Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA), Contracts Management Office (CMO), 3701 N. Fairfax Dr., Arlington VA 22203-1714

A -- LAND MINES/ORDNANCE CHEMICAL SIGNATURES (PART 1 OF 2) SOL BAA 96-36 PART 1 DUE 103196 POC Dr. Regina Dugan, DARPA/DSO, FAX: (703) 696-3999 email: BAA96- 36@darpa.mil, and Donald Sharkus, DARPA/CMO, FAX: (703) 696-2208. The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting proposals for the development of technologies to detect land mines and shallowly buried unexploded ordnance (UXO) by exploitation of the chemical signature. Technologies that utilize chemical, biological, or physical detection methods are acceptable provided the detection arises from the chemical signature. The goal for this program is demonstration of a prototype system for the chemical detection of mines/UXO, under field conditions, with sufficient sensitivity to permit high detection rates and localization of the threat, and with sufficient selectivity to prevent high false alarm rates. Preference will be given to detection systems that are real-time (where real-time is defined as ( 1 sec analysis time and includes the sampling and sample preparation time), lightweight, low power, and low cost. In addition, as sampling systems for many technologies are critical to system performance, proposed projects should specifically address the issue of sampling, innovative approaches to sampling will be considered responsive. A successful program will develop and demonstrate technologies with substantially increased performance over present mine/UXO detection systems in approximately 3-5 years. Traditional technologies, such as induction coils, magnetometers, infrared detectors, and ground penetrating radars are not of interest in this program. Proposals for detection systems using traditional detection techniques will be considered non-responsive. Additionally, while it may ultimately be necessary to integrate chemical sensors with other sensors, this program is not intended to develop systems that integrate multiple technologies. Integration of multiple sensors will be pursued in the out-years of the program only if the feasibility of the chemical sensor is demonstrated. Proposals that are geared primarily toward system integration are ill-advised and may not be evaluated. Proposals that include traditional sensors in addition to chemical sensors will be judged on the quality of the chemical sensor technology concept alone. If the chemical sensor proposed requires another sensor used for cueing, the operational concept and implications for system performance must be fully described. The platform on which a detection system is deployed is important only for the purpose of developing the operational concept. Proposals should not include research and development of such platforms, purchase or lease of an appropriate platform for prototype demonstration is acceptable if required for an adequate technology demonstration. Excluded for the purposes of this solicitation are proposals for paper studies and/or evaluations. Such proposals will be judged to be non-responsive. FUNDING LEVEL: DARPA is planning a $25 million program associated with this BAA from FY97 through FY99. BACKGROUND: Most current approaches to the detection of mines/UXO use sensors that attempt to exploit physical properties associated with the threat. As examples, infrared and electro-optical techniques sense differences between the optical properties of ordnance items and the surrounding area, or differences in the optical properties of the disturbed soil associated with mine emplacement, ground penetrating radar techniques seek to exploit differences in the electric properties, induction coils and magnetometers are used to locate the metal associated with mines/UXO. These types of sensors suffer from large false alarm rates even at modest detection probabilities. Canines, on the other hand, are one of the most effective means of mine detection used today. Despite their effectiveness, there are severe limitations associated with the use of canines: the logistics requirements are extensive, their work periods can be as short as 30 minutes under adverse conditions, and experienced handlers are often not able to tell when a temporary medical condition has degraded the dog's olfactory capacity. While the highly specific and sensitive olfactory capability of canines is the primary mechanism of detection, the specific chemical signature used is not well understood. Thus, projects that will provide greater understanding of the olfactory process are also of interest. Such projects are expected to support the technology developments or provide insight for new concepts that mimic this capability. As such, proposals in olfaction research should clearly identify the implications of the research results for sensor systems. Chemical detection of low vapor-pressure explosive compounds is difficult. (The equilibrium vapor phase concentration for TNT is less than 10 ppb and for RDX is less than 10 ppt. It may be possible to exploit other chemicals that are characteristic of explosives or ordnance casings. In such cases, proposers should fully address the issue of signature uniqueness.) For the detection of land mines and UXO, the expected vapor phase signature for TNT is in the ppt to sub ppt level given diffusion of the vapor through the mine casing, through the soil, and atmospheric dilution. More information regarding the expected chemical signatures may be found in the Proposer Information Package that describes where to find a limited reference list and other materials. Current laboratory analytical techniques are capable of highly sensitive, chemically specific analyses, however, these systems are large, power intensive, slow and often require detailed knowledge on the part of the system operator. Recent advances in chemically specific sensors for the detection of minute quantities (sub ppb to sub ppt range) such as surface acoustic wave technology, immunoassay or other biosensor techniques, conducting polymer-based