McQ developed for the U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC) an acoustic
and infrared measurement, node localization, and building characterization prototype system. The system is designed for
both manned and unmanned use to develop greater situational awareness through the exploration of unknown structures
and relay of mapping data through ARDEC's Firestorm network. This research covers ultrasonic and infrared ranging
sensor performance, GPS-denied positioning solutions, sensor data fusion, and mapping algorithms. Applications of
McQ's Structure Mapping system also include first responder mapping and positioning. McQ will present development
methodology and performance.
Wireless mesh networked (WMN) radios have been applied to unattended ground sensor (UGS) applications for a
number of years. However, adapting commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) WMN protocols and hardware for UGS
applications has not yielded the desired performance because of compromises inherent to these existing radios. As a
leading provider of UGS systems, McQ Inc. has been developing custom WMN protocols and radio hardware that are
adapted specifically for the unique scenarios of the UGS situation. This paper presents the McQ designs, the tradeoffs
made in developing the designs, and test and performance results.
KEYWORDS: Analog electronics, Data storage, Transducers, Prototyping, Power supplies, Electronics, Aluminum, Manufacturing, Human-machine interfaces, Sensors
McQ has developed a miniaturized, programmable, ruggedized data collector intended for use in weapon testing or data
collection exercises that impose severe stresses on devices under test. The recorder is designed to survive these stresses
which include acceleration and shock levels up to 100,000 G. The collector acquires and stores up to four channels of
signal data to nonvolatile memory for later retrieval by a user. It is small (< 7 in3), light weight (< 1 lb), and can operate
from various battery chemistries. A built-in menuing system, accessible via a USB interface, allows the user to configure
parameters of the recorder operation, such as channel gain, filtering, and signal offsets, and also to retrieve recorded data
for analysis. An overview of the collector, its features, performance, and potential uses, is presented.
During the past five years McQ has been actively pursuing integrating and applying wireless mesh network radios as a
communications solution for unattended ground sensor (UGS) systems. This effort has been rewarded with limited
levels of success and has ultimately resulted in a corporate position regarding the use of mesh network radios for UGS
systems. A discussion into the background of the effort, the challenges of implementing commercial off-the-shelf
(COTS) mesh radios with UGSs, the tradeoffs involved, and an overview of the future direction is presented.
McQ has produced a family of small (98 cm3), inexpensive ($100), unattended ground sensors well suited for urban environments. As a result, a broad range of data has been collected in urban settings. This paper discusses human signatures in urban environments using low cost seismic, infrared, acoustic, and magnetic transducers. Transducer performance and the effects of orientation, building construction, and environmental noise will be focused on. Detection methods used to exploit signatures and resulting performance statistics will also be discussed.
KEYWORDS: Sensors, Heads up displays, Decision support systems, Unattended ground sensors, Manufacturing, Sensor networks, Personal digital assistants, Magnetic sensors, Transducers, Electronics
McQ has developed a family of low cost unattended ground sensors using conventional technology and manufacturing techniques. Intended for small unit operations in an urban environment, these are tactically useful sensors that can be manufactured in large quantities (1M-10M units/year) for a projected production cost of less than $100 each. Secondary characteristics are small size (98 cm3), light weight (85 gm), moderate lifetime (40 hrs), and moderate communications ranges (100m). An overview of the DSS system: its features, performance, and scenarios for use in urban warfare, is presented.
McQ has developed a family of low cost unattended ground sensors that utilize self-configured, mesh network communications for wireless sensing. Intended for use in an urban environment, the area monitored by the sensor system poses a communication challenge. A discussion into the sensor's communication performance and how it affects sensor installation and the operation of the system once deployed is presented.
This paper will review the work being performed at McQ on the development of a family of truly low cost unattended ground sensor systems using conventional technology and manufacturing techniques. The goal of this work is to produce tactically useable sensors that can be manufactured in large quantities (1-10M units/year) for $10 each. Secondary goals are small size (10-50 cm^3), lightweight (15-60gm), moderate lifetimes (48-72hrs) and moderate communications ranges (10-1000m). Our research indicates that sensors meeting these performance metrics can be manufactured today using conventional manufacturing techniques. The paper will review the basic system architecture proposed, projected sensor performance and projected manufacturing costs.
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