MODIFICATION
20 -- Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV)
- Notice Date
- 7/22/2005
- Notice Type
- Modification
- Contracting Office
- Environmental Protection Agency, Ow Service Center, 26 West Martin Luther King Drive, Cincinnati, OH 45268
- ZIP Code
- 45268
- Solicitation Number
- RFQ-OH-05-00137
- Response Due
- 7/25/2005
- Archive Date
- 8/25/2005
- Description
- NAICS Code: 421490 Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) Amendment #3: Technical Question & Answer: The response date is still 07/25/05, at 3:00 pm (EST). Question: Part of the general description reads: "By outfitting the AUV with a ... side scan sonar unit...", however the specifications do not list a side scan sonar unit as being part of the requirement. Should we be bidding our AUV with a side scan sonar? Answer: No, please follow the minimum specifications (which does not list the side scan sonar). Therefore prospective contractors do not need to bid the AUV with a side scan sonar. Amendment #3: Technical Question & Answer. The original response date of 07/22/05, has been changed to 07/25/05, at 3:00 pm (EST). Question: We have not found that source code or detailed schematics of all electronic circuits necessary for field trouble shooting. The vehicle's housing is sealed and normally never opened by the customer. Fins, propellers, keel weights, and external sensors are field repairable without opening the housing and most are provided in the spares kit. For added levels of repair necessitating opening the housing, we can provide procedures for swapping major components such as the battery tray or tail section. Do we need to provide all of the source code for the AUV's instrumentation control and navigation software, and detailed schematics of all electronic circuits to enable field troubleshooting? Answer: The EPA does not need the electronic diagrams, but the electric diagrams would be required so that the EPA gets a schematic showing circuitry from battery/fuse to sensors to controller to motor/rudders/propellers, etc., with electronic components blackboxed. If the instrumentation control and navigation software has code that is open to end users, then the source code should be provided. But if the code is closed to end users, then the EPA does not need to see it- just indicate in your proposal that it is closed. Amendment #2: Technical question and answer. The original response date of 07/22/05 remains unchanged. The 90 days to deliver from start of the contract is tight. We can deliver a working AUV system to EPA within the 90 days but it would not be fitted with the high performance navigation module. The AUV that would be delivered within the 90 days would be operational and it would be adequate for the EPA technician to start using the AUV and navigating via dead reckoning. The additional module can be delivered within 150 days of contract start or 60 days after the base unit is delivered. Is this acceptable? Answer: Yes, that is acceptable Amendment #1 Information: Technical Question & Answers AUV Requirement, The Original response date of 07/22/05 remains unchanged. Would there be a problem using a Russian built fuselage with a U.S. designed and built drive and electronics? Answer: There is no prohibition against using a Russian built fuselage, as long as commonly replaced parts (such as O-rings) are readily available (i.e., if the fuselage comes with unusually sized O-rings that are difficult to purchase for replacement, that would be unacceptable). We use high mega-pixel Japanese built SLRs and specialized Japanese video cameras. In our system we use a video camera and an SLR - we have the video camera coupled to the eyepiece of the SLR, so that both video and an SLR still use the same optical chain. Would such a system implementation be acceptable? Answer: Yes. This is a combined synopsis/request for quote for commercial items prepared in accordance with the format in FAR Subpart 12.6, as supplemented with additional information included in this notice. Quotes are being requested and a written RFQ will not be issued. Shipping charges need to be included in price. The current NAICS code is 423490 for this requirement. (the previous NAICS code from 1997 was 421490, which is also listed in the synopsis). The specifications for the Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) are as follows: Synopsis: An Autonomous Underwater Vehicle (AUV) is an advanced technology, multipurpose swimming robot that can effectively measure environmental parameters used to access ecological health and species-habitat interactions in aquatic environments. AUVs can be configured with a variety of sensor packages to measure water quality, with video cameras to map habitats and biota (e.g. shellfish), and with side scan sonar to acoustically image seabed properties in both shallow and deep environments. This instrument will be a key component in a variety of research projects at AED in the Habitat Effects Branch, which currently is conducting research in support of the Aquatic Stressors Framework's plan for Altered Habitat Research and focuses on coastal marshes, estuaries, and near shore habitats at the scale of habitat elements and habitat mosaics up to and including entire coastal ecosystems. The Aquatic Stressors Framework states that spatial habitat mapping will be a "vital tool" in application of the stressor-response models, and thus habitat mapping of shorelines, lakes, estuaries, and sub-estuaries should be a part of the quantitative research involved in creating the models. AUVs are ideal tools for assessing and mapping habitats and biota over large spatial scales and at speeds comparable to the rate processes of interest. By outfitting the AUV with a video camera, side scan sonar unit, CTD and dissolved oxygen probe, real-time measurements of habitat quality and quantity (e.g. bottom topography, presence of shellfish beds, dissolved oxygen levels, stratification, seagrass bed areal extent and level of patchiness) can be collected relatively rapidly. The habitat and biota data collected by the AUV will be essential for ground truthing, over large spatial scales, the habitat alteration (stressor)-species response models and habitat suitability indices currently under development by the Habitat Effects Branch. This instrument will contribute to research that will (1) synthesize habitat quantity, quality, or arrangement (stressors), and (2) quantitatively relate these habitat alteration stressors to fish, shellfish, or wildlife (responses), thus supporting the Altered Habitat Research Plan's APM 5 (Report characterizing relationships of between abundance, quality, and arrangement of various habitat types ad selected biotic assessment endpoints in coastal systems) and APM 6 (Synthesized quantitative species-habitat relationships suitable for developing regional habitat-based bio-criteria for shorelines, lakes and estuaries). As dissolved oxygen level is an assessment endpoint for the Watershed Diagnostics Branch, the AUV, equipped with the fast-response dissolved oxygen sensor, will be a valuable research tool for this branch as well (APM- Report on the sensitivity of food web responses to nutrient loading coastal systems). In addition, the potential exists for the AUV to be used as a tool for large scale monitoring and assessment efforts in a range of habitats in support of the Coastal Assessment (Goal 8) and Aquatic Stressors (Goal 2) research efforts. Furthermore, we can conceive potential uses of the AUV at Gulf Ecology Division (GED), Mid-Continent Ecology Division (MED), Western Ecology Division (WED) and by EPA regions and partners. General Specifications: o The AUV must be easily lifted by two people, deployable from a small-craft or from shore, and therefore must be small and light (see specific specifications list). o The AUV must be modular in design allowing simple assembly and disassembly and be comprised mainly of commercial off-the-shelf components. o All of the source code for the AUV's instrumentation control and navigation software, and detailed schematics of all electronic circuits must be provided to enable field troubleshooting. A troubleshooting guide is also required. o The modular hull sections must be lightweight and constructed of materials immune or highly resistant to corrosion. All pressure containers must be sealed with o-rings. o The AUV must be fully operational in water temperatures ranging from -1.6?C to 35?C and remain unharmed for storage, and operational for testing in air temperatures ranging from -10?C to 45?C. o A connection to the central processing computer must be externally available through an underwater connector. o A graphical user interface (GUI) must be provided for planning of safe mission waypoints and to monitor the mission progress. The navigation planning and monitoring must be facilitated with electronic charting software that allows input and explicitly accounts for magnetic variation. o The AUV must be capable of remotely accepting mission plans and updates from a computer. The AUV must be capable of telemetering positional information and scientific data, to the remote computer. o The AUV should have a secondary transponder (i.e., pinger locator device) in case of loss of AUV. o The AUV operations must be independent of acoustic positioning systems. o When the AUV is transiting underwater between waypoints, navigation is to be performed using dead-reckoning algorithms or preferably via an inertial