K2T proposes the development of a novel concept for using arrays of low-cost, internetted, unattended sensors to detect, localize, and classify targets in ground and littoral environments with the goal of increasing battlefield awareness. The concept will initially combine imaging, acoustic, and location sensors with local signal processing and communications capabilities; but can be expanded to include seismic, chemical, magnetic, and other sensing modalities through modular system design. Our proposed system of internetted unattended sensors incorporates elements which are innovative and advanced including: reduction of operator work load through autonomous wake-up and on-board data processing, a command interface to allow commanded wake-up and system retasking, extended operational life through use of power management hardware and software, reduced cost through use of plastics, mass production techniques, and off-the-shelf componetry, and short time from design to practical demonstration of specific missions by leveraging published results of DARPA IU and other DoD image understanding programs. The Phase I effort will result in a complete system design, quantification of key predicted performance parameters, a sensitivity analysis indicating the predicted performance of alternate proposed system configurations, and risk mitigation demonstrations of key high-risk aspects of the design. The proposed Phase I effort has commercial applications including battlefield reconnaissance, stealthy agents for littoral zone warfare, effluent monitoring, sentries for intruder monitoring, artillery spotting, chemical and biological contamination monitoring, volcano monitoring. K2T intends to commercially market the results of the Phase I and eventual Phase II efforts and is currently in the process of researching an initial customer base.
