Selectable Error-Free Analog and Digital Operations Grid Connector

Most deck-mounted hardware is permanently attached to the ship's structure, so ships cannot be easily reconfigured to fill gaps in a conventional naval force structure. This means that ships cannot be leveraged when naval forces are scarce in a certain location, or for simultaneous conflicts in widely separated theaters. A multifunctional, rugged, easy-to-use plug-and-play connector will directly address this problem. To meet this U.S. Navy need, Physical Optics Corporation (POC) proposes to develop a new Selectable Error-free Analog and Digital Operations Grid (SEADOG) connector. The SEADOG connector features: (1) a novel 360 degree blind connection, ensuring that hardware can be attached quickly and easily to a ship's structure in any weather or sea state; (2) rapid self-correcting connections for both power and data, ensuring seamless multimedia communication, uninterrupted video throughput, reliable sensor data, and real-time targeting information even within crowded shipboard digital domains; and (3) a self-actuating environmental seal protecting sensitive mechanical and electrical components from the harsh marine environment. In Phase I POC will develop, fabricate, and test a SEADOG connector model to demonstrate feasibility of the concept. In Phase II an optimized and rugged engineering prototype will be built that will be tested under laboratory test conditions.