MODIFICATION
A -- Request for Information: Interoperability Standards for Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGVs)
- Notice Date
- 12/29/2009
- Notice Type
- Modification/Amendment
- Contracting Office
- TACOM Contracting Center (TACOM-CC), ATTN: AMSTA-AQ-AMB, E Eleven Mile Road, Warren, MI 48397-5000
- ZIP Code
- 48397-5000
- Solicitation Number
- RFI-IS-UGV-2010
- Response Due
- 1/29/2010
- Archive Date
- 3/30/2010
- Point of Contact
- Damon McNally, (586) 282-5185
- E-Mail Address
-
TACOM Contracting Center (TACOM-CC)
(damon.mcnally@us.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- From the Project Manager, Robotic Systems Joint Project Office Program Executive Office Ground Combat Systems 1. Robotics Systems. The Project Manager, Robotic Systems Joint Project Office (RS JPO) located at the United States Army TACOM Life Cycle Management Command (LCMC) in Warren, Michigan, currently manages several robotic Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) platforms fielded within the United States and overseas in support of our Army and Marine Corps forces in performing unmanned reconnaissance, surveillance, and route and area clearance missions of IEDs and land mines. Each platform has its own Operator Control Unit (OCU) that provides control of a UGV and its unique mission capability payloads. The RS JPO is seeking substantive information to contribute to the development of interoperability standards for UGVs. The RS JPO is pursuing an iterative, progressive (crawl, walk, run) approach to standards determination. This information could form the basis of UGV interoperability profiles that would be used in future UGV acquisition performance requirements. 2. Request For Information. This request is for technical information and considerations for developing UGV non-proprietary interoperability standards that will provide for commonality of interfaces, third party payload modularity, interchangeability of payloads between OEMs, common control and control interfaces based on open standards and open interfaces resulting in competitive Unmanned Ground Vehicle procurements. The RS JPO requests that all interested companies furnish specific responses to the questions provided and complete a company information questionnaire. Additionally, respondents should provide any supplemental information or commercial literature describing the technical considerations for interoperability addressing the logical (JAUS), physical, transport, and common data link interfaces. The Government does NOT wish to obtain proprietary or otherwise protected documents as a result of this Request For Information. Further, all documents received will not be shared, released or disclosed outside of the U.S. Government. The Government may return such data or documents submitted that have proprietary or protected markings. The Government is under no obligation of any kind to proceed with an acquisition in anyway related to this market survey. This survey is not intended as a solicitation of any proposal. Please note that the RS JPO is planning a future engagement with industry in 3rd Quarter 2010 to further expand and develop this initial effort, announcement posting is anticipated for 2nd Quarter 2010. 3. Response Format. Electronic responses are required. The maximum size of each e-mail message and associated attachments should be no more than three and one-half (3.5) megabytes. You may use multiple e-mail messages each with this capacity. The Subject Line must include the phrase UGV Interop RFI, message number (example: 1 of 3, 2 of 3, 3 of 3), and Firms Name. All interested firms, regardless of size, are encouraged to respond to this request for information. 4. Responses Due. Please submit electronic responses to this survey and industry questions for clarification to: Damon McNally, TACOM Contracting, at damon.mcnally@us.army.mil RFI responses should be furnished by __29 January 2010________. 5. Market RFI Questionnaire. A copy of the questionnaire is attached to this notice in PDF format (See 'Additional Documentation'). The following questions are intended to collect information from industry on technical approaches and best practices to address UGV interoperability related to system architecture and interfaces. REQUEST FOR INFORMATION ROBOTIC SYSTEMS JOINT PROJECT OFFICE A. Company Identification: 1. Company Name:_____________________________________________ 2. Mailing Address:__________________________________________ 3. Website:__________________________________________________ 4. Point of Contact:_________________________________________ 5. Phone Number:_____________________________________________ 6. Fax Number:_______________________________________________ 7. Email:____________________________________________________ 8. Plant Location:___________________________________________ B. Business Profile: 1. What business type is your company (large, small, small-disadvantaged, women-owned or 8(a)? Is your company located in a labor surplus or HUB-zone (See FAR Part 19 Small Business Programs)? 2. What products/services does your company primarily manufacture or provide? Please list the names and/or identifying numbers of the specific systems you are describing in response to this questionnaire. 3. How long has your company been in business? 