SBIR-STTR Award

Leveraging IMSAR LLCs significant experience developing low-Size, Weight, and Power and Cost (SWaP-C) radar systems and radar data processing techniques and Arets expertise in classification algorithms, IMSAR and Aret propose to demonstrate all-weather, wide-area search, detection, location, and classification capabilities from a low-SWaP-C radar system and to develop a plan to integrate these capabilities for autonomous mission operations. The specific radar modes to be employed include Maritime Moving Target Indication (MMTI), Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR), and High Range Resolution (HRR) data. In order to support the Navys maritime mission area #3 identified in the solicitation, IMSAR and Aret propose to combine high-Technology Readiness Level (TRL) radar systems and classification algorithms to provide a sensor and autonomy solution able to conduct all-weather search, location, and identification of surface ships and transmit the information back to a remote operator. The proposed system will be able to integrate onto a Government-selected Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) and autonomously search an area based on an approximate location, automatically detect vessels within the area of interest using MMTI, autonomously switch modes to perform ISAR and HRR of detected targets, automatically classify the targets using advanced classification algorithms, and transmit the location and identification data back to a remote operator.

Benefit:
IMSAR LLC has designed a family of low-Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) radar systems that can be integrated on platforms ranging from a commercial multicopter to Group V Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) and manned platforms. Our radar systems are capable of performing multiple modes including Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR, Coherent and Magnitude Change Detection CCD/MCD, Ground and Dismount Moving Target Indicator (GMTI/DMTI), Maritime Moving Target Indicator (MMTI), Inverse SAR (ISAR), and High Range Resolution (HRR) imaging. Combining IMSARs radar systems with Arets advanced maritime classification algorithms will allow the system to perform maritime surface search to locate targets and to perform ISAR and HRR imaging modes to identify the targets using the classification algorithms. The capabilities will be further enhanced by automating the collection of the maritime data. These capabilities will benefit multiple Government and commercial customers by providing autonomous data collection and identification capabilities in a low-Size, Weight, and Power and Cost (SWaP-C) form factor.

Keywords:
Maritime, Maritime, Inverse SAR, HRR, Classification, ISAR, Radar, Autonomous, high range resolution

The US Navy is interested in the employment of Unmanned Airborne Systems (UAS) sensor payloads capable of autonomous all-weather anti-surface search. IMSAR LLC, developer of low-Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) multi-mode airborne radar systems, is proposing to modify its sensor to integrate in the Navys XFC platform and, through a partnership with Arete and Shield AI, provide a low-SWaP sensor solution capable of autonomously searching, locating, and identifying surface ships. The Department of Defense has deemed maritime domain awareness as critical to the homeland defense mission. A key component of threat assessment in a maritime environment is the ability to collect relevant Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance (ISR) data, regardless of the weather, in order to Detect, Locate, Identify and Report (DLIR) potential threats. To support the US Navy in its requirement to protect critical, strategic maritime territories, IMSAR LLC is proposing to leverage the components of our low-Size, Weight, Power, and Cost (SWaP-C), high-performance radar (designed for the AeroVironment Puma UAS) to develop a Synthetic Aperture Radar (SAR) and Maritime Moving Target Indicator (MMTI) sensor to provide anti-surface search capability from a low-observable Group 1-2 UAS, such as the Naval Research Laboratory (NRL) Experimental Fuel Cell (XFC) UAS. This capability provides an expeditionary autonomous surface search function that is currently unavailable. This will directly feed the smaller SWAP-C to provide this capability. The proposed system will autonomously search an area based on a reported last-known location. Using MMTI, the radar will scan wide areas to detect vessels within the area of interest and then autonomously switch modes to perform Inverse Synthetic Aperture Radar (ISAR) and High Range Resolution (HRR) profiles to provide high resolution data that will be fed into advanced classification algorithms, which will automatically identify the targets. The identification of the targets along with their locations will then be transmitted back to a remote operator at a reduced data rate using the host platforms existing data link or using a directed communications signal from IMSARs radar aperture. The proposed solution will support the mission goal of the US Navy to autonomously perform ISR activities from a Tier 2 UAS by providing all-weather, wide-area DLIR capabilities from a low-SWaP-C radar system in an extremely small form factor and integrating these capabilities for autonomous mission operations.

Benefit:
The proposed solution has significant commercialization potential in both the defense and non-defense markets. By making the required modifications to the Puma radar, IMSAR will be able to provide an extremely low-SWaP radar that can be integrated into a variety of small, long-endurance airborne platforms, providing autonomous classification of targets. The market has a need for autonomous systems that can autonomously fly with limited information such as a cue, and then surveille a desired area using radar. In order to better automate the area of interest, the radar not only needs to detect objects in the scene, but also classify and geolocate them as well. This can include hostile targets as well as obstacle and friendly objects as well--addressing a both a commercial and Defense need. Not only does this technology have application in defense application but it also has application for drone delivery. For example, * Drones can autonomously deliver needed supplies to ships that need medical supplies and food to both Naval and non-Naval vessels. This would be particularly useful for a vessel that has lost its AIS transponder. * Drone delivery is also important to the commercial world as merchants are trying to move to drone delivery. * The Air Force and other commercial entities are trying to develop multi-copter taxis for use in dense urban environments that need radar for sense and avoid as well as degraded visual environment (DVE) for landings in inclement weather.

Keywords:
Radar, UAS,