Adaptable, Low Cost Sensors
Abstract
The objective of the Adaptable, Low Cost Sensor program is to leverage commercial technology and commercial manufacturing techniques with antenna technologies developed in PE 0602716E, Project ELT-01 to significantly reduce the cost of sensors and sensor systems. Military sensors are currently developed as unique designs that fully integrate mission-specific hardware required for sensing, with all of the other non-mission specific capabilities, including sensors (e.g., GPS), processing, memory storage and communications into a single device. Not only does this approach significantly increase the cost of the device, it makes changing requirements extremely difficult and the upgrading of any specific component impossible. However, significant advances have been made in the capabilities of commercial equipment for almost all of those non-mission capabilities, mostly driven by the smart phone industry. This makes it possible to create a mission-independent, designed-to-cost "commercial smart core" that can be combined with an applique of mission-specific hardware to provide the overall sensing capability. Because the core can be upgraded independently of any particular mission, sensors can make use of the advances and decreasing cost that is inherent in commercial technology. Because commercial technology can be used in the core, commercial development and manufacturing techniques can also be leveraged, further improving the cost and development time of sensor systems. In addition, this program will enable effective distributed sensor systems that were previously infeasible due to high cost of individual sensors. This program will transition to the Services.
Document Details
- Document Type
- Accomplishment
- Publication Date
- Oct 01, 2012
- Source ID
- c4551c76d85e01a4d008dbbdcbd97e87
Related Documents
- Root: SENSOR TECHNOLOGY