NASA STTR 2012 Solicitation

SMALL BUSINESS CONCERN (SBC):		RESEARCH INSTITUTION (RI):
NAME:	Sentix	NAME:	Brigham Young University
STREET:	801 Sycolin Road, Suite 306	STREET:	A-258 ASB
CITY:	Leesburg	CITY:	Provo
STATE/ZIP:	VA  20175 - 5686	STATE/ZIP:	UT  84602 - 1014
PHONE:	(800) 405-8576	PHONE:	(801) 422-3841

PRINCIPAL INVESTIGATOR/PROJECT MANAGER (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Stephen Pledgie
spledgie@sentixcorp.com
801 Sycolin Road, Suite 306
Leesburg, VA 20175 - 5686
(800) 405-8576 Extension :25

CORPORATE/BUSINESS OFFICIAL (Name, E-mail, Mail Address, City/State/Zip, Phone)
Chris Stevenson
cstevenson@sentixcorp.com
801 Sycolin Road, Suite 306
Leesburg, VA 20175 - 5686
(540) 454-7458

Estimated Technology Readiness Level (TRL) at beginning and end of contract:
Begin: 4
End: 4

Technology Available (TAV) Subtopics
Autonomous Systems for Atmospheric Flight is a Technology Available (TAV) subtopic that includes NASA Intellectual Property (IP). Do you plan to use the NASA IP under the award?
No

TECHNICAL ABSTRACT (Limit 2000 characters, approximately 200 words)
Sentix and Brigham Young University propose the research and development of embedded payload intelligence for inflight optimization of surveillance, reconnaissance, and scientific missions. The current proposal leverages a substantial body of scientific and experimental knowledge derived from the Tactical Seeability™ System developed by Sentix' staff and BYU researchers to provide fully automated, optimal optical sensing over rugged 3D terrain. Discriminating features of our target capability include the following: 1.) A modular, sensor and platform agnostic framework for preflight and inflight modeling and optimization of performance in data acquisition missions, 2.) Mission impact modeling relating sensor payload configuration (states) to "sensing value" for the mission. 3.) An optimizer for the configuration of the aircraft and payload. 4.) An online estimator of current mission impact arising from the actual, achieved sensing, which can be used to inform a re-planning process for corrections to flight trajectories and payload configuration.

POTENTIAL NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
Mission-aware payloads offer the potential for autonomous platforms to achieve unprecedented levels of accuracy and information density in the sensing products they acquire, package, and deliver to remote operators around the globe. Sentix' successful development of a "smart payload" that is mission and platform aware relative to an operating environment will enable NASA to apply this technology to long-duration earth science missions collecting imagery (EO/IR/HS) across a variety of terrains and atmospheric conditions. It is important to note that integration of sensing intelligence into payload systems will yield implications well beyond terrestrial / earth-bound applications. Space robotics used for exploration of other worlds will present the same, if not significantly greater, challenges with regards to C2 and data links. Because the optimal sensing capabilities can be realized in both airborne and surface environments, robotic platforms in both domains will benefit, yielding rovers, winged fliers, and rotor / flapping flight explorers that can operate with substantially greater autonomy than is currently available to NASA.

POTENTIAL NON-NASA COMMERCIAL APPLICATIONS (Limit 1500 characters, approximately 150 words)
The new capabilities and embedded technology to emerge from this STTR effort will be directly applicable to nearly all inventory platforms (e.g., Predator, Reaper, Shadow) with the possible exception of the lightest weight systems such as Raven and Wasp. Placing the 'smarts' forward into the aircraft and sensor itself will literally embody sensor intelligence onto the battlefield and help to empower autonomy machines, allowing commanders to decide whether they can, at this point in the future, be granted agency to act on behalf of the commanding nation. Beyond DoD applications, DHS-CBP will find widespread use for self-optimizing sensor platforms to aid in border coverage and port overwatch. Similarly, FEMA's ability to use optimal sensing capabilities during response to disasters, e.g., hurricanes, floods, tornados, and management of ongoing recoveries will yield positive results.

TECHNOLOGY TAXONOMY MAPPING (NASA's technology taxonomy has been developed by the SBIR-STTR program to disseminate awareness of proposed and awarded R/R&D in the agency. It is a listing of over 100 technologies, sorted into broad categories, of interest to NASA.)

Autonomous Control (see also Control & Monitoring) Data Acquisition (see also Sensors) Image Processing Intelligence Perception/Vision