SITIS Topic Details |
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| Proposals Accepted: | |
| Program: | SBIR |
| Topic Number: | AF103-026 (AirForce) |
| Title: | Pilot Wrist Computer System (PWCS) | Research & Technical Areas: | Air Platform, Information Systems, Human Systems |
| Objective: | Develop wrist computer system with multimodal controls, flexible communication and power options, and novel sensors suite for tasks ranging from imaging to monitoring wearer physiology or environment.
| Description: | Recent advances in a variety of component technologies have established a technology base that enables a multimedia wrist computer system (WCS) with significant stand-alone (organic) capability that synergistically interfaces with avionics and supports emerging warfighter needs. The technical challenge is to create a personal computer (PC) capability in the form-factor of a watch or forearm band using emerging processor and operating systems with various navigation, sensing, communication, multimodal control, and visualization technologies. Prior efforts have topped out at the capability of a hand-held personal digital assistant (PDA) and cannot support more demanding PC applications; innovations based on open operating systems, software and hardware are needed. Novel displays are becoming available based on developments in miniature near-eye imaging engines and flexible substrates that provide resolution comparable to notebook computers with drastically reduced space, weight, and power. A miniature display designed for near-eye applications may be use in the watchface as a direct-view display; a rollable display or pico-projector may be used to obtain a larger viewing area when needed. Efficient microprocessors and solid-state drives are emerging that maximize battery life and enable energy-harvesting power options. Sensors, antennas, and radio-frequency (RF) analog circuits have become so small that they may be integrated with the digital electronics or embedded into structural elements. Candidate sensor suites (cameras, accelerometers, geo-positioning, and a digital compass) enable the development of advanced multimodal user control interfaces including gesture in addition to touch, voice and mouse. Creativity and innovation are still lacking in the development of multimedia interfaces to allow a given task to be executed by two or more control modalities. Warfighter needs may expand this sensor list to include processing & communication support for skin-in (physiological) and skin-out (chem/bio environment) status monitoring; a wrist-mounted approach has been postulated by these two research communities. Navigation functionality may variously be based on GPS/INS or the nascent video image processing technologies. Piloting functions to be addressed include the generation of complex formats for digital helmet mounted display (HMD) systems. Discriminating factors will include power, cabling, and antenna options as they are integrated to provide the overall usability of the pilot wrist computer system (PWCS). An open architecture (hardware and software) is required to affordably optimize all space, weight, ergonomic, power, performance, and integration (SWEPPI) issues in variants tailored to each piloting or other aerospace warfighting mission. Functionality suites must be tailorable to pilots, aircrew, warfighters in dismounted operations, or ops-center team coordination. Success in achieving acceptable SWEPPI should be initially demonstrated via the use of the prototype WCS devices by personnel at the performing research and development organization, who would wear their WCS devices all day long while doing their own jobs in their facilities with a documented quantitative increase in productivity. The goal for the topic is an on-the-move, glance-able, cannot-forget stand-alone capability for warfighters that also interacts synergistically with other electronics gear when it is available.
| PHASE I: Design wrist-wearable system to provide organic battlespace visualization capability to pilots and other warfighters. Novel displays, multimodal user interface, energy harvesting, and diverse sensor suites should be included or enabled via an open architecture approach. Develop SWEPPI roadmap.
| PHASE II: Fabricate WCS and demonstrate organic capabilities provided when used alone in support of flight operations. Perform evaluation experiments representative of flight preparation, execution, and debrief scenarios.
Demonstrate synergistic capabilities of WCS in support of HMD systems and other gear now worn or used in cockpits. Evaluate potential of WCS to include skin-in/skin-out sensors.
| PHASE III | DUAL USE COMMERCIALIZATION: Military Application: Military applications include pilots, flight engineers, mission crew, ground crew, battlefield airmen, security police, personnel in ops centers for air, outer & cyber space.
Commercial Application: Commercial applications include road warriors, police, commercial and private aviation pilots, and homeland security personnel.
| References: |
1. Priya Ganapati, “HP Designs Flexible, Solar-Powered Wrist Display for Combat,” WIRED, 15 Apr 2010, http://www.wired.com/gadgetlab/2010/04/hp-flexible-wrist-display 2. M. Noda et al., “A Rollable AM-OLED Display Driven by OTFTs,” SID 10 Digest paper 47.3, pp. 710-713 (2010), ISSN 0097-966X/10/4102-0710, www.sid.org. 3. (a) Chandra Narayanaswami, M. T. Raghunath, Noboru Kamijoh, Tadonobu Inoue, George Tatomyr, John Nobert, “Challenges and considerations for design and production of a purpose-optimized body-worn Watch PC,” in Defense, Security, and Cockpit Displays XI, Darrel G. Hopper, Editor, Proceedings of SPIE Vol. 5443, 1-12 (2004), incorporates high resolution microdisplay, touch screen, Bluetooth, and full PDA functionality; (b) Fred M. Meyer, Sam J. Longo, and Darrel G. Hopper, “Wrist display concept demonstration based on 2-in. color AMOLED,” Proc. SPIE 5443, 257-268 (2004), demonstrated running live streaming video from a UAV. 4. David Huffman, Keith Tognoni, and Robert Anderson, Flexible Display and Integrated Communication Devices (FDICD) Technology, Volume II, Technical Report Number AFRL-RH-WP-TR-2008-0072, 56 pp (June 2008). Approved for public release and available from the Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) (http://www.dtic.mil). Integrate PDA functionality with with GPS into wrist form factor. 5. Cl. Argenta et al., “Graphical User Interface Concepts for Tactical Augmented Reality,” Proc. SPIE, Vol. 7688 (2010), www.spiedl.org. |
| Keywords: | wearable electronics, glanceable situational awareness, wrist computer system, Dick Tracy watch, WatchPad |
Questions and Answers: |
Q: Must the system be mounted on a single wrist only, or can it be decomposed into a Body Area Network with subsystems worn on each wrist, possibly each ankle, the belt, etc. (to minimize intrusive size & weight) at any one point, and to facilitate gesture etc. based user interfaces)? |
A: Distributed system is allowable provided a convincing case is made for the ergonomics. |
As of midnight September 1, questions for solicitations SBIR 10.3 and STTR 10.B will no longer be accepted.
To read the solicitation for full proposal preparation and submission details click here. |