SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Research and Development Sources Sought for unmanned Ground Vehicle
- Notice Date
- 9/3/2010
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- RDECOM Contracting Center - Aberdeen (RDECOM-CC), ATTN: AMSSB-ACC-A, 4118 Susquehanna Avenue, Aberdeen Proving Ground, MD 21005-3013
- ZIP Code
- 21005-3013
- Solicitation Number
- W91CRB-10-R-0098
- Response Due
- 9/20/2010
- Archive Date
- 11/19/2010
- Point of Contact
- Danielle Moyer, 410-306-0268
- E-Mail Address
-
RDECOM Contracting Center - Aberdeen (RDECOM-CC)
(danielle.moyer@us.army.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- SOURCES SOUGHT SYNOPSIS: This synopsis neither constitutes a Request for Proposal or Invitation for Bid, nor does it restrict the Government to an ultimate acquisition approach. This Sources Sought Synopsis should not be construed as a commitment by the Government for any purpose. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION: no award will be made as a result of this request. This request is for informational purposes only. All interested parties are encouraged to respond to this synopsis. The Government will not pay for information and materials received in response to this synopsis and is in no way obligated by the information received. 1. SCOPE: Background: The mission of the U.S. Army Rapid Equipping Force (REF) is to rapidly provide capabilities to Army Forces employed globally through current and emerging technologies in order to improve operational effectiveness. The REF receives requirements from operational commanders in war zones setting forth the capabilities needed. The REF is chartered by the Senior Army leadership to provide material solutions to meet these requirements in a significantly reduced timeline compared to traditional Department of Defense acquisition procedures. The purpose of this Sources Sought is to obtain potential solutions to provide an Unmanned Ground Vehicle (UGV) that lightens the Soldiers load. The REF believes that there is a critical need for lightening the Soldier and Marine Infantrymans load in combat. The Government requires a surrogate, squad-sized unmanned platform, which is primarily designed to serve as a utility and cargo transport for dismounted small unit operations. Experience and information obtained from this request for information will be provided to Army Product Manager REF who will evaluate the information and feasibility of issuing a procurement action to resolve the stated problem. 2. REQUIREMENT: The REF has a need for an unmanned Ground Vehicle with control capabilities which includes remote control, teleoperation, supervised autonomy and follower. This will be a surrogate, squad sized, unmanned ground vehicle (UGV) platform, about the size of a compact car, capable of carrying up to twelve hundred (1,200) pounds of payload, and designed primarily to serve as a utility and cargo transport for dismounted small unit operations. Control capabilities of the vehicles include supervised autonomy; tele-operation (non-line of site remote control); and remote control (line of site). If necessary, the platforms may also be manually driven by human operators for maintenance or in emergencies. The autonomous modes of operation include Follow Me (follows a soldier) with no active RF beacons or tags required Follow Operator-Laid GPS Breadcrumbs, and Follow Vehicle-Laid GPS Breadcrumbs. This is vehicle needs to be equipped with Light Detection and Range (LIDAR) Sensors for obstacle detection and avoidance. The UGV must have forward and aft looking infrared and day cameras to enable tele-operation both day and night. The vehicle requires a modular, light weight, wearable Operator Control Unit (OCU). The OCU consists of a controller/computer, a data radio, a rechargeable battery, and cables. The components are housed in Modular Lightweight Load-carrying Equipment (MOLLE) pouches that can be attached to the soldiers Load Bearing Equipment (LBE) vest in a variety of configurations to suit the operators needs. If needed, a dedicated LBE vest can be provided with the OCU. A spare OCU is stored in the vehicle platform and its battery kept charged when the system is in use. The OCU can be recharged on the vehicle or with a separate stand alone charger. The UGV requires a standard NATO power port and a high-output alternator that can be used to provide up to 4 kW of off-board power for other military equipment and can be used to jump-start other military vehicles if needed. Potential cargo include mandated items such as overhead cover, sandbags, small arms ammo, additional food and water, heavy weapons, medical