Traditionally, small platforms that need to communicate with airborne platforms use omnidirectional antennas. This makes it simple to communicate with mobile airborne platforms but reduces the communication link range compared to directional antennas. However, directional antennas require pointing at the airborne platform, which requires a means of moving the antenna to follow the motion of the airborne platform. Additionally, if the small platform is not stable, such as on the ocean or in a moving marine or land vehicle there are limits to how small the platform can be and also how quickly it can compensate for the motion of the platform. With advances in electronically steered antennas, motion compensation and pointing toward the airborne platform can be smaller and have faster response times than mechanically steered antennas. Leveraging expertise in developing electronically steered antennas, steering algorithms, and compact, low-SWaP systems, IMSAR LLC and Brigham Young University (BYU) propose to explore methods to increase the communication link range of small platforms without increasing the transmit power. IMSAR, in collaboration with Brigham Young University (BYU), proposes to further leverage existing hardware and algorithms to develop a low-SWaP-C, inertially stabilized mechanism capable of supporting the fine beam pointing, acquisition, tracking, and stabilization (PATS) accuracy required to transmit data through extended communication link ranges in a variety of environments. The proposed solution in its final configuration will be customizable and easy to integrate into a variety of antenna configurations. It will allow small platforms to search for the airborne platform, establish a communication link (detect), and track the airborne platform
Benefit: The proposed solution has significant commercialization potential in both the Defense and non-Defense markets. The global market for unmanned vehicles is near $36 billion, and every platform, whether airborne or ground-based, uses a data-link to receive/transmit information and data from the sensors on-board. IMSARs previous integrations into a variety of small, long-endurance airborne platforms, will assist in inserting a large capability into a small package. Most systems are extremely range-limited by omnidirectional antennas resulting in loss of assets and sensors, or weak transmission of data rates. The goal is to bring to market a secure data transmission technology that allows platforms to find, establish and maintain communication, where one or the other is mobile or on unstable platforms, whether that be vehicle-to-vehicle communication, air-to-air communication, ground-to-air, ground-to-space, or air-to-space, at extended ranges. IMSAR has the necessary marketing expertise, both in house and through consulting agencies, to commercialize the proposed improvements to IMSARs radar systems.
Keywords: antenna beam width, antenna beam width, Inflatable Antenna, PATS, motion compensation antenna, Autonomous Communications, fine beam pointing, Phased array beam stabilization,
