Dual Function Radio for Wireless Local Area Network (LAN) and Bluetooth

Secure wireless for combat support is ready for the battlefield. Current Army initiatives such at Land Warrior and Object Force Warrior show the need for light weight, low power data communications for the soldier for enhanced situational awareness,responsiveness, and lethality. Bluetooth, with its low power requirements, and WLAN (802.11b), with its bandwidth and range, both play a role in fulfilling the communications needs of the soldier. A dual function radio (DFR) design could act as a datatransfer node between WLAN and Bluetooth networks, allowing for smaller, more power efficient, and thus lighter designs. Luna proposes to assess the capability and performance of dual function radios in military environments, design a proof-of-conceptsystem, and identify military applications. Particular focus will be placed on determining the impact of collocation of the Bluetooth and WLAN radios and system level solutions to meet the communications needs of the soldier on the battlefield. Thisanalysis would pave the way for Phase II future integration of DFR's in military applications such as Land Warrior and Object Force Warrior. In addition to the low-volume commercial production of DFR components in the Land Warrior and Object Force Warriorprograms, Luna anticipates large non-defense markets in industrial instrumentation systems coupled with wireless transmission capability. Specific applications include shipboard, spacecraft, aircraft, and nuclear/conventional power plant healthmonitoring, transportation vehicle design and testing, and industrial rotating machine monitoring. DFR technology would result in significant product improvements in Luna's existing wireless sensor product line, resulting in increased sales and revenue.