AF242-D017 - High Resolution Low SWaP Attritable EO_IR Sensors for Stratospheric Operations

Nu-Trek is proposing to develop and productize StratSenseAI, a sensor payload developed for operation in the stratosphere with an AI-enabled algorithm suite running on a powerful NVIDIA processor, which will be designed to detect, track, identify, and handoff hypersonic vehicles and other threats in < 60 s.  StratSenseAI will have an MWIR or eSWIR/MWIR sensor payload environmentally hardened for operation in the stratosphere. In contrast with the infrared imaging systems currently in use in the stratosphere, which have advanced ball gimbals, StratSenseAI will use an innovative, very low cost and power optical gimbal assembly that meets or exceeds performance requirements, while reducing the cost by a factor of five. The proposed approach also substantially reduces payload power consumption, coming in under 100W for both StratSense and StratAI.  StratAI is based on a particle filtering method, which uses a Monte-Carlo sampling process that is highly effective at addressing nonlinear target maneuvers. Nonlinear motion is prevalent on the battlefield, and it is also used as an evasion technique and hence needs to be addressed. This is especially important in light of the increasing prevalence and performance of adversary hypersonic vehicles.