US Navy Prize Challenge: Autonomous Detection of Marine Mammals

1170 East Main Road,Portsmouth RI 02871

15 March, 2022

Description

U.S. NAVY PRIZE CHALLENGE: AUTONOMOUS DETECTION OF MARINE MAMMALS U.S. NAVY PRIZE CHALLENGE: AUTONOMOUS DETECTION OF MARINE MAMMALSWHAT IS THE US NAVY CHALLENGE: AUTONOMOUS DETECTION OF MARINE MAMMALS?The Pacific Northwest and Northeast regions of the United States face similar challenges of working to protect key marine mammal species, while supporting a growing density of maritime traffic and technologies, to include autonomous vessels. The U.S. Navy, as part of its commitment to train, test, and operate worldwide in an environmentally responsible manner, is seeking innovative solutions to enhance real-time detection of killer whales (Orcinus orca), right whales (Eubalaena glacialis, E. japonica, and E. australis), or both in high vessel traffic areas. The ultimate goal is a prototype that employs transformation technology or a combination of existing technologies to detect, classify, and display marine mammal location in real-time, allowing an autonomous vessel to take proactive measures to avoid use of sonar or a strike. This technology will also be applicable to manned commercial vehicles (e.g. high-speed catamaran passenger ferries). The award is: $75,500401 Tech Bridge is collaborating with NavalX Northeast Tech Bridge, along with other partner organizations, to manage this U.S. Navy Challenge. CHALLENGE GOALSThe goal of the first phase is to develop a system of sensors to detect killer whales and North Atlantic right whales with at least one above-water sensor and one below-water sensor. Data from these sensors must be time synchronized and include — at a minimum — the vehicle position and orientation, sensor data, timestamp, sensor settings, sensor position, and sensor orientation. APPLICATION DATESApplications are currently OPEN APPLY NOW BY CLICKING HERE Applications CLOSE: March 31, 2022.