United States of America As Represented by the Secretary of the Air Force

Atindra K Mitra

Krishna Pasala

A hybrid air-ground vehicle design that cycles through a regenerative energy phase during a ground-based trajectory. The regenerative ground-based trajectory, in turn, produces energy for purposes of implementing another air-based trajectory cycle. The design significantly improves the versatility and endurance of robotic position-adaptive sensor designs. The radar (or electro-optic) sensors on the platform perform surveillance operations during both the ground and air trajectories of the hybrid air/ground vehicle.

Regenerative hybrid system for position-adaptive sensor applications

A system for locating earth cavities, or items in a building, or structural characteristics having a plurality of transmitters that generate at least a portion of a waveform. Each transmitter divides the waveform into sub-chirp intervals and transmits a known sub-chirp interval from a known location to contact an article of interest. The resulting sub-chirp intervals become a leakage signal that is then received and processed by a receiver. The receiver therein approximates a cavity size, article size, article composition, article location, earth cavity location, or other structural characteristic.

Large scale imaging with spatially-coded waveforms

A position-adaptive radar method and device for small UAV platforms capable of detecting 'leakage signals' that, for example, propagate between two buildings or 'leak through' penetrable surfaces such as walls or layers of the ground. The position-adaptive radar comprises a monostatic radar receiver that measures and processes leakage signals and then &#x201c;self adapts&#x201d; in position to establish line-of-sight between a mini-UAV platform and an obscuration channel that propagates the leakage signal. This allows a mini-UAV platform to process signals in real-time while gathering intelligence information and locating objects-of-interest that may be embedded within an obscuration channel.

Low-cost position-adaptive UAV radar design with state-of-the-art cots technology

A method and device of energizing a plasma antenna using power from the discharge of an electopropulsion engine and comprising a propellant and feed system, a capacitor charging power processing unit and an energy storage capacitor, wherein said energy is released over an electrode gap and resultant ablation products are ionized and accelerated by an electromagnetic force, thereby producing a pulse.

Pulsed plasma antenna

A system-of-systems avionics architecture that is compatible with futuristic multi-function multi-platform sensor applications. The method and device of the invention is based on localized 'adaptive' waveform and spectrum allocation for ultra-wideband radio frequency and microwave signals. The invention includes a plurality of system platforms with each platform comprising a common radio frequency front end for receiving ultra-wideband signals, a common radio frequency back end for transmitting ultra-wideband signals and a plurality of sensors for exchanging data between platforms.

Multiplatform multifunction avionics architecture

Bistatic/multistatic radar system concept for purposes of interrogating difficult and obscured targets in urban environments via the application of low-altitude &ldquo;smart&rdquo; or &ldquo;robotic-type&rdquo; unmanned air vehicle platforms. A significant aspect of the invention is the formulation of a unmanned air vehicle system concept that implements self-adaptive positional adjustments based on sensed properties such as phase discontinuities of the propagation channel.

Position-adaptive UAV radar for urban environments

Bistatic radar compatible for investigating the employment of a high-altitude UAV working in tandem with a group of low-altitude UAVs. The bistatic radar is divided into a position-adaptive bistatic mode and a close-range monostatic mode. In position-adaptive (robotic) bistatic mode, each low-altitude UAV estimates a new parameter denoted as the differential path length to adaptively implement self-adjustments in position. This approach provides each UAV with the potential for looking down the &ldquo;throat&rdquo; of an obscuration channel. In the event that a particular low-altitude UAV detects an obscuration channel, the low-altitude UAV will transfer to a close-range monostatic mode in an effort to interrogate the obscuration channel for targets.

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Beavercreek, OH, United States of America

Atindra K Mitra