USA As Represented by Secretary of the Navy

Other

US Government As Represented by the Secretary of the Army

Synergistix LLC

Guy F Cooper

Mark A Leach

John H Williams

Robert F Anderson

George K Lucey, Jr

William E Vonwicklen

Thomas Gher

Dave J Grace

Robert J Richter

A sensor system for monitoring for the presence of contamination with one or more contaminating biological, chemical and/or radioactive agents on a terrain surface, and creating a contamination map thereof. The sensor system includes a plurality of sensor pods, a ground station, an airborne dispensing portion, and an airborne monitoring portion. The sensor pods include a pod housing, a descent slowing airfoil, a detector unit for detection of the contaminating agent and outputting contaminating agent data, a processor for processing the contaminating agent data, a GPS unit for determining the position of the sensor, and a transmitter for transmitting contamination agent data and position data to the airborne monitoring portion. The airborne monitoring portion receives the transmitted data from the sensor pods, and relays the data to the ground station, where the contamination map is made available.

Geopositionable expendable sensors and the use therefor for monitoring surface conditions

A vortex ring is used to produce a flow of fluid through a flexible tube, to remove surface deposits from a surface, and to transfer heat from a platen to a ring vortex. In pumping a fluid through a flexible conduit or tube, a vortex ring is launched along the tube so that the vortex ring encircles the tube. The vortex ring compresses and expands the flexible tube utilizing a high circumferential pressure formed at the bow of the vortex ring and a low pressure at the wake of the vortex ring. In removing deposits from a surface, a vortex ring launched along the surface mechanically abrades the surface and fractures the adhesion bonds of the surface deposits. In transferring heat from a heated surface to a vortex ring, the vortex ring removes the heat from the surface of the heated platen by forced convection.

Methods for using a ring-vortex

The amphibious robot mine locator may be used in water-based and land-based environments to locate mines and other hazards. In a water-based environment a diver controls movement of the amphibious robot mine locator. In a land-based environment movement of the mine locator is via remote control. Mine locator includes a pair of oppositely rotating propellers which propel the mine locator through the water with a ruder being provided to control the direction of movement of amphibious robot mine locator as it travels through the water. There is also a control panel which includes the controls for allowing the diver to steer amphibious robot mine locator and control the depth of mine locator. When amphibious robot mine locator switches to a land-based mode of operation, the propellers function as wheels rotating in the same direction to move amphibious robot mine locator along a programmed path to continue its search for mines and other obstacles and hazards. The amphibious robot mine locator also has a pair of air operated pulsating blisters which allow for essentially frictionless movement across the grounds surface irregardless of the shape of the surface. Each blister has a contact surface located on its underside which is fabricated from a material which is flexible and has a hard surface that will not scratch, such as TEFLON. The flexibility of the contact surface of each blister allows the blister to travel over irregular shaped objects such as rocks since the contact surface conforms to the shape of the irregular shaped object.

Amphibious robot mine locator

A system for airborne detection of fires and transmission of fire location and characteristic data to the system ground station. The system includes an airborne pod and an associated ground station. The pod uses a passive infrared (IR) scanning system which employs a rotating and nutating mirror within an air slipstream driven propeller/spinner and is optically coupled to an infrared detector. A computer in the pod receives fire pod GPS position, IR detector fire spot detection pulse or 'hit' plus fire spot characteristics, spinner/mirror rotation and nutation angle at the 'hit' time and pod platform attitude relative to North-East-down using an on board Inertial Measurement Unit (IMU). The computer then calculates the firespot GPS location, and processes associated firespot characteristic data and downlinks this data to the ground station. Onboard pod video scene cameras also provide operational video that is also downlinked to the ground station.

Airborne IR fire surveillance system providing firespot geopositioning

The amphibious robot mine locator may be used in water-based and land-based environments to locate mines and other hazards. In a water-based environment a diver controls movement of the amphibious robot mine locator. In a land-based environment movement of the mine locator is via remote control. Mine locator includes a pair of oppositely rotating propellers which propel the mine locator through the water with a ruder being provided to control the direction of movement of amphibious robot mine locator as it travels through the water. There is also a control panel which includes the controls for allowing the diver to steer amphibious robot mine locator and control the depth of mine locator. When amphibious robot mine locator switches to a land-based mode of operation, the propellers function as wheels rotating in the same direction to move amphibious robot mine locator along a programmed path to continue its search for mines and other obstacles and hazards. The amphibious robot mine locator also has a pair of air operated pulsating blisters which allow for essentially frictionless movement across the grounds surface irregardless of the shape of the surface. Each blister has a contact surface located on its underside which is fabricated from a material which is flexible and has a hard surface that will not scratch, such as Teflon. The flexibility of the contact surface of each blister allows the blister to travel over irregular shaped objects such as rocks since the contact surface conforms to the shape of the irregular shaped object.

