SBIR-STTR Award

FAUST: Finite-field Algebra for Unbeatable Situational-awareness in Tactical-networks
Award last edited on: 2/1/2013

Sponsored Program
SBIR
Awarding Agency
DOD : Army
Total Award Amount
$484,947
Award Phase
2
Solicitation Topic Code
A09-170
Principal Investigator
Carlos Gutierrez

Company Information

Scientific Systems Company Inc (AKA: SSCI~Scientific Systems Inc)

500 West Cummings Park Suite 3000
Woburn, MA 01801
   (781) 933-5355
   info@ssci.com
   www.ssci.com
Location: Single
Congr. District: 05
County: Middlesex

Phase I

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase I year
2010
Phase I Amount
$69,999
We propose FAUST, the Finite-field Algebra for Unbeatable Situational-awareness in Tactical-networks. FAUST utilizes Boston University’s CPISync, an advanced data set reconciliation primitive that significantly improves synchronization and transmission of different types of Situational Awareness information among nodes using common SA platforms. FAUST offers better performance for dissemination of information vs. commonly used approaches of flooding or epidemic dissemination. Information types that can be reconciled encompass SA, data and geographical, and network topology. CPISync supports scalable dissemination, providing information-theoretic guarantees on communication complexity. It is a lower level protocol that maximizes the value of the information exchanged during an encounter (data synchronization). This primitive improves network performance by enabling larger aggregation of data (scalability), higher data collection rates during link failures, and efficient utilization of low bandwidth data links. These protocols tie together with network-wide protocols that work when no end-to-end paths are available and that provide persistence to data (survivability). In Phase I, SSCI will demonstrate performance improvement over baseline standard data synchronization mechanisms for ordered data, using a virtual network. Comparison metrics include communication latency, energy consumption, and volume of data synchronized per unit time. Phase II will enable user self-management in the field, such as allowing the users to select the groups that it belongs to.

Keywords:
Data Reconciliation, Data Synchronization, Data Set Reconciliation, Force Xxi Battle Command Brigade And Below (Fbcb2), Situational Awareness (Sa), Tactical Networks, Store-Ca

Phase II

Contract Number: ----------
Start Date: ----    Completed: ----
Phase II year
2012
Phase II Amount
$414,948
Scientific Systems Company, Inc. proposes FAUST, the Finite-field Algebra for Unbeatable Situational-awareness in Tactical-networks. FAUST utilizes CPISync, an advanced data set reconciliation (or data base synchronization) primitive developed at Boston University that provides information-theoretic guarantees on communication complexity. This primitive will have a great impact on improving network performance by enabling larger aggregation of data (scalability), higher rates of data collection during link failures and efficient utilization of low bandwidth data links. It significantly improves the synchronization and transmission of different types of Situational Awareness (SA) information among nodes using common SA platforms such as FBCB2. In Phase I, SSCI demonstrated FAUST offers performance improvements over baseline standard data synchronization mechanisms for ordered data such as flooding or epidemic dissemination. The demonstration was performed using a virtual network, and metrics such as SA picture quality, communication latency, volume of data synchronized per unit time were used for comparison. Phase II will continue this work by enabling user self management in the field, such as allowing the users to select the groups that it belongs to. It will also provide improved recovery mechanisms for failed synchronizations, data prioritization and more efficient many-to-many synchronization mechanisms. A demonstration of two scenarios involving several nodes, an SA picture synchronization scenario and a mission planning scenario, will be developed using tablet devices running Android.

Keywords:
Data Reconciliation, Data Synchronization, Data Set Reconciliation, Force Xxi Battle Command Brigade And Below (Fbcb2), Situational Awareness (Sa), Tactical Networks, Store-Ca