SOLICITATION NOTICE
A -- Multiple Optical Non-redundant Aperture Generalized Sensors (MONTAGE)
- Notice Date
- 7/8/2003
- Notice Type
- Solicitation Notice
- Contracting Office
- Other Defense Agencies, Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, Contracts Management Office, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA, 22203-1714
- ZIP Code
- 22203-1714
- Solicitation Number
- BAA03-16
- Response Due
- 10/14/2003
- Archive Date
- 7/8/2004
- Point of Contact
- Ravindra Athale, DARPA Program Manager, Phone 000-000-0000, Fax 703-696-2206, - Dennis Healy, DARPA Program Manager /MTO, Phone 000-000-0000, Fax 703-696-2206,
- E-Mail Address
-
none, dhealy@darpa.mil
- Description
- DARPA is soliciting innovative research leading to revolutionary advances in imaging sensor systems obtained through the intelligent integration of today?s advanced capabilities within the individual optical, detection, and processing subsystems. It is envisioned that such integration will be enabled by recent advances in system optimization methods, which provide an emerging capability for co-design and joint optimization of the optical, detection, and processing aspects of imaging systems. This new approach stands in marked contrast to traditional design practice involving separate optimization of each subsystem within the confines of its conventional function. It is anticipated that the MONTAGE program will consider imaging system designs in which the traditional roles of subsystems are modified significantly and may even merge, enabling dramatic new formats and capabilities. A particular objective of this program is the systematic exploration of the trade-offs among analog optical processing as realized by pre-detection optics, on-chip processing within sensor arrays, and post-detection digital processing. The impact of these trades on systems-level performance is of particular concern. In particular, the output from imaging systems is often used in image exploitation tasks like target detection, identification and tracking. Consequently, optimization of systems with respect to performance relevant to image exploitation tasks is one of the goals of MONTAGE. In pursuit of these program goals DARPA is soliciting proposals detailing research, design, demonstration, and validation of MONTAGE imaging systems. It is anticipated that the resulting systems concepts will provide radical improvements in the capabilities, functions, and formats of imaging systems for DoD applications. Several specific directions for advance have been selected for demonstration at this stage as indicated below. For more details along with relevant figures of merit and criteria, please refer to the Proposer Information Pamphlet described in the GENERAL INFORMATION Section. Current imaging systems for visible and thermal wavelengths employ standard lenses to form an image in the focal plane, where the light intensity distribution is converted into electrical signals by a high resolution detector array. The resultant signals may then be post-processed by a digital subsystem in order to perform calibration, noise suppression or other higher-level operations (such as segmentation, recognition). The performance of the system is often quantified in terms of the total field of view, the angular resolution (ability to distinguish two closely spaced point objects) and signal-to-noise ratio. These performance parameters are impacted in a complex, interrelated manner by the choice of aperture and focal length of the optical subsystem, the pixel size and total number of pixels in the detector array, and finally by the algorithms applied to detector output in the digital post-processing subsystem. Deployment of high performance imaging systems on a wide variety of platforms (dismounted soldiers, ground vehicles, UAVs) is impacted by the system form factor, which is dictated largely by the aspect ratio of width-to-depth. In conventional imaging systems this is primarily determined by the aperture (width) and focal length (depth) of the imaging optics. Since the focal length is typically greater than the aperture diameter, these systems are ?deep.? Beyond the obvious impact of this fact on the geometric ?fit? of the imager with the platform, there are often important implications for many other properties of the imaging system, such as its weight and angular moment of inertia. The main focus of the MONTAGE program is to develop new imaging sensors with radically different form, fit, and function as compared to existing systems. Research efforts in this program will be structured in three successive phases. Advancement of specific research projects from one phase to the next will be determined by review of research progress according to the criteria given below. The primary goal of Phase I is to change dramatically the form factor of the imaging sensor by reducing its depth by one order of magnitude with respect to a corresponding conventional system while maintaining performance in terms of angular resolution and light gathering ability. Another goal of Phase I effort will be to implement required image processing on a PC-like platform in less than one second. Phase II efforts will build upon the accomplishments of Phase I and will extend the performance of the imaging system in the total field of view and angular resolution while retaining the reduced depth achieved in Phase I. The processing time for image formation will also be reduced to less than 100 milliseconds. New functionalities of conformal deployment on curved surfaces and programmable angular resolution over different regions will be demonstrated in Phase II. The potential for reducing the depth by another order of magnitude beyond Phase I goal and improving angular resolution beyond the diffraction limits of the coherent collection aperture of the imaging system will also be explored in Phase II. This phase will begin immediately after the successful conclusion of Phase I and will last 18 months. Phase III, lasting 12 months, will pursue the transition of the most promising concepts to specific DoD applications identified during Phase II. Teaming is encouraged and the viability of teaming arrangements should be clearly explained in the proposal abstracts. Emphasis will be placed on integrated approaches, i.e., integrated teams formed to better address the many different technological and scientific aspects of the MONTAGE Sensors program. Proposals involving individual investigators or investigator teams of narrower expertise may be appropriate if they show strong potential applicability to the broad MONTAGE goals, including a clear mechanism for ultimately integrating successful developments into full sensor system development. Teaming between industries, universities, and/or federal and national laboratories with complementary