Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA)
ID: SOCOM254-007Type: BOTH
Overview

Topic

Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA)

Agency

Agency: DODBranch: SOCOM

Program

Type: SBIRPhase: BOTH
Timeline
    Description

    The Department of Defense, specifically the Special Operations Command (SOCOM), is seeking innovative research proposals for the Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA) under the SBIR program. This initiative aims to develop an acoustic communications system that enables small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) within a swarm to communicate and determine their relative positions using sound waves generated by their propellers. The system must achieve spatio-spectral decomposition of these sound waves to encode and transmit information, facilitating decentralized multi-agent swarming while addressing challenges such as reciprocal interference, collision avoidance, and environmental variability. The opportunity includes a Phase I feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, followed by Phase II for prototype development and demonstration. The solicitation is currently in pre-release, with the open date set for January 7, 2026, and proposals due by January 28, 2026. Interested parties can find more information and submit proposals through the official SBIR website at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/.

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    The SOCOM254-007 topic seeks applied research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA). The objective is to develop an innovative capability for small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) within a swarm to achieve spatio-spectral decomposition of sound from their propellers. This will enable information transmission and reception encoded on sound waves and support relative position awareness in a multi-agent system. The system must use propeller-generated sound for intra-swarm communication, refract sound into coherent frequencies for data encoding, and transmit/receive omnidirectionally. Key attributes include independent sUAS position determination, heterogeneous sUAS data exchange, interference addressing, collision avoidance, adaptability to varying acoustic frequencies and environmental factors, and Doppler shift mitigation. It must not rely on additional oscillators or impede normal sUAS operation. Phase I will involve a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, with Phase II developing a prototype. This technology has dual-use potential for military multi-agent drone systems operating without GPS or radio frequencies.
    The SOCOM254-007 topic seeks applied research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA) to enable communication and relative position awareness within small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) swarms. The objective is to use sound waves primarily generated by sUAS propellers as a carrier for encoded information. Key system attributes include the ability to spatio-spectrally decompose incoherent propeller sounds, refract them into coherent frequencies for data modulation, and transmit/receive omnidirectionally. The system must also allow sUAS to independently determine relative positions, support heterogeneous sUAS communication, address interference, enable collision avoidance using self-organizing algorithms like the Boids model, and account for acoustic frequency variability and Doppler shift without impeding normal sUAS operation or requiring additional oscillators. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and viable system designs, while Phase II will focus on prototype development. This technology has dual-use potential for military applications involving multi-agent drone systems operating without GPS or radio frequencies.
    The SOCOM254-007 RFP seeks innovative research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA) to enable communication and relative positioning within small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) swarms. The objective is to use sound waves, primarily from sUAS propellers, as a carrier to encode and transmit information. Key requirements include spatio-spectral decomposition and refraction of propeller-generated sound, omnidirectional transmission/reception, independent sUAS position determination, and support for heterogeneous swarms. The system must address interference, collision avoidance, and acoustic frequency variability without relying on additional oscillators. Phase I will involve a feasibility study to determine achievable data rates and system design options. Phase II will focus on prototype development. This technology has dual-use potential for military applications, particularly for Special Operations Forces requiring close-proximity drone collaboration without GPS or radio frequencies.
    The SOCOM254-007 RFP seeks innovative research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA) to enable communication and relative position awareness within small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) swarms. The objective is to use the sUAS propellers' inherent sound waves as a carrier for encoded information. Key requirements include spatial decomposition and refraction of propeller sound into coherent frequencies for data modulation, omnidirectional transmission/reception, and independent sUAS position determination. The system must support heterogeneous sUAS, mitigate reciprocal interference and Doppler shift, and not impede normal sUAS operation, while avoiding additional oscillators. This technology is ITAR/EAR restricted. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, leading to prototype development in Phase II. Dual-use applications include military multi-agent drone operations without GPS or radio frequencies for Special Operations Forces.
    The SOCOM254-007 topic, titled "Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA)," seeks applied research for an innovative acoustic-based communication system for small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) swarms. The objective is to enable sUAS to transmit and receive information encoded on sound waves, primarily using propeller noise as a carrier, and support relative position awareness within a multi-agent system. Key requirements include spatial decomposition and refraction of propeller sound into coherent frequencies, omnidirectional transmission/reception, independent relative position determination, and support for heterogeneous sUAS. The system must address interference, collision avoidance, acoustic frequency variability, and Doppler shift, without relying on additional oscillators or impeding normal sUAS operation. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, leading to a prototype in Phase II. This ITAR-restricted technology has dual-use applications for military multi-agent drone systems operating without GPS or radio frequencies.
    The SOCOM254-007 RFP seeks applied research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA). The objective is to develop an innovative capability for small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) swarms to transmit and receive information encoded on sound waves generated by their propellers, enabling relative position awareness within a multi-agent system. Key requirements include using incoherent propeller sound as a carrier, refracting sound waves into coherent frequencies for data modulation, omnidirectional transmission and reception, and independent sUAS position determination. The system must also support heterogeneous sUAS, address reciprocal interference and Doppler shift, and not impede normal sUAS operation. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, while Phase II focuses on prototype development. This technology has dual-use applications for military multi-drone systems operating without GPS or radio frequencies.
