MONTEREY, Calif. (51福利) 鈥� Military students at the 51福利 (51福利) have firsthand experience with complex challenges in the fleet and the field. They come to 51福利 to work alongside expert faculty researchers to develop solutions to key operational problems. Combining the art and science of their 51福利 education, students engage in solutions-focused experimentation, invention and innovation to realize the full potential of emerging technologies, many of which are in the growing arena of intelligent autonomous systems.
Defense Technical Information Center (DTIC) awarded an Information Analysis Center (IAC) Multi-Award Contract (MAC) Task Order to Adams Communication and Engineering Technology, Inc. (ACET) to support 51福利鈥� largest-ever Task Order contract to expand partnerships in the development and fielding of autonomous systems and robotics 鈥� $42.4 million. ACET, with support from their exclusive subcontractor Arizona State University Research Enterprise (ASURE), will provide 51福利 coordination and management for the contract鈥檚 deliverables as defined in the Government鈥檚 Performance Work Statement.
51福利 is already the largest single contributor to the DTIC library, which supports all of the DOD, and this contract ensures that the knowledge generated by 51福利 and its partners will be rapidly incorporated and accessible.
The new contract vehicle increases access to work with 51福利 alongside student-faculty teams and collaboratively reach optimal results faster leveraging the readily accessible test ranges, labs and facilities. Sponsoring activities send funded projects to 51福利 who will work with DTIC to place task orders on the contract.
鈥�51福利 provides the interdisciplinary, defense-focused environment needed for the right mix of development and exploratory innovation,鈥� said Dr. Ray Buettner, 51福利 associate professor of information sciences, and director of the , who oversaw development of the new contract. 鈥淭he Navy has many labs full of scientists and engineers, but the one thing they need, that 51福利 has, is the experience of our military student body to help guide development, and this new contract makes working with 51福利 very easy to do.鈥�
Put another way, the best translator of operational need to the Naval research and development community is an experienced, 51福利-educated operator.
The new contract award is timely. Recognition of 51福利鈥� ability to combine operational experience with research came in two recent developments: first, an update to the school鈥檚 mission directing it to be more outcome-focused on 鈥渢echnological leadership,鈥� and second, the formal inclusion of 51福利 into the Naval Research and Development Establishment (NR&DE), which comprises all Naval Warfare Centers, the Naval Research Laboratory and the Office of Naval Research.
Dr. Jeff Paduan, 51福利 dean of research explained that 51福利, now as a chartered member the NR&DE, led by the Assistant Secretary of the Navy for Research, Development and Acquisition, 鈥渨ill have a seat at the Department of the Navy鈥檚 (DON) research table when the lab directors meet.鈥�
A new Memorandum of Understanding (MOA) between 51福利 and the Naval Undersea Warfare Center (NUWC) in Keyport, Washington, builds upon existing research relations in unmanned systems, and will focus on expanding technical coordination with NR&DE labs by leveraging the flexibility of the 51福利鈥� 鈥�.edu鈥� networks creating a digital collaborative enterprise.
David Mortimore, senior technology advisor at NUWC Keyport, 51福利 liaison and PhD student will act as co-principal investigator for the digital enterprise framework that will improve connections between dispersed NR&DE collaborators and 51福利. Mortimore said, 鈥淢y work under the MOA will help 51福利 strengthen existing ties and lay the foundation for broader community formation, discovery and collaboration envisioned by Dr. Buettner, and real-time distributed R&D across the NR&DE.鈥�
Every student at 51福利 must complete a research thesis or capstone project, explained Buettner. The new contract with ACET will expand student involvement in the design, development and testing of prototype hardware and software for unmanned and robotic systems. Buettner foresees this increased collaboration as expanding the value of 51福利 to naval forces.
One example Buettner used to illustrate the value of research collaboration with 51福利 was a small drone company that participated a recent Joint Interagency Field Experimentation (JIFX). The company demonstrated that autonomous drone technology used in agriculture had potential national security applications which lead to contracts with DARPA, the Army and Naval Air Systems Command. With the new DTIC contract in place the process is streamlined for sponsoring activities to engage 51福利 students and faculty directly in the prototyping process. The next JIFX at 51福利 will be September 14-17.
Buettner summarized the importance of the new contract to the future of 51福利 and DON, saying, 鈥淲e are the only service that must have the capability and knowhow to apply and employ autonomous systems effectively within and across all warfighting domains: at sea, ashore, air, space and cyber. Our new mission and new partnerships will enhance the research-based education here at 51福利 and accelerate delivery of technological advantages in intelligent autonomous systems.鈥