals. Following a successful demonstration, we will design, develop, and test an ADS-B transmitter compliant with standards for the UAT. This unit is envisioned to be a small, self-contained, battery-operated device, with a target cost of a few hundred dollars.
Impact:
Developing an affordable beacon and making it available on all manned and unmanned aircraft could both enhance general aviation safety by providing shared situational awareness among pilots and accelerate implementation of the ADS-B system. Additionally, this technology may assist the DHS in identifying and tracking suspicious aircraft and help the DoD facilitate integration of its unmanned assets in civil airspace.
Approved for Public Release: 07-0097 Presentation [PDF]
Miniaturized Hybrid Sensor for Multiple Threat Detection Samar Guharay, Principal Investigator Problems:
Detection of threats has become increasingly difficult due to continuous changes, for example, the use of new explosives and the construction of IEDs. To achieve a highly effective solution, sensors must be widely deployable and capable of combating multiple threats simultaneously. Rugged, miniaturized sensors with good probability of detection and low false alarms are needed.
Objectives:
The overall objective pertains to rapid detection of chemical, biological, and explosive/IED "fingerprints" or traces and to forensic analysis. The new hybrid sensor uses the best features of two complementary technologies to achieve greater detection sensitivity and higher selectivity than other currently available sensors, for example, ion mobility spectrometry, electron capture detector, Thermo-Redox, and Raman
Activities:
The key activities of this initial R&D effort address some critical technical issues in Raman spectroscopy, especially electromagnetic modeling for estimating local field enhancement and methods to design a detector with both high sensitivity and selectivity. This simulation work, along with proof-of-concept experiments, guides us toward developing a design for an integrated sensor.
Impact:
Development of this new sensor will cut across MITRE mission areas and be especially relevant to providing significant performance improvement for explosive/IED detection, force protection, and, above all, medical applications. Potential impacts include increased support to the Department of Homeland Security, Department of Justice, Special Operations Command, and the Department of Health and Human Services
Approved for Public Release: 07-0273
Netted Sensors for Persistent Surveillance Jeffrey Correia, Principal Investigator Presentation [PDF]
Networked Embedded Software Technology Alex C. Meng, Principal Investigator Problems:
Objectives:
Activities:
Impact:
Approved for Public Release: 07-0266 Presentation [PDF]
Optically Sensed Tags Sherry Olson, Principal Investigator Problems:
The need to detect evidence of chemical residues and effluents is a primary concern for many communities. Often these materials are difficult to detect, because they are present in very low concentrations and exist in complicated environments. It would be advantageous to employ methods that would allow for standoff detection, while also being sensitive, small, inexpensive, and unobtrusive.
Objectives:
The goal is to develop optically sensed tags based on induced chemical interactions and emissions for detecting low concentrations of chemicals and materials over a range of standoff distances. The tagging mechanisms developed will leverage existing related technologies used for chemical-specific sensing, but crafted for optical use and thus for standoff and unobtrusive sensing.
Activities:
We will investigate relevant technologies with the goal of constructing prototypes. The first phase will include additional trade studies, initial prototype constructions, and lab testing. The second phase would start with tests in a "friendly" inside environment and then begin to introduce adverse conditions (e.g., temperature, humidity, contamination). The third phase will test the tag outside and include refinement cycles.
Impact:
Through the use of optically sensed tags we expect to improve standoff and unobtrusive detection and identification of dangerous chemicals and other materials. Progress in tackling these difficult problems has significant implications for environmental monitoring in several contexts.
Approved for Public Release: 06-1465
Patient Health Situational Awareness Harry Sleeper, Principal Investigator Problems:
98,000 Americans die each year due to medical errors. These preventable mistakes are the eighth leading cause of death in the United States. MITRE is leading an effort to combat health-related errors through the Patient Health Situational Awareness initiative. This work involves collaboration with physicians, device manufacturers, healthcare providers, and patients to support shared and accurate awareness of patient health data.
Objectives:
Our initiative focuses on advancing medical device plug-and-play interoperability and providing visualization to disambiguate the historic and real-time status of a patients� health. The goals of this effort are to accelerate adoption of open medical device standards, prototype an automatic personal HealthStation that collects key diagnostic medical data, and design an elegant visualization of the patient�s health status.
Activities:
The HealthStation, a medical device manager, is our platform for interoperability testing of different vendors' diagnostic equipment. Our open registry of medical device adapters will allow us to collaborate with multiple healthcare providers, equipment vendors, and researchers. The HealthCard will demonstrate the value of providing clinicians and patients with detailed visual insight into a patient health data.
Impact:
Our work with the HealthStation will demonstrate an open source strategy to achieve medical device interoperability for broad healthcare industry adoption. Our work with the HealthCard will establish a new best practice for the visualization of patient health situational awareness.
Approved for Public Release: 07-0315
Pervasive Personal Navigation Thom Bronez, Principal Investigator Problems:
Determining the physical position of dismounted personnel is a critical capability for a wide variety of missions. The Global Positioning System (GPS) has proven indispensable for this, yet GPS reception can be inaccurate, unreliable, or denied in many environments, including natural or urban canyons, heavy foliage, and inside structures. Traditional dead reckoning approaches are limited by rapid error accumulation.
Objectives:
The objective of this project is to develop novel methods and equipment that dismounted personnel can use for three-dimensional position determination and navigation. This system will provide absolute positioning through high-sensitivity GPS when available and also provide high-accuracy relative positioning during GPS outages through novel dead-reckoning techniques. The system will include navigation applications and be suitable for dismounts.
Activities:
We will develop innovative body-worn sensors along with corresponding position estimation algorithms to develop dismount position in three dimensions. We will integrate this dead-reckoning subsystem with high-sensitivity GPS. We will collaborate with an academic human motion laboratory for early virtual sensor design studies and later experimental sensor evaluations. We will develop and field-test a navigation prototype with low-power, wearable form-factor.
Impact:
Successful development of our novel techniques will enable dismounted ground forces and personnel to determine their physical position and navigate with high reliability and accuracy in many modern GPS-impaired environments. Personal Blue Force Tracking and other location-aware applications will improve the situational awareness and effectiveness of dismounted teams. Our field-tested prototypes will aid transition to sponsors.
Approved for Public Release: 06-1407 Presentation [PDF]
Quantum Sensing Gerald Gilbert, Principal Investigator Problems:
Quantum sensing, an application of the new field of quantum information science, allows for the possibility of improving image resolution beyond the classical optics Rayleigh limit. This is due to the special properties of entangled states of photons: entanglement is a quintessential quantum mechanical phenomenon. This project carries out both theoretical and experimental research at the fundamental and applied levels.
Objectives:
The project performs research on practical quantum sensing carried out in realistic environments.
Activities:
We will carry out detailed analyses on a number of topics, such as physical characteristics of bi-photons, N00N and other entangled states, diffraction, noise and losses, and practical constraints to achieve improved image resolution relative to classical methods. We will also carry out detailed phenomenological analyses directed to broadly constraining experimental activities.
Impact:
We will carry out detailed analyses on a number of topics, such as physical characteristics of bi-photons, N00N and other entangled states, diffraction, noise and losses, and practical constraints to achieve improved image resolution relative to classical methods. We will also carry out detailed phenomenological analyses directed to broadly constraining experimental activities.
Approved for Public Release: 07-0300 Presentation [PDF]
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