Harris Team Awarded $6.6 Million Airborne Laser Radar R&D Contract

UAV NEWS

Demonstration of synthetic LADAR technology.

Melbourne FL (SPX) Jun 03, 2005
Harris Corporation announced Thursday that it has been awarded a $6.6 million research and development contract by the U.S. Army Communications-Electronics Command (CECOM) to develop and demonstrate the Jigsaw Laser Radar (LADAR) 3D-imaging test-bed system for use on a DP-5X Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV).

The ability to reliably identify targets - tanks and other vehicles - hidden under foliage and camouflage was successfully demonstrated by Harris and MIT-Lincoln Laboratories during an earlier Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)-sponsored proof-of-concept Jigsaw study.

This demonstration was followed by the recently completed initiative to design a smaller, lighter, autonomous, yet better-performing test bed system suitable for use on a medium-sized UAV.

During this latest phase of the DARPA-sponsored effort, Harris is providing systems integration services in cooperation with LADAR sensor developer MIT-LL and DP-5X platform developer Dragonfly Pictures Incorporated.

In addition, the U.S. Army Research Development & Engineering Command (RDECOM), Communications-Electronics Research Development and Engineering Center (CERDEC), Night Vision & Electronic Sensors Directorate (NVESD) is providing test range services and UH-1 helicopter support for early flight testing; Sarnoff Corporation is providing sophisticated 3D-image registration algorithms; and L3Com/Wescam is providing a small, high-performance turret.

This phase includes full implementation of a UAV version of Jigsaw, followed by experimentation and demonstrations, and concludes with in-depth analysis of data collected with the airborne test bed during flight campaigns using the UH-1 helicopter and DP-5X UAV helicopter.

"We are proud of our relationship with DARPA and NVESD in advancing the state of the art in battlespace technologies," said Dan Pearson, president of the Department of Defense (DoD) Programs business unit of Harris Corporation's Government Communications Systems Division (GCSD).

"Harris and these agencies share a common vision - that airborne 3D LADAR will provide a vital intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance (ISR) capability on the battlefield of the future, providing operational value to the warfighter while saving lives."

Key elements of the Jigsaw system include: (1) the next-generation LADAR sensor subsystem (including a small, low-cost microchip laser and a photon- counting Geiger avalanche photodiode array) provided by MIT-LL; (2) complex, 3D image registration algorithms provided by Sarnoff; and (3) processing, pointing/tracking and high-throughput payload communications subsystems, along with 3D visualization tools/image analyst interface software provided by Harris.

UAV NEWS

MathWorks Tools Helps Design UAV Testbed

Natick MA (SPX) Jun 01, 2005
MathWorks reports that its aerospace software has enabled Northrop Grumman's Integrated Systems Sector to develop the Northrop Grumman Trajectory Generation (NGTG) software package of advanced real-time trajectory generation flight software for use in an unmanned aerial vehicle flying test bed.

Thanks for being here; We need your help. The SpaceDaily news network continues to grow but revenues have never been harder to maintain. With the rise of Ad Blockers, and Facebook - our traditional revenue sources via quality network advertising continues to decline. And unlike so many other news sites, we don't have a paywall - with those annoying usernames and passwords. Our news coverage takes time and effort to publish 365 days a year. If you find our news sites informative and useful then please consider becoming a regular supporter or for now make a one off contribution.
SpaceDaily Contributor $5 Billed Once credit card or paypal		SpaceDaily Monthly Supporter $5 Billed Monthly paypal only

The content herein, unless otherwise known to be public domain, are Copyright 1995-2016 - Space Media Network. All websites are published in Australia and are solely subject to Australian law and governed by Fair Use principals for news reporting and research purposes. AFP, UPI and IANS news wire stories are copyright Agence France-Presse, United Press International and Indo-Asia News Service. ESA news reports are copyright European Space Agency. All NASA sourced material is public domain. Additional copyrights may apply in whole or part to other bona fide parties. Advertising does not imply endorsement, agreement or approval of any opinions, statements or information provided by Space Media Network on any Web page published or hosted by Space Media Network. Privacy Statement All images and articles appearing on Space Media Network have been edited or digitally altered in some way. Any requests to remove copyright material will be acted upon in a timely and appropriate manner. Any attempt to extort money from Space Media Network will be ignored and reported to Australian Law Enforcement Agencies as a potential case of financial fraud involving the use of a telephonic carriage device or postal service.