areas of expertise is strongly encouraged. This announcement is soliciting proposals addressing the Phase I, II, and III activities. Phase II and III activities should be proposed as optional tasks starting nineteen months after the beginning of the effort. Additional information on these technology areas is provided in the Areas of Interest section of the BAA 03-16 Proposer Information Pamphlet referenced below. PROGRAM SCOPE Multiple awards are anticipated. Collaborative efforts/teaming are encouraged. A web site: http://www.davincinetbook.com/teams/login.asp has been established to facilitate formation of teaming arrangements between interested parties. Specific content, communications, networking, and team formation are the sole responsibility of the participants. Neither DARPA nor the Department of Defense (DoD) endorses the destination web site or the information and organizations contained therein, nor does DARPA or the DoD exercise any responsibility at the destination. This web site is provided consistent with the stated purpose of this BAA. Cost sharing is not required and is not an evaluation criterion but is encouraged where there is a reasonable probability of a potential commercial application related to the proposed research and development effort. The technical points of contact for this effort are Dr. Ravi Athale and Dr. Dennis Healy fax: (703) 696-2206, electronic mail: BAA03-16@darpa.mil. GENERAL INFORMATION Proposers must obtain a pamphlet entitled ?BAA 03-16, Multiple Optical Non-redundant Aperture Generalized Sensors, Proposer Information Pamphlet? which provides further information on program goals, the submission, evaluation, and funding processes, proposal abstract formats, proposal formats, and other general information. This pamphlet may be obtained from the FedBizOpps website: http://www.fedbizopps.gov/, World Wide Web (WWW) at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ or by fax, electronic mail, or mail request to the administrative contact address given below. Proposal not meeting the format described in the pamphlet may not be evaluated. In order to minimize unnecessary efforts in proposal preparation and review, proposers are strongly encouraged to submit proposal abstracts in advance of full proposals. An original and nine (9) copies of the abstract as specified in the Proposer Information Pamphlet, along with two (2) electronic copies (i.e., two separate disks) must be submitted to DARPA/MTO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA 03-16) on or before 4:00 p.m., ET, Monday, August 11, 2003. Proposal abstracts received after this time and date may not be reviewed. Upon review, DARPA will provide written feedback on the likelihood of a full proposal being selected and the time and date for submission of a full proposal. Proposers not submitting proposal abstracts must submit an original and nine copies of the full proposal to DARPA/MTO, 3701 North Fairfax Drive, Arlington, VA 22203-1714 (Attn.: BAA 03-16) on or before 4:00 p.m., ET, Tuesday, October 14, 2003, in order to be considered during the initial round of selections; however, proposals received after this deadline may be received and evaluated up to one year from date of posting on FedBizOpps. File formats for the electronic copies shall be PDF, and MS-Word-readable. Media for each copy may be a single CD-ROM, a single 100 Megabyte Iomega Zip (registered) disk, or a single 3.5-inch High Density MS-DOS formatted 1.44 Megabyte diskette. Each disk must be clearly labeled with BAA 03-16, proposer organization, proposal title (short title recommended), and Copy number __ of 2. Full proposals submitted after the due date specified in the BAA or due date otherwise specified by DARPA after review of proposals may be selected contingent upon the availability of funds. This notice, in conjunction with the BAA 03-16 Proposer Information Pamphlet, constitutes the total BAA. No additional information is available, nor will a formal RFP or other solicitation regarding this announcement be issued. Requests for the same will be disregarded. The Government reserves the right to select for award all, some, or none of the proposals received. All responsible sources capable of satisfying the Government's needs may submit a proposal; which shall be considered by DARPA. Input on technical aspects of the proposals may be solicited by DARPA from non-Government consultants /experts who are bound by appropriate non-disclosure requirements. Non-Government technical consultants/experts will not have access to proposals that are labeled by their offerors as ?Government Only?. Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and Minority Institutions (MIs) are encouraged to submit proposals and join others in submitting proposals; however, no portion of this BAA will be set aside for HBCU and MI participation due to the impracticality of reserving discrete or severable areas of research in revolutionary designs for imaging sensor system based on co-design and joint optimization of the optical, detection and post-processing subsystems. All administrative correspondence and questions on this solicitation, including requests for information on how to submit a full proposal to this BAA, should be directed to one of the administrative addresses below; e-mail or fax is preferred. DARPA intends to use electronic mail and fax for correspondence regarding BAA 03-16. Proposal abstracts and full proposals may not be submitted by fax or e-mail; any so sent will be disregarded. DARPA encourages use of the WWW for retrieving the Proposer Information Pamphlet and any other related information that may subsequently be provided. EVALUATION CRITERIA Evaluation of abstracts will be accomplished through a technical review of each abstract using the following criteria, which are listed in descending order of relative importance: (l) overall scientific and technical merit, (2) potential contribution and relevance to DARPA mission, (3) plans and capability to accomplish technology transition, (4) offeror's capabilities and related experience, and (5) cost realism. Note: cost realism will only be significant in proposals; which have significantly under or over-estimated the cost to complete their effort. The administrative addresses for this BAA are: Fax: (703) 351-8616 (Addressed to: DARPA/MTO, BAA 03-16), Electronic Mail: BAA03-16@darpa.mil Mail: DARPA/MTO, ATTN: BAA 03-16 3701 North Fairfax Drive Arlington, VA 22203-1714 This announcement and the Proposer Information Pamphlet may be retrieved via the WWW at URL http://www.darpa.mil/ in the solicitations area.
- Record
- SN00366573-W 20030710/030708214143 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps.gov Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
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