Expendable Local Area Sensors in a Tactically Interconnected Cluster (ELASTIC)

A new concept of ballistically deployed sensors that form an ad hoc network for uplinking data to the user will meet a critical need for a method of projecting situational awareness into high-risk or inaccessible locations. This new method of obtaining tactical intelligence puts extraordinary demands on the sensors and especially on imaging sensors: The requirements for extreme ruggedness and simplicity work strongly against the equally critical requirements for high-quality imaging in all light levels and at all distances and can be met using Wavefront Coding in the imager design, allowing simple, rugged optical systems to have sufficient performance. The Phase I study will look in depth at the ELASTIC concept on all scales and over a number of operational modes, from countrywide, long-term surveillance to real-time data from the next room.