Laser Technologies Adapted for UAS Sense and Avoid (SAA) Applications

ABSTRACT: Without the capability to sense and avoid other air traffic, UAS are limited to flight operations within restricted and warning areas unless the proponent obtains a Certificate of Authorization (COA) from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). FAA Interim Operational Approval Guidance 08-01, dated 13 March 2008, states that remotely operated aircraft must have an acceptable level of safety, comparable to see-and-avoid requirements for manned aircraft, to fly in the national air space. The objective of this program is to continue the maturation of Sense and Avoid technology, in order to address various performance and operational needs, resulting in the transition to an Engineering & Manufacturing Development (EMD) program for the RQ-4 Global Hawk program and other Department of Defense (DoD) Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA), Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and Micro-UAS systems. BENEFIT: The Phase II SBIR results shall provide a more mature and nearer to production-ready Small Sense and Avoid System (SSAASy). This system provides the visual sensing component of the USAF Common Airborne Sense and Avoid (C-ABSAA) system.