Cognitive Array of Multi-modal Persistent Sensors (CAMPS)

Special Operations and conventional ground forces need an effective, affordable capability for gathering intelligence and conducting surveillance/reconnaissance in a number of scenarios from urban to desert terrain. Miniature unattended sensors combined into networks of self-organizing wireless devices can be hand emplaced and persist for a period of weeks to months, offering the warfighter an important force multiplier in monitoring and controlling key areas of the battlespace, particularly were insurgent and non-conventional forces may be operating. The continuing miniaturization of sensor, communications, signal processing, and power sources in the commercial marketplace has resulted in remarkable shrinkage of handheld consumer devices which combine cameras, communications, GPS, image and acoustic processing and other capabilities in small power efficient packages. These ultra-compact COTS devices together with emerging ad hoc network protocols, UWB communications devices, and advanced multi-sensor correlation techniques offer a significant opportunity to realize a miniature, multi-sensor, wireless network node operating in cooperative persistent networks to detect, track, and classify human and vehicular targets. This Phase II SBIR project will take advantage of these technologies combined with an advanced multi-sensor correlator-tracker techniques to create and demonstrate this capability in a small, rugged, persistent package.