supplies, POL, humanitarian aid supplies, and virtually every other class of supply. The UGV vehicle should be designed specifically to keep up with dismounted soldiers at low speeds (four (4) MPH) for extended periods of time (daily 10 hours a day) without burning up the transmission or other mechanical components. The UGV vehicle should have a combination of weight carrying, cargo volumetric efficiency, utility and modularity of soldier friendly rack mounts, ease of loading/unloading, soldier battery recharge capability, excellent mobility in all terrains, and overall size and weight that enhances the efficiency of overall cargo carrying, transportability of the system to where it is needed, and ability to go with the dismounted warfighter where he needs to go. Configuration changes can be made to the racks and tie downs to accommodate a wide variety of missions. The vehicle should have Safety Releases for operation by and around soldiers ensuring the vehicle is LOW Risk to the Soldier. The vehicle of this type requires it to be transportable by sling load under a UH-60 helicopter, carried internally in a CH-47 or CH-53 helicopter, or towed on its own wheels on a tow bar behind another combat vehicle thereby providing maximum flexibility to the Warfighter. The UGV Vehicle requires dual fuel capabilities, diesel or JP8. The UGV Vehicle that has a moveable winch for self recovery for vehicle removal. The UGV should have a tow bar that is also stow able on the vehicle, and the tow bar and the winch can each be carried on either the front or back of the vehicle to suit the users needs. Additionally, the UGV can mount a hitch ball platform or a pintle hook in its receiver hitch to tow trailers. The UGV vehicle should be capable of recharging soldier's batteries. The UGV should carry one or more (up to six) battery recharging stations. The UGV vehicle requires a modular packing system with tie down points to secure the gear. Support for this UGV requires Field Service Representatives (FSR) for Afghanistan, training, and support during ATEC Testing and engineering services. The Government anticipates a cost-sharing arrangement, as such White Papers must address if the company has an approved cost accounting system. INSTRUCTIONS TO POTENTIAL RESPONDENTS/DELIVERABLES: This is NOT a Request for Proposal. Specific information in industry capability to produce a system that can meet the requirements identified in Paragraph two (2) above, or otherwise solves the problem of lightening the Soldiers load. Companies who desire to participate in this market survey are encouraged to submit a white paper which supports the companys claim that it presently has the technology, qualifications, and capabilities to satisfy one or more of the performance and technical objectives described above. The white paper would discuss the companys ability to develop and or provide existing technologies to provide the Unmanned Ground Vehicle for lightening the Soldiers load for delivery to Afghanistan and provide a Rough Order of Magnitude (ROM) price and its anticipated delivery for the solution proposed. Required in the white paper is the delivery timeframe to the Government. The Government has an immediate need to lighten the Soldiers load. The white paper should also discuss related company experience and include point(s) of contact. The white paper should be prepared in MS Word, limited to ten (10) pages, and submitted electronically to the contracting specialist at danielle.moyer@us.army.mil. RESPONSES ARE DUE NO LATER THAN MONDAY 20 SEPTEMBER 2010 AT 5:00 PM EST. The company shall be responsible for any costs associated with preparing responses to this market research. All requests for further information must be made in writing or via email; telephone requests for additional information will not be honored. The government will review submissions as they are received. The government reserves the right to close this Sources Sought Synopsis once they have received adequate response(s). For questions potential respondents shall contact the contract specialist, Danielle Moyer at danielle.moyer@us.army.mil or 410-306-0268 to obtain information. Email is highly encouraged.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/notices/8beecf1c5f991af297e9457b1925bb9a)
- Place of Performance
- Address: RDECOM Contracting Center - Aberdeen (RDECOM-CC) ATTN: AMSSB-ACC-A, 4118 Susquehanna Avenue Aberdeen Proving Ground MD
- Zip Code: 21005-3013
- Zip Code: 21005-3013
- Record
- SN02268382-W 20100905/100903235818-8beecf1c5f991af297e9457b1925bb9a (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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