4. List your North American Industry Classification System (NAICS) Codes, Commercial and Government Entity (CAGE) Code and Data Universal Numbering System (DUNS) number. C. Interoperability Standards: 1. What expertise does your company have and approximately how many years of related experience in the following areas? (check all that apply): Sealed Electrical connectors _____ years experience Electrical Shielding _____ years experience Manipulators/ end effectors _____ years experience Mechanical connections (Locating features & Quick Release) _____ years experience Radios _____ years experience Software Architecture _____ years experience Video Encoding _____ years experience Payloads _____ years experience Network Architecture _____ years experience JAUS Messaging _____ years experience Robot Platforms _____ years experience 2. Would your company be interested in partnering with the RS JPO and participating in development of open interoperability profiles for UGVs? If so, select the areas of expertise that your company can support: Electrical connectors Manipulators Mechanical connections Radios Software Architecture Video Encoding Payloads Network Architecture JAUS Messaging Robot Platforms 3. What experience does your company have with the development of Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems (JAUS) in accordance with the SAE JAUS standard to facilitate UxV interoperability? In what areas was additional specification, adaptation, or extension necessary in order to achieve the desired goal? 4. Department of Defense has mandated that all UGVs use JAUS as the logical architecture for controlling UGVs. What is the best way to implement JAUS in producing a fully open and interoperable system? D. Physical Architecture/Interfaces? 1. One of the challenges with achieving interoperability is to ensure that various payloads and accessories can interface with the base UGV platform. This will require open standards that the UGV vendors and payload vendors can implement. Based on these challenges, and in light of supporting interoperability standards for UGVs, what is your companys recommendation on the following and why? "Electrical connector standards "Wire harness requirements (gauge, shielding, etc&) "Data standards to and from payloads "Data standards between internal components "Power provided / required by payloads "Data processing locations (processor on UGV or payload) "Mechanical attachments (mounting) "Grouping of payloads into families 2. There already exist several payloads and accessories for UGVs. How does (or would) your company propose interfacing with these items? "Internally developed items "Commercial-off-the-Shelf (COTS) items "Externally developed items (outside vendors) "Legacy items (existing items) 3. There are several challenges and opportunities in developing a physical interoperability standard. What are your companys concerns in developing open, non-proprietary interoperability standards with regards to these areas? "Electrical connections "Physical connections "Power requirements "Data requirements "Data processing "Requirements from the UGV vendors "Requirements from the Payload vendors "Multiple standards for various payloads E. Modularity/Common Control? 1. One of the benefits of having a defined interoperability profile is that modular components can be used to increase the number of mission profiles a UGV can perform. Based on component modularity, what are your companys comments on the following items? "Warfighter Machine Interface (WMI) software updates for various payloads "Open standards to allow other vendors to develop payloads "Plug and play capability "Inhibit zones for various modules "End effecter usage 2. Using non-proprietary common control architecture would allow the warfighter to control multiple robotic assets with one controller. What are your companys recommendations on the development of a common control standard with regard to the following aspects? "Central Processing Unit (CPU) "Radio "WMI input devices "WMI Display devices "Display formats "Software "Controller payloads "User defined setups "Wireless handheld controllers "Power "Electrical connectors "Prioritization of message E. Data Link, Common Data Link? 1. Describe your company's experience in sharing and distributing UxV data to include battlespace objects, video, and metadata across unmanned ground and air vehicles from within a common operator control unit. 2. The challenges with radio frequency Data Link include maximizing Line of Sight (LOS) and Non-Line of Sight (NLOS) range, limited bandwidth, high data rates, latency, interference rejection/ avoidance, low power consumption, small size, etc. Based on these challenges and in light of supporting an interoperability standard for UGVs what is your companys recommendation on the following and why? "Video Encoding "Interleave "Modulation "Channelization of video, platform control, payload control, diagnostics and status "Antennas "Adaptive power control "Bandwidth throttling/ Adaptive Coding and Modulation "Power "User Datagram Protocol vs Transport Control Protocol (TCP) "Prioritization of messages END OF QUESTIONS NOTE: The Government is not asking you to develop or provide drawings or develop any technical data in response to this RFI market survey. Questions regarding the market survey should be directed to Damon McNally, TACOM Contracting, at damon.mcnally@us.army.mil or (586) 282-5185. Alternate POC is Mr. Kheng Be at kheng.be@us.army.mil or (586) 282-2507. UNCLAS: DIST A. APPROVED FOR PUBLIC RELEASE
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/a1f8022ce3fc0062b7f0c9638c6dc145)
- Place of Performance
- Address: TACOM Contracting Center (TACOM-CC) ATTN: AMSTA-AQ-AMB, E Eleven Mile Road Warren MI
- Zip Code: 48397-5000
- Zip Code: 48397-5000
- Record
- SN02032315-W 20091231/091229234221-a1f8022ce3fc0062b7f0c9638c6dc145 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
(may not be valid after Archive Date)
| FSG Index | This Issue's Index | Today's FBO Daily Index Page |