Innovative Concepts, Inc. Awarded Phase II STTR to Develop Autonomous Battlefield Networks
11 November 2003
Innovative Concepts to provide Mobile Ad-hoc Networking Capabilities for UAVs.
McLean, VA – November 11, 2003 - Innovative Concepts was selected by the Office of Naval Research to enter into a Phase II Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) in conjunction with the Navy’s Intelligent Autonomous Networks and Systems (AINS) program. The mission of AINS is to develop autonomous battlefield technologies that enable global, persistent, and lethal intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance where the presence of human combatants is no longer required. The goal is to provide communications systems where by unmanned, unattended, and untethered drones organized in swarms on the ground, in the air, and underwater can complete missions normally seen in a hostile combat zone. The AINS program, led by Dr. Allen Mosfhegh, has pulled together a remarkable collaborative team from academia, industry, and the federal government to develop this AINS initiative.
The Innovative Concepts team, led by Dr. Andy Feldstein, serves two purposes in this STTR. First, Innovative Concepts will transition the ad-hoc networking algorithms developed by UCLA and AINS into modern weapon systems. Implementing self-configuring protocols and ad-hoc routing algorithms overcomes current connectivity limitations and results in networks that are self-forming and self-healing. Temporary jamming or permanent loss of a single node will not affect the stability of a UAV network; the network becomes progressively more robust and truly mobile.
Secondly, Innovative Concepts will assist in the prototype development of a Multiple Input Multiple Output (MIMO) communications system. MIMO radio systems apply the idea of using multiple antennas on both transmitter and receiver thus concentrating signals to make them stronger. The benefits of this concept are: high data rate communications in non-line-of-sight links and limited bandwidths, lower probability of detection and improved anti-jam performance. Innovative Concepts is targeting the Loitering Electronic Warfare Killer (LEWK) UAV Advanced Concept Technology Demonstration as the first platform for implementation.
Networking groups of vehicles and performing an operation successfully is already possible through Innovative Concepts’ IDM Technology®. This development differs in that it involves whole battalions of these vehicles and sensors operating and communicating together while maintaining the human command and control stations abreast of the event from stand off ranges (<1000 miles) thus building upon and enhancing data communication capabilities for highly mobile environments.
The technology developed by this STTR team will tackle the difficult problems seen in highly mobile tactical environments demanding robust wireless communication networks. The AINS concepts and technologies are fundamental to the realization of Navy’s ForceNet.