techniques, photoacoustic cells, ion mobility, and mass spectrometry, among others, as well as technologies such as nuclear quadrupole resonance that detect explosives in the condensed phase, may afford new opportunities for the detection of explosives in military applications. PROGRAM OBJECTIVES AND DESCRIPTION: DARPA seeks to build a balanced program to demonstrate a prototype system that permits reliable and effective detection of land mines/UXO by exploitation of their chemical signature. The goals of the program are aggressive and challenging. As such DARPA seeks revolutionary approaches to highly sensitive and specific chemical detection and sampling. Incremental approaches that improve the state of chemical detection but fall far short of the necessary goals for the application are less desirable. Proposers must choose one of the following categories and indicate the appropriate category with submission of both their pre- and full-proposals. If more than one category is suitable, choose the category that best describes the work proposed. If more than one technology is proposed and these technologies fall into separate categories, proposers may either submit a single proposal in one category or split the proposal and submit in multiple categories. If multiple efforts are submitted in a single category, all portions of the effort will be evaluated even if portions would be better suited to another category. Evaluators may choose to recategorize proposals as necessary for consistency. More information about the focus in each category is provided below. Proposers should also refer to the Proposer Information Package. (1) Olfaction - research and development that addresses basic issues of olfaction that are likely to lead to innovative approaches in sensor and/or sampler development. (2) Sampling - research and development that addresses critical sampling issues, the focus should be on reducing the time, efficiency, size, and power necessary for sampling in a mine/UXO detection operational setting. Sampling can be of the particulate or of the vapor phase and should be non-intrusive. Proposers should fully address potential contamination of the sampler. Samplers capable of transferring the targeted chemical between media are also of interest. As an example, samplers that ''extract'' the chemical from the vapor phase and dissolve it in a liquid media are of interest. Other media transfers are also of interest. It is not necessary that sampling proposals be paired with sensors. (3) Vapor or particulate phase detection - research and development of detection systems should be proposed in this category. Techniques of interest include, but are not limited to, ion mobility spectrometers, mass spectrometers, immunoassay techniques, surface acoustic wave techniques, and conducting polymer techniques. All detector proposals must fully address the issue of sampling. (4) Condensed phase detection - condensed phase detectors should be chemically-specific. Detectors that detect high concentrations of nitrogen, with no chemical specificity, and detectors that identify changes in density or molar mass are not of interest. It is expected that real-time sensing will be required to reject false alarms by mapping of chemical gradients. However, proposers may choose to satisfy the mapping issue in other ways. As a guide, proposers should note that the goal is to detect mines/UXO at a rate that meets or exceeds a soldier's walking pace with a metal detector. PRE-PROPOSAL: Contractors having the technical and management capabilities, facilities, and experience necessary to conduct all or portions of this program are invited to submit a brief pre-proposal describing their technical approach (including supporting data), management concept, participants, relevant experience, and estimated cost and timing of the project. Teaming is encouraged, as appropriate (e.g., industry, universities, and Government laboratories). Government laboratories may propose but are discouraged from bidding as primes. Submission of a pre-proposal before the proposal is strongly encouraged. DARPA will ask the bidders with the most promising pre-proposals to submit complete Technical and Cost proposals for full evaluation. The initial screening is intended to save bidders the time and expense of developing a detailed proposal that has little chance for award. DARPA intends to respond to pre-proposals within approximately three weeks of receipt with a recommendation to propose or not propose. Regardless of the recommendation, the decision whether to submit a full proposal is the responsibility of the proposer. All full proposals will be completely reviewed regardless of the disposition of the pre-proposal. PROPOSAL: The ultimate objective of a successful proposal is a feasibility demonstration of a prototype system under actual field conditions. (Appropriate testing areas will be designated and prepared by the government.) Early milestones of the program may include demonstration, under laboratory conditions, of sensing at the appropriate sensitivity paired with the ability to discriminate in the presence of interferents in near-real time, or demonstrations of the ability to sense in real-time at lower sensitivity in the presence of interferents, or a demonstration of the sampling system alone. Other similar types of intermediate milestones are acceptable, but the full program should culminate in the demonstration of a prototype system under field conditions. Proposers must describe in detail the technical and scientific phenomenology of the sensor, sampling process, reversibility of the sensor, sensitivity, timeline of operation at various sensitivity levels, the operational concept of the system among other aspects of the system. (See Program Information Package for more information.) Technology-limiting problems should be clearly identified and the program designed to specifically address and demonstrate solutions of these problems within the initial period of support. END PART 1 OF 2 (0221)

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