DARPA surveys industry for mature unmanned sensor payloads to detect and classify surface vessels

ARLINGTON, Va., 30 March 2015. U.S. military researchers are surveying industry to find mature electro-optic sensor payload and signal-processing technologies that can help unmanned surface vessels (USVs) detect and classify other surface ships in the area.

Officials of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) in Arlington, Va., issued a request for information late last week (DARPA-SN-15-27) for the Hardware and Software for Unmanned Vessel Perception project.

Unmanned vehicle payload experts in the DARPA Tactical Technology Office are trying to identify currently available sensor systems and image-processing technologies to support automatic real-time surface vessel detection and classification from electro-optical and infrared (EO/IR) and light detection and ranging (LIDAR) sensors.

Unmanned surface vessels under development must rely on a multi-sensor suite of active and passive sensors for collision avoidance, detecting hazards to navigation, as well as to detect and classify surface vessels and surface vessel states.

Related: Navy to develop unmanned surface vessels as its newest generation of minesweepers

DARPA researchers are looking for mature that can be tested in proxy and operational environments and integrated with other technologies with limited additional development. Experts want to test unmanned sensor payloads in a variety of weather and visibility conditions to push the boundaries of automated hazard detection onboard unmanned surface vessels.

This testing will enable unmanned surface vessels to these vessels to operate autonomously and safely in the presence of manned maritime traffic in all weather conditions, day or night.

This RFI seeks information in three areas: maritime perception sensors; maritime perception software; and classification software for day-shapes and navigation lights.

Responses should include size, weight, power information; exemplar maritime imagery; technical data on imaging performance; and information on system reliability. Responses also should include a description of each data interface (digital or analog) to include data rate, mechanical interface, imagery format, and available image refresh rate.

Related: Maritime nuisance: unmanned surface vessels designed to harass enemy submarines

Responses for software should include strengths and limitations for operating in the maritime environment, theoretical or empirically derived receiver-operator characteristic curves, and description of data requirements for training.

Companies interested should email five-page responses no later than 28 April 2015 to [email protected]. Email questions or concerns to [email protected].

More information is online at https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/DARPA-SN-15-27/listing.html.