Acoustic Recorders for Persistent High-Altitude Sensing
ID: AF242-0003Type: BOTH
Overview

Topic

Acoustic Recorders for Persistent High-Altitude Sensing

Agency

Department of DefenseN/A

Program

Type: SBIRPhase: BOTHYear: 2024

Topic Link

https://www.sbir.gov/node/2608177

Additional Information

https://www.defensesbirsttr.mil/SBIR-STTR/Opportunities/
Timeline
    Description

    The Department of Defense (DOD) is seeking proposals for the topic "Acoustic Recorders for Persistent High-Altitude Sensing" as part of their SBIR 24.2 Annual solicitation. This topic is under the Air Force branch and falls within the Integrated Sensing and Cyber critical technology area. The objective of this topic is to develop a new class of lightweight, low power, and cost-effective acoustic sensors that can be deployed on high altitude balloons (HABs). These sensors would enable the detection, tracking, and identification of aircraft, ships, explosions, rocket launches, and other sources with acoustic signatures. The proposed work includes designing a combined acoustic sensor/accelerometer package that can record faint sound waves and determine the direction of origin of the signal. The sensors are expected to have low size, weight, power, and cost (SWaP-C) requirements and can be easily added to existing HABs or flown on dedicated balloons.

    The project will be conducted in three phases. In Phase I, awardees will produce a preliminary design with resource requirements, performance estimates, and cost estimates. Phase II involves completing the preliminary designs, developing prototypes, and conducting altitude chamber and high altitude balloon flight tests. The results of these tests will be incorporated into low-rate initial production articles for further testing. Phase III focuses on commercializing the acoustic sensors and making them available for use by the Department of Defense (DoD), Intelligence Community (IC), and potentially allies. The Army and Navy's use of high altitude balloons could benefit from incorporating these sensors. Having acoustic sensors on multiple high altitude balloons in a region would improve geolocation of targets, and further efforts to develop algorithms for exploiting acoustic data from multiple sources would enhance the utility of this data.

    The solicitation is currently open, with a release date of April 17, 2024, and an application due date of June 12, 2024. More information can be found on the grants.gov website or the DOD SBIR/STTR Opportunities page.

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