SPECIAL NOTICE
A -- Request for Information: Wide Field of View (WFOV) Seeker Technologies
- Notice Date
- 11/5/2012
- Notice Type
- Special Notice
- NAICS
- 541712
— Research and Development in the Physical, Engineering, and Life Sciences (except Biotechnology)
- Contracting Office
- Department of the Air Force, Air Force Materiel Command, AFRL - Eglin Research Site, 101 West Eglin Blvd, Suite 337, Eglin AFB, Florida, 32542-6810
- ZIP Code
- 32542-6810
- Solicitation Number
- RWK-RFI-13-0001
- Archive Date
- 12/19/2012
- Point of Contact
- MiMi Martin, Phone: 850-883-2675
- E-Mail Address
-
mimi.martin@eglin.af.mil
(mimi.martin@eglin.af.mil)
- Small Business Set-Aside
- N/A
- Description
- DESC: THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION. AFRL/RW, the Munitions Directorate, has been developing advanced guidance, navigation and control technologies inspired by research on natural systems. One line of investigation that is particularly promising results from studying the insect compound eye and applying the design principles to multiaperture wide field of view (WFOV) optical systems for autonomy-capable guided munitions. AFRL/RW is looking to transform this type of bio-inspired WFOV seeker technology into one or more prototype concepts in the future. Family of Seekers: RW is looking for a broad family of seeker concepts and not just one seeker that attempts to solve all mission areas. Solutions should consider: Air-to-Air (attack, self defense), Air-to-Ground (high speed direct attack, loitering, mobile and fixed targets) and other non-traditional conventional seeker roles such as navigation aiding, communications, missile warning, guidance integrated fuzing, and use in space missions. Seeker Attributes: Seeker characteristics are yet to be determined. Areas such as wavebands (UV, Visible and IR) including multispectral, passive polarization sensing, instantaneous FOV/resolution and full seeker FOV (Spherical, Rectangular or other, including regions of high angular resolution [Foveation]) are open for consideration, but the overall concept must focus on the seeker's ability to acquire, track and select the aimpoint on the target. Non-traditional Seeker Roles: The traditional seeker roles of target acquisition in a target rich, cluttered and camouflaged environment and end game tracking are essential. Additionally, the new WFOV concept opens the seeker up to new roles. Other potential roles to be considered include midcourse guidance in GPS denied or degraded environments (egomotion determination through use of optic flow, scene recognition or star tracking), end game obstacle avoidance, and aimpoint selection. Other innovative, non-traditional role concepts are also of interest, such as guidance integrated fuzing, and use of a wide field of view seeker as a communication channel sensor. RW is looking for information on defining requirements for weapon seekers in a broad range of applications as described above, utilizing current expertise and understanding of real world mission requirements and merging that experience with transformational bio-inspired WFOV seeker technologies to develop and assess potential weapon concepts with enhanced capability. THIS IS A REQUEST FOR INFORMATION (RFI) for current state-of-the-art seeker technologies, demonstrated innovation in seeker development and improvement in seeker sciences. THE GOVERNMENT DOES NOT INTEND TO AWARD A CONTRACT ON THE BASIS OF THIS RFI OR TO OTHERWISE PAY FOR THE INFORMATION SOLICITED. The government will evaluate the respondent's capabilities based on experience in the following: a) weapon seeker development, b) seeker technology innovation, and c) weapon employment (end-to-end weapon use) to include mission planning. Based upon the responses to this RFI, an Industry Day may be announced at a later date. This RFI is not a request for proposal and is not to be construed as a commitment by the Government to issue a solicitation or ultimately award a contract. Any information submitted is voluntary. Responses to this RFI will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. Responses to this notice shall be mailed to the AFRL Contracting Division, AFRL/RWK, 101 West Eglin Blvd, Bldg 13, Eglin Air Force Base, FL 32542-6810, ATTN: Ms. MiMi Martin, or sent electronically to mimi.martin@eglin.af.mil. Please provide electronic responses with this subject: Wide Field of View (WFOV) Seeker Technologies. Responses must be received no later than 3 PM CST on 4 December 2012. For technical questions, please contact Mr. Shawn Goodrich, at 850-882-4244.
- Web Link
-
FBO.gov Permalink
(https://www.fbo.gov/spg/USAF/AFMC/AFRLERS/RWK-RFI-13-0001/listing.html)
- Record
- SN02924202-W 20121107/121105233926-8498cadb95fc1491107deecef4030863 (fbodaily.com)
- Source
-
FedBizOpps Link to This Notice
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