Improving Aviation Secures Phase I SBIR Award from NASA
Improving Aviation Secures Phase I SBIR Award from NASA
Tampa, FL, August 12th, 2024 – Improving Aviation has been awarded a Phase I Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) contract from NASA. This award will fund the development of our cutting-edge Target Acquisition and Guidance System (TAGS) for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), aimed at enhancing wildfire management, disaster relief, and battlefield operations.
TAGS is a platform-agnostic navigation solutions to be deployed on board UAS. Envisioned as a "brain" on board multiple UAS, it allows the airborne vehicles to perform compound missions cooperatively in highly dynamic environments with minimum human interventions and minimum training data, , significantly improving operational efficiency and safety.. At the core of the UAS swarming system is a hierarchical structure where one UAS serves as the leader while others act as followers designed to integrate autonomous cooperative planning algorithms and decision-making capabilities directly onboard UAS.
Key Applications of TAGS:
Personnel Tracking: TAGS software will be employed to track the movement and location of personnel during emergency response operations. This use case aims to enhance situational awareness and ensure the safety and coordination of personnel on the ground.
Identification of Critical Infrastructure Hazards: By providing detailed, accurate, and timely data using multiple UAS without the need for as many operators, TAGS empowers utility companies to effectively survey and monitor infrastructure and make informed decisions on minimizing environmental impacts and reducing wildfire risks.
Fire-Retardant Drop Line Clearance: In this use case, the TAGS software will assist in optimizing the deployment of fire-retardant drops by UAS. The objective is to ensure effective coverage of fire-retardant materials along designated drop lines, minimizing the risk of fire spread and maximizing the efficiency of suppression efforts.
Active Wildfire Perimeter Monitoring: This involves utilizing TAGS software to enable UAS to monitor the perimeter of active wildfires in real-time and provide timely and accurate information about the spread and containment of the fire, allowing for proactive decision-making by firefighting agencies.
"We are honored to receive this support from NASA, which will accelerate our efforts in revolutionizing disaster management and battlefield operations. TAGS reduces the reliance on human operators by allowing one operator to control multiple platforms, streamlining operations in critical scenarios, and ultimately saving lives and properties, and giving our forces a critical advantage in the field" said Rocio Frej Vitalle, CEO and Founder of Improving Aviation.
For more information, please contact, Rocio Frej Vitalle at rocio@improvingaviation.com
Stay tuned for more updates on our progress and the impact of our innovative solutions.
About Improving Aviation: Improving Aviation is a forward-thinking company dedicated to integrating deep tech into aerospace operations. We are committed to enhancing operational efficiency, safety, and sustainability through our innovative solutions.
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