Scalable Biological Agent Detection Network

Physical Sciences Inc., in cooperation with University of Notre Dame, will develop a method for the persistent detection of aerosolized biological warfare agents using a distributed and cooperative sensor network within a Bayesian framework. The proposed system, named BioNet, will provide a wider coverage and two-fold reduction in false alarm rate over individual sensor performance through intelligent data fusion. The system is designed to detect an airborne 100 ACPLA plume and provide a threat determination within 5 minutes of first observation utilizing a sensor density of 4/km2, which is scalable from small events to cities. The Phase II effort will consist of algorithm refinement for performance improvement, integration of orthogonal sensors, and communications development for scalable standalone BioNet installations. Specifically, adjustments will be made to the dispersion model to meet detection requirements within the computation time restrictions. Additionally, the effort will demonstrate the incorporation of supplemental data feeds, through the integration of PSI’s standoff biological plume detector technology. A communications protocol for message handling, data storage, and event replay will be developed. Implementation of this communications architecture will provide a platform for highly scalable network coverage and enable quick deployment of standalone installations of the BioNet system.