A directional hearing aid comprising a slave microphone for the right ear d a master microphone for the left ear, each of which receive audio information from an external source. The output signal from the master and slave microphones are each provided to fifty hertz bandwidth filters each of which has a center frequency selected from the middle range frequency of the human voice. The output signal from the slave microphone is provided to a modulator which then provides a sixty kilo-hertz frequency modulated carrier signal. The carrier signal is transmitted through the head of the user to a receiver, demodulated and then supplied to a phase comparator. The phase comparator compares the phase of the signals from the master and slave microphones and then provides phase comparison data to a computer. The computer processes the data generating command signals which are supplied to a pair of broad band audio amplifiers. One of the audio amplifiers amplifies the output signal from the slave microphone, while the other audio amplifier amplifies the output signal from the master microphone. The user of the directional hearing aid turns his head toward the direction of the sound until the intensity of the amplified signal provided to each ear is identical, which indicates to the user that his head is aligned with the direction of the incoming sound.

Directional hearing aid

An aerosol dispensing apparatus comprises a housing which includes a top l having a sharp edged orifice and a speaker assembly mounted on a bottom portion of the housing. A sawtooth waveform generator generates and then provides a sawtooth waveform signal which includes a jitter component to the speaker assembly which drives a flexible diaphragm resulting in a reciprocating motion of the flexible diaphragm. The ramp portion of the sawtooth waveform signal retracts the flexible diaphragm in a rearward direction, while the approximately vertical portion of the signal causes an abrupt forward movement of the flexible diaphragm. The inner portion of the housing forms a chamber which contains a medication. The jitter component of the sawtooth waveform signal fluidizes the medication suspending the medication in air within the chamber to form a vaporized medication. Each cycle of the sawtooth waveform signal generates one ring vortex of a train of ring vortices with the ring vortex being generated during the vertical portion of the signal when the abrupt forward movement of the flexible diaphragm occurs.

Electromechanical driver for an aerosol dispensing apparatus which

A video system, comprising a pair of digital video cameras and a data prosing system, which is used to determine the location of a golf ball during flight and the location of the golf ball when its flight is completed. The video cameras are fixedly mounted on a golf cart and boresighted to insure that the field of view for one camera overlaps the field of view for the other camera allowing the golf ball to be tracked after the golf ball is struck by the golfer. Each of the video cameras has an image array comprising a plurality of image sensing elements. As the golf ball travels along its flight path a light image of the golf ball is detected by at least one of the image sensing elements of the image array for each camera during a scan of the camera's image array. Each camera generates a data bit stream indicating the location of the image sensing elements on the image array which sense the golf ball's light image for each scan of the image array. The data bit streams are supplied to the data processing system which then calculates the departure vector, a trajectory path and a circular impact probability (CIP) location for the golf ball when the golf ball lands on the golf course. A monitor provides the golfer with video data indicating the golf ball's circular impact probability location.

Video system for determining a location of a body in flight

Apparatus for generating a ring vortex which will damage the hull of the get vessel. The apparatus comprises a torpedo which is launched from an attack submarine in the direction of the target vessel. When the torpedo is at a predetermined position, the torpedo is detonated. Detonation of the torpedo results in the generation of a ring vortex. The ring vortex is directed toward the hull of the target vessel and will impact the hull of the target vessel with sufficient force to destroy or disable the target vessel. Positioned about the periphery of the torpedo are a plurality of necklace charges. The torpedo also has a central charge which is located near the front end of the torpedo. When detonated each necklace charge forms a ring of imploding gas bubbles which collapse inward. At a predetermined time period after the necklace charges are denoted, the main charge within the torpedo is denoted resulting in the generation of an expanding gas bubble which expands outwardly. The detonation of the necklace charges followed by the detonation of the main charge results in a region of counterflow which causes a substantially circular circulation pattern for the ring vortex.

Ring vortex depth charge

An aerosol dispensing apparatus comprises a housing which includes a top l having a sharp edged orifice and a speaker assembly mounted on a bottom portion of the housing. A sawtooth waveform generator generates and then provides a sawtooth waveform signal which includes a jitter component to the speaker assembly which drives a flexible diaphragm resulting in a reciprocating motion of the flexible diaphragm. The ramp portion of sawtooth waveform signal retracts the flexible diaphragm in a rearward direction, while the approximately vertical portion of the signal causes an abrupt forward movement of the flexible diaphragm. The inner portion of the housing forms a chamber which contains a medication. The jitter component of the sawtooth waveform signal fluidizes the medication suspending the medication in air within the chamber to form a vaporized medication. Each cycle of the sawtooth waveform signal generates one ring vortex of a train of ring vortices with the ring vortex being generated during the vertical portion of the signal when the abrupt forward movement of the flexible diaphragm occurs.

