SOURCES SOUGHT
A -- Three Dimensional Sensor Localization System
- Notice Date
- 11/27/2006
- Notice Type
- Sources Sought
- Contracting Office
- US Army ARDEC, AMSTA-AR-PC, Picatinny Arsenal, New Jersey 07806-5000
- ZIP Code
- 07806-5000
- Solicitation Number
- W15QKN-07-X-0209
- Response Due
- 12/27/2006
- Archive Date
- 1/26/2007
- Description
- The U.S. Army???s Armament Research, Development, and Engineering Center (ARDEC), is seeking promising technologies for development of a three dimensional sensor localization system for narrowband, low-power, ad-hoc networked sensors in a multilevel structure. The structure may be a building, warehouse, or multi-level home whose construction prevents the usage of the GPS signal inside. The use of GPS enabled nodes placed outside the building would be acceptable. Technology of interest will be capable of localizing small, battery powered nodes within a 10 foot spherical error of their actual position. Nodes will be equipped with narrowband, multihop capable ad-hoc networking. This network may be a generic communications link, or a specialized portion of the localization scheme. Given the low power requirement, and the environment of deployment, one should not expect any single node to be capable of direct, single-hop communications with the entirety of the network. Nodes would be distributed throughout a building, with the possibility of nodes being carried by personnel moving within the building. It can be assumed that a sensor will be deployed in each room. Adequate distribution models should use a sensor deployment density of one sensor per 700 or more cubic feet, and operate in both random and uniform distribution models. One can also assume a non-uniform distribution of walls and other RF absorbing structures throughout, and the system should be capable of handling this varying rate of RF absorption and reflection in its positioning algorithms. Each of the sensors shall be small and battery-powered. In an effort to extend their life, communications output power and processing at each individual node shall be kept to a minimum. If extensive processing is necessary, information may be sent through the network to an external computer for processing. This external computer shall be capable of current desktop computer level of processing. In the past, several approaches have been taken in solving this problem. One approach is to use the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) between nodes to estimate distances between nodes. This information is commonly retrieved from the Automatic Gain Control circuitry of the RF radio. This approach suffers in the granularity of the AGC and the varying rate of RF absorption in the environment creating excessive errors in localization. Another approach is time of flight, which suffers in environments with excessive multipath, often causing excessive errors. Solutions should account for possible effects of the environment, and offer methods to compensate or mitigate their effects. If such solutions involve specialized hardware, the solutions should include a physically realizable description of necessary hardware. System descriptions should include expected capabilities and deficiencies of the system, including but not limited to: system size, power consumption, network throughput requirements, sensor distribution and density limits, and RF band restrictions. Interested parties shall submit their qualifications and capabilities to meet the specific needs stated above, with supporting rationale electronically to the technical POC, Mr. Shafik Quoraishee at shafik.quoraishee@us.army.mil, 973- 724-9462 within 30 days of this notice. This is a market survey/sources sought synopsis for information only and shall not be construed to be a request for proposal or as an obligation on the part of the U.S. Government. The U.S. Government does not intend to award a contract on the basis of this market survey or otherwise pay for information solicited.
- Web Link
-
US ARMY TACOM-Picatinny Procurement Network
(http://procnet.pica.army.mil/dbi/Download/GoGetSourcesSought.cfm?SolNum=W15QKN-07-X-0209)
- Record
- SN01186722-W 20061129/061127220504 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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