navigation system. Dead reckoning is to be performed using algorithms that compensate for currents and account for intermittent GPS updates. o While the AUV is at the surface, a geographic position is to be measurable using WAAS-enabled or differential GPS. o The AUV package must include rugged shipping containers for all components. o The AUV package must include a corrosion-resistant equipment stand that supports the AUV during setup, maintenance, and troubleshooting activities, and for secure storage on the deck of a ship. o The AUV package must include an expendable items spares kit for field repairs (connectors, o-rings, wiring harnesses, replacement fins or shrouds if easily damaged during deployment and recovery operations, etc.), and include a complete parts list of all commercial off-the shelf and custom AUV components. A list of part numbers and pricing must be included for all custom AUV components. o AUV demonstrations by the Contractor must be organized and conducted by the Contractor in coordination with the government representatives. For these demonstrations, only the costs associated with the government representatives' meals, incidental expenses, lodging, and the transportation will be incurred by the government. All other costs of the demonstrations are to be incurred by the Contractor. o Post-award AUV on-site services shall include training on all AUV hardware and software systems. o The operational performance and specification compliance of the candidate AUV must be fully demonstrated to U.S. EPA's AED scientists prior to acceptance of the AUV and associated payment in-full. o Software must meet the requirements of Section 508 of the Rehabilitation Act. Minimum Specifications: o Length: 1.5-3 m o Weight: < 100 kg o Depth rating: > 100 m o Sustained (mission) speed: > 3 knots o Endurance at mission speed: > 6 hours or 18 nautical miles o Re-power: via externally rechargeable batteries (through externally accessible connector) and/or easy (< 15 minute) battery swap procedure o Navigation: GPS and inertial navigation, without transponders o Control Interface: Vehicle is capable of total autonomy, and provides user-friendly ability to pre-determine vehicle path in 3D by lat/lons as well as by depth and altitude, including a capability for oscillation patterns with depth/altitude. Knowledge of specialized computer languages not required. o Sensor suite and internally recorded parameters: date, time, conductivity, temperature, depth, altitude, dissolved oxygen, latitude, longitude, heading, speed, battery voltage, and scaled images (see camera requirements below) o Maximum equilibration time for all sensors, including dissolved oxygen: 0.3 seconds. o Minimum data rate for internally recording the above parameters: 1.0 hertz (exception: camera, see below). o Camera requirements: 480 line video camera at video rate or (preferred) high-resolution (> 1.0 mega-pixel) still camera at 0.5 hertz or better. Camera must include scaling system (parallel lasers, stereoscopy, etc). All items shall be delivered to the U.S. EPA, 27 Tarzwell Drive, Narragansett, RI 02882, no later than 90 days after award. FOB point shall be destination. The following clauses apply to this request for quote: FAR 52.212-1, Instructions to Offerors-Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-2 Evaluation-Commercial Items, and the specific evaluation criteria is as follows: (1) Technical acceptability of the item offered to meet the Government's requirement and (2) Technical acceptability shall be evaluated on a pass or fail basis. Offers shall provide descriptive technical literature in sufficient detail to demonstrate that the items offered meet the minimum requirements specified above; FAR 52.212-3, Offeror Representations & Certifications- Commercial Items, shall be completed by offeror and submitted with quote, unless the offeror's registered with CCR; FAR 52.212-4, Contract terms & Conditions- Commercial Items; FAR 52.212-5, Contract Terms & Conditions Required to Implement Statutes or Executive Orders-Commercial Items. FAR 52-225-1, Buy American Act-Balance of Payments Program-Supplies; FAR 52.232-33, Payment by Electronic Funds Transfer-Central Contractor Registration; all clauses can be found at: http://farsite.hill.af.mil/VFFARA.HTM. Offers shall submit 1 copy of their quotation that references RFQ-OH-05-00137, no later than Friday July 22, 2005 at 3:00 PM (EST) to Scott A. Fogle, at fogle.scott@epa.gov or via fax at 513 487-2107. Questions or comments may also be directed to Scott A. Fogle, at 513 487-2049, or at fogle.scott@epa.gov.
- Record
- SN00853149-W 20050724/050722212441 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
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