Dahlgren Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center, 17320 Dahlgren Road, Dahlgren, VA 22448-5100

A -- RESEARCH AND DEVELOPMENT SOL N00178-97-Q-0198 DUE 102097 POC Susan E. Johnson 540-653-7858 R. A. Sanford 540-653-7819 E-MAIL: Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, snjohns@nswc.navy.mil. The Dahlgren Division of the Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren VA is seeking to award a contract on a sole source to Advanced Estimation and Control Consulting (AECC), Dr. A. T. Alouani, Cookeville, TN for the development of algorithms for fusing tracks from multiple sensors under two different conditions. The Marine Corp is investigating methodologies for the optimal fusion of data from multiple, dissimilar sensors. Assuming that the sensors are correctly aligned. There are two basic ways of fuing the information from the sensors. One way is to fuse measurements, the other way is to fuse tracks. The standard way of fusing tracks is sub-optimal, and therefore is not as accurate as measurement fusion since this method of fusing data is optimal. There are techniques that have been developed recently that provide an optimal solution to the track fusion problem under certain conditions. It is likely that the track fusion will be more desirable when integrating multiple Marine Corps sensors. NSWCDD intends to employ an investigator that is an expert in the field to derive new, optimal track fusion techniques that are more general than those that now exist. The principal investigator (PI) must have spent a significant amount of his time over a period of at least five years involved in this type of research, developemnt and/or application of filtering algorithms, such as Kalman filters and interacting multiple model (IMM) filters (developed by Blom and Barshalom) as they apply to the processing of data from different types of military sensors. The PI must have an intimate knowledge of the mathematical framework of these and other types of filters. The PI must have spent a significant amount of his time over a period of at least five years involved in the research, development, and/or application of data fusion of tract, measurement, and/or mixtures f both types of data; must have intimate knowledge of the mathematical structure and derivations of most types of data fusion structures; have working knowledgeof optimization theory and the development of extremal solutions using variational principles; understand the applications of of this area of mathematics to the derivation of optimal solutions to the development of filters and data fusions algorithms; must have professional experience that is equivalent to that required of a full professor at a recognized university or a principal scientist/engineer at a major company or corporation; must be well-known/well-published within the target tracking and state estimation community (this will be supported by a resume containing a complete list of the PI's publications); must have earned a PHD in Electrical Engineering or closely related field (such as physics or mathematics.) Dr. A. T. Alouani of AECC meets all of the requirements enumerated above and has extensive experience in the area of optimal track fusion. He has developed techniques that optimally fuse track data from disparate sensors reporting synchronously and from similar sensors reporting asynchronously.Most ot the newly developed technologies in the area of optimal track fusion are his results and that this contract will be an extension of his previously derived results since some of the most recent work has not yet been published. The award of the contract will be made under the availabiliy of funding and under Simplified Acquisition Procedures. This requirement is not a small business-small purchase set-aside. Deliverables (reports, presentations, etc) will be on a monthly basis -- FOB Destination. The Government will issue a written quote package. All interested parties should submit in writing either by mail or fax to request the quote package to Susan E. Johnson, Naval Surface Warfare Center, Dahlgren Division, 17320 Dahlgren Road, Dahlgren, VA 22448. Fax number is 540-653-6812. Vendor will provide Cage Code, Dunns number and tax identification number. Telephone number is 540-653-7858. Closing date is 20 October 1997. Award to be made by 25 October 1997. Delivery of final report is 2 June 1998. (0266)

Loren Data Corp. http://www.ld.com (SYN# 0006 19970925\A-0006.SOL)