The Department of Defense, specifically the Army, is seeking innovative solutions through the SBIR program for a project titled "Beacon for Assured Landing Location." The objective is to develop a system that enables automated drone landings in contested or austere environments, eliminating the need for human intervention and ensuring precision landing within +/- 1 meter. This technology is crucial for enhancing operational safety and efficiency in military missions, particularly in scenarios where GPS and communication links may be compromised. Proposals for this opportunity are due by February 5, 2025, with a funding amount of up to $1,600,000 for an 18-month performance period, and interested parties can find more information at the provided source link.

## Description

Landing drones in contested or austere conditions is a challenge &ndash; leading to diversions and crashes. Current Army missions involving drone landings require a human to manually perform all operations, including environment analysis, flight decisions, and safe landing protocols. This process can be unreliable due to complications in contested environments such as degraded GPS, faulty communication links between the drone and operator, adversarial signal blocking, or other hazardous engagements.To reduce operational and safety risk the Army seeks an innovative system to direct aerial vehicles to exact landing zones aboard a vehicle in motion or an identified location within urban or austere environments. The system would employ low-detection signals, without the need for a human in the loop. The system should include but is not limited to the following features:●&emsp;Pinpoint and navigate UAS to landing sites, static, and in-motion, +/- 1 meter precision●&emsp;Support multiple landing locations simultaneously●&emsp;Be capable of remote activation/deactivation●&emsp;Adapt effectively to changing, unpredictable, and contested conditions●&emsp;Function with little or no direct communication from a drone operator●&emsp;Feature learning algorithms that adapt to various environments and relative motion●&emsp;Open integration with current and future drone platforms

## Objective

Develop, demonstrate, and deliver solutions that increase the precision of automated drone landings. The system should be capable of landing a drone onto either moving or non-moving unmanned platforms, or the ground and should be able to function in highly congested or adverse environments (such as dense foliage, close buildings, or multiple aerial operations) with little or no input from a human operator.

## Phase I

This topic is only accepting Direct to Phase II proposals for a cost up to $1,600,000 for an 18-month period of performance.DP2 proposals must provide documentation to substantiate that the scientific and technical merit and feasibility (listed in the following paragraph) are met, and the proposals must describe potential commercial applications of the solution. The provided documentation should contain all relevant information including, but not limited to, technical reports, test data, prototype designs/models, and performance goals/results.

## Phase II

Refine the preliminary design proposed in the solicitation response and create a Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 prototype/model/system. System refinement should include integrating existing Army systems or newly developed systems from other performers and showcasing modularity. The solution will be demonstrated at a vendor-provided, government-approved location to evaluate performance. Solutions will be evaluated based on criteria including technical feasibility, required Phase II deliverables including the TRL 6 system, and operational demonstration for performance evaluation. Additionally, the performer will deliver monthly progress reports detailing design and performance analysis. At the end of the period of performance, the performer will submit a final technical report.Performers may be eligible for a Sequential Phase II award after completion of the Phase II period of performance. Sequential Phase II awards can extend the period of performance with additional funding and potential matching funds opportunities to finish building solutions at the Army stakeholders&rsquo; discretion.

## Phase III: Dual Use Applications

The objective of Phase III, where appropriate, is for the small business to pursue commercialization objectives through the effort. Companies may develop a manufacturing-ready product design, capable of integration with the existing or future systems, and demonstrate technology integration. Low-rate production will occur as required. Companies will engage in laboratory or operational testing as required. Phase III deliverables include system-level integration, technical data package, installation documentation, and a system-level prototype for demonstration and government-sponsored testing.

PDF.html

Please provide the text you would like me to summarize.

Beacon for Assured Landing Location

SBIR Opportunity Analysis

SBIR Documents

Related SBIR/STTR Opportunities

Opportunity Snapshot

Key Dates