A self-propelled remotely controlled pilot vehicle adapted for use on raiad tracks to monitor hazardous conditions and obstacles on the railroad tracks. The pilot vehicle precedes a train along the railroad tracks at a distance which will allow the train to come to a complete stop in the event the pilot vehicle encounters a hazardous condition on the track. The pilot vehicle is equipped with a sensor array which measures a variety of different parameters such as the presence of noxious gases, moisture in the atmosphere, breakage in one or both rails of the track and orientation with respect to the force of gravity as well as the yaw, pitch and roll attitude of the tracks upon which the pilot vehicle is riding. The pilot vehicle is also equipped with a television camera which provides a visual image of the railroad track ahead of the pilot vehicle to the engineer of the train. An infrared camera which is mounted on the front of the pilot vehicle generates an infrared image of the tracks. Information gathered by the pilot vehicle's sensor array is supplied to a computer on board the pilot vehicle and is also transmitted to the train to enable the engineer to be apprised of conditions existing on the tracks ahead of the train in order to have time to react to dangerous situations on the railroad tracks.

Pilot vehicle which is useful for monitoring hazardous conditions on

A array of water heated panel comprising a rectangular shaped support strure having a fluid inlet passageway positioned at the top portion of the structure and a fluid outlet passageway positioned at the bottom portion of the structure. The support structure also has a plurality of equally spaced substantially parallel fluid transport tubes which run the length of support structure. Each fluid transport tube within the support structure has one end connected to the inlet passageway and an opposite end connected to the outlet passageway. The support structure also has a flat outer radiating surface which is positioned adjacent to the fluid transport tube of the water heated panel. The fluid transport tubes of the water heated panel efficiently transfers heat from heated water flowing through the fluid transport tubes to the radiating surface of the water heated panel without substantial heat loss. The heat transfer to the radiating surface simulates the thermal surface features and infrared signature of the heat generating structure or device on a target vessel. A computer controls the thermal profile of the panels which allows for a simulation of any required infrared signature.

Water heated panels for simulating the infrared signature of a target

A self-propelled remotely controlled pilot vehicle adapted for use on raiad tracks to monitor hazardous conditions and obstacles on the railroad tracks. The pilot vehicle precedes a train along the railroad tracks at a distance which will allow the train to come to a complete stop in the event the pilot vehicle encounters a hazardous condition on the track. The pilot vehicle is equipped with a sensor array which measures a variety of different parameters such as the presence of noxious gases, moisture in the atmosphere or at ground level, and breakage in one or both rails of the track. The pilot vehicle is also equipped with a television camera which provides a visual image of the railroad track ahead of the pilot vehicle to the engineer of the train. An infrared camera which is mounted on the front of the pilot vehicle generates an infrared image of the tracks and is used during darkness or in severe weather conditions to monitor the tracks for unsafe conditions or to detect animals or humans from body radiation. Information gathered by the pilot vehicle's sensor array is supplied to a computer on board the pilot vehicle and is transmitted back to the train to enable the train's engineer to be apprised of conditions existing on the tracks ahead of the train in order to have time to react to potential hazards and dangerous situations on the railroad tracks.

A self-propelled remotely controlled pilot vehicle adapted for use on raiad tracks to monitor hazardous conditions and obstacles on the railroad tracks. The pilot vehicle precedes a train along the railroad tracks at a distance which will allow the train to come to a complete stop in the event the pilot vehicle encounters a hazardous condition on the track. The pilot vehicle is equipped with a sensor array which measures a variety of different parameters such as the presence of noxious gases, moisture in the atmosphere or at ground level, breakage in one or both rails of the track and orientation with respect to the force of gravity as well as the yaw, pitch and roll of the tracks upon which the pilot vehicle is riding. The pilot vehicle is also equipped with a television camera which provides a visual image of the railroad track ahead of the pilot vehicle to the engineer of the train. An infrared camera which is mounted on the front of the pilot vehicle generates an infrared image of the tracks. Information gathered by the pilot vehicle's sensor array is supplied to a computer on board the pilot vehicle and is also transmitted to the train to enable the engineer to be apprised of conditions existing on the tracks ahead of the train in order to have time to react to dangerous situations on the railroad tracks.

A system for removing airborne contaminants from the effluent air streams om spray paint booths and the like. The system includes a rectangular shaped underground pool having pool of water positioned below the work area. The underground pool has a plurality of suction pipes which are uniformly distributed throughout the pool at a distance of between one and two inches above the pool of water. The suction pipes terminate in a plenum located adjacent the underground pool. A gas turbine engine which is connected to the plenum is used to draw air including airborne contaminants into the plenum from the work area. Solid airborne contaminants such as droplets of water soluble paint, sand and the like will fall into the pool of water. Lighter airborne contaminants, such as gaseous toxins are drawn through the gas turbine type engine into a after-burning incinerator. At the front end of the after-burning incinerator are a plurality of gas burning elements which supply heat to bed of pebbles which may be quartz, zirconium or high temperature ceramics pebbles. The bed of pebbles incinerates the airborne contaminants within the air streams entering the after-burning incinerator expelling clean air into vertical exhaust stack coupled to the exhaust end of the after-burning incinerator.

Growing community of inventors

Ventura, CA, United States of America

Guy F Cooper