SBIR-STTR Award

Special Operations Forces needs a repository containing three dimensional (3D) geospatial and structural information that can be visualized when developing plans and executing operations. Limited success integrating CAD and GIS information over the last 20 years illustrates the difficulty of this task. The proposed study determines feasibility of a 3D BIM, CAD, and GIS repository by personnel with expertise and experience in BIM, CAD, and GIS data modeling and data management, including prior work to integrate CAD and GIS data. The proposal identifies major research questions and objectives that guide the study and describes an initial architectural concept. The proposed approach creates a data model that incorporates 3D BIM, CAD, and GIS objects with metadata, creates alternative architectures that use open systems software components, conducts an analysis of the alternative architectures, conducts experiments of effectiveness and performance on technologies that could operate in the architectures, and specifies a feasible modular open systems architecture that uses best-of-breed technology. The experimental research approach quantifies the feasibility of the recommended architecture based on the experiments and risk analysis. Internal reviews will indicate project progress and the final report provides a roadmap toward deployment of the repository using an approach that minimizes operation disruptions.

Our nations warfighting capability is both aided and hindered by increasing volume, velocity, and variety of heterogeneous PED data. A scalable, adaptable, open architecture and automation are central themes in the proposed Phase II approach. The proposed architecture features innovative Master Repository (MR) and GeoPackage Repository (GR), with new tools and services that operate in a cloud environment, providing a unified capability for processing 2D/3D/4D geospatial data in support of end-to-end SOF PED operations across SOF missions, from source processing to Master Repository to GeoPackage Repository to dissemination and mission exploitation. The proposed MR supports a Seamless Whole Earth user experience, where users will gracefully interact with a digital earth, while being shielded from underlying system complexities. The target cloud services platform and environment will provide USSOCOM with significant off-the-shelf means for server and data archive hosting, virtualization, security, availability, scalability, enterprise messaging, and continuity of operations. New open services and workflows will provide plug-n-play capabilities that enable USSOCOM to incorporate changes over time to adapt to new mission challenges, technology, and requirements. The proposed GR will contain enhanced GeoPackages, which will support mission operators at the various levels of SOF Commands, including operators on the dirt.