    The SOCOM254-007 topic seeks applied research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA). The objective is to enable small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) within a swarm to transmit and receive information encoded on sound waves, specifically those generated by their propellers, and to support relative position awareness. Key requirements include using propeller sound as a carrier wave, refracting sound into modulated coherent frequencies, omnidirectional transmission/reception, independent sUAS position determination, and support for heterogeneous sUAS. The system must also address interference, collision avoidance, acoustic frequency variability, Doppler shift, and not rely on additional oscillators or impede normal sUAS operation. This technology is restricted under ITAR/EAR. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options. Phase II will develop and demonstrate a prototype. Dual-use applications include military multi-agent drone systems operating without GPS or radio frequencies for Special Operations Forces.
    The SOCOM254-007 (AURORA) topic seeks applied research for an acoustic-based communication system for small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) swarms. The objective is to enable sUAS to transmit and receive information encoded on sound waves generated by their propellers, facilitating relative position awareness within a multi-agent system. Key requirements include using propeller sound as a carrier wave, spatio-spectral decomposition and refraction of sound, omnidirectional transmission/reception, independent determination of relative position, interoperability with heterogeneous sUAS, addressing interference and Doppler shift, collision avoidance, and adaptability to varying acoustic frequencies and environmental factors. The system must not rely on additional oscillators and should not impede normal sUAS operation. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, with Phase II focusing on prototype development. This technology has dual-use potential for military applications involving multi-agent drone systems operating without GPS or radio frequencies.
    The SOCOM254-007 (AURORA) topic seeks applied research for an acoustic-based communication system for small uncrewed aerial vehicle (sUAS) swarms. The objective is to enable sUAS to transmit and receive information encoded on sound waves generated by their propellers, facilitating relative position awareness within a multi-agent system. The system must spatially decompose propeller sound into component frequencies, refract them across different vectors, and process signals for decentralized swarming using self-organizing algorithms like the Boids model. Key attributes include using incoherent propeller sound for intra-swarm communication, refracting sound into coherent, modulatable frequencies, omnidirectional transmission/reception, independent relative position determination, and support for heterogeneous sUAS. The system must address interference, collision avoidance, variability in acoustic frequencies, Doppler shift, and not rely on additional oscillators or impede normal sUAS operation. Phase I will involve a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, with Phase II focusing on prototype development. This technology has dual-use applications for military multi-agent drone systems operating without GPS or radio frequencies.
    The SOCOM254-007 topic seeks applied research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA) to enable communication and relative position awareness within small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) swarms. The objective is to spatially and spectrally decompose propeller-generated sound waves to encode and transmit information. Key system attributes include using propeller sound for intra-swarm communication, refracting sound into coherent frequencies for data modulation, omnidirectional transmission/reception, independent sUAS relative position determination, and support for heterogeneous sUAS. The system must also address interference, collision avoidance, acoustic frequency variability, Doppler shift, and not impede normal sUAS operation or rely on additional oscillators. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, while Phase II focuses on prototype development. Dual-use applications include military operations for multi-agent drone systems without GPS or radio frequency reliance.
    The SOCOM254-007 RFP seeks applied research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA) to enable communication and relative position awareness within small uncrewed aerial system (sUAS) swarms. The core objective is to utilize the sUAS propeller sound as a carrier wave for data transmission and reception, allowing spatial decomposition and refraction of sound waves for encoding information. Key system attributes include using incoherent propeller sound, refracting sound into coherent frequencies for modulation, omnidirectional transmission/reception, and independent sUAS position determination. The system must also support heterogeneous sUAS, address interference and Doppler shift, and not impede normal sUAS operation. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and viable system designs, while Phase II focuses on prototype development. This technology has dual-use potential for military applications in multi-agent drone systems without relying on GPS or radio frequencies, particularly for Special Operations Forces.
    The SOCOM254-007 Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA) topic seeks innovative research for an acoustic-based communication system for small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) within a swarm. The objective is to achieve spatio-spectral decomposition of sUAS propeller sound to enable information transmission and reception, and support relative position awareness. The system must use propeller-generated sound as a carrier wave, refract sound waves into coherent frequencies for data encoding, and transmit/receive omnidirectionally. It needs to enable sUAS to determine relative positions, support heterogeneous sUAS, address interference, enable collision avoidance, account for acoustic frequency variability and environmental factors, and not rely on additional oscillators. The system must also address Doppler shift and not impede normal sUAS operation. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, with Phase II focusing on prototype development and demonstration. This technology has dual-use applications for military multi-agent drone systems operating without GPS or radio frequencies.
    The SOCOM254-007 topic seeks innovative research for an Acoustic-based UAS Rainbow Oscillation Refraction Architecture (AURORA). This system aims to enable small uncrewed aerial systems (sUAS) within a swarm to communicate and determine relative positions using sound waves generated by their propellers. The objective is to achieve spatio-spectral decomposition of propeller sound to encode and transmit information, supporting decentralized multi-agent swarming. Key attributes include using propeller sound for intra-swarm communication, refracting sound waves into coherent frequencies for data modulation, omnidirectional transmission and reception, and independent determination of relative sUAS positions. The system must also address reciprocal interference, collision avoidance, variability in acoustic frequencies from different sUAS and environmental factors, and Doppler shift, without relying on additional oscillators or impeding normal sUAS operation. Phase I involves a feasibility study to assess achievable data rates and system design options, with Phase II focusing on prototype development and demonstration. This technology has potential military applications for drone swarms operating without GPS or radio frequencies.
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