Radio Frequency (RF) Tomography for Reduction of Improvised Explosive Device (IED) Threat

This proposal address the applicability of the RF tomography concept to the detection of IEDs. In the proposal, RemSense, Inc. presents a clear Phase I path to establishing the RF tomography concept for this use by presenting a preliminary overview of the potential algorithms used for the concept. Further, RemSense has arranged a teaming agreement with FIRST RF corporation to take measurement data during the Phase I effort. BENEFIT: Aside from the obvious benefit that the tactical community, in general, would benefit from a robust method for detecting underground IEDs, the establishment of the RFT concept as an applicable method for detecting and classifying IEDs will promote the concept in general as a viable solution to other tactical scenarios. The added awareness of this concept may initiate further funding of its development to solve many of the practical issues of its deployment, such as automatic calibration of the sensor array to minimize the manual process of setting up the transceivers, pointing them, registering them, etc. This year alone, the Joint Imporovised Explosive Device Defeat Organization (JIEDDO) has budgeted $2.57B to defeating IEDs in the battlefield. According to the JIEDDO 2007 annual report, one of the technological challenges to defeating IEDs is in detecting and classifying trip-wires and IED threats underground. These challenges are directly addressed by the RFT concept proposed here.