Immersive Vision, Data Fusion and Threat Awareness for Enhanced Sensor-to-Shooter Engagement/Targeting

Robotic Research, LLC, proposes to develop the Modeling And Perception for HAndheld Computers (MAPHAC) system, which consists of real-time 3D sensing, processing, and display tools for todays computers and smart phones. MAPHACs long-term vision is to provide timely and accurate video game-like information about places humans and robots have visited. With enough humans and the correct sensors mounted on robots, knowledge of the battlefield could be more perfectly known. The environment is shown to the user using personal computers, laptops, or handheld computers (e.g., smart phones). Using an intuitive user interface, the warfighter can navigate through the virtual world by running, walking, or examining objects close up. To avoid spreading resources too thin, initial focus on Phase I is for robotic, rather than human, sensing. The robot case is thought to be easier because a robots motion is more easily characterized than a humans. However, Phase II and beyond will address the human case in addition to the robot case. The overall goal of MAPHACs Phase I SBIR effort is to demonstrate the feasibility of the underlying sensing, processing, and visualization technologies for the small robot case.