An Accurate, Secure and Low-power Wireless Aircraft Tracking System Navy SBIR FY2005.2 Sol No.: Navy SBIR FY2005.2 Topic No.: N05-122 Topic Title: An Accurate, Secure and Low-power Wireless Aircraft Tracking System Proposal No.: N052-122-0296 Firm: Intelligent Automation, Inc. 15400 Calhoun Drive Suite 400 Rockville, Maryland 20855 Contact: Chujen Lin Phone: (301) 294-5236 Web Site: www.i-a-i.com Abstract: We propose to design a tracking system for aircraft onboard carriers using a wireless mesh network with a point-to-point ranging capability. The system is formed by many Integrated Communication and Tracking Devices (ICTD) mounted inside the cockpits of aircrafts and in some selected locations of the carriers themselves, such as the island or the ceiling of the hangar bay. The unique strengths of this tracking system are: 1) Highly accurate and precise; 2) Low RF emission; 3) Energy efficient; 4) All-weather and; 5) No multi-path interference. Each ICTD contains four modules ---- a processor, a communication transceiver (CTR), a ranging sensor (RS), and a motion sensor (MS). CTR transmits very low power RF signals to meet the emission control limit and form a wireless multi-hop mesh network. The ranging sensor is capable of measuring the distance between another ranging sensor and itself. This tracking system is able to provide uniform coverage in the flight deck and the hangar bay areas in all weather conditions yet meet the emission control restriction. The accuracy is estimated to be +/- 1 foot for location and +/- 5 degrees or better in heading. Benefits: The promise of wireless connectivity for equipment and assets, especially for indoor applications, has not been realized due to the fragmentation of technologies and systems in the industry. The aircraft tracking system will allow the fusing of many of these infrastructures on a single wireless network. Besides Navy's carriers, the proposed aircraft tracking system can find its market in industry, hospitals, offices, research labs, etc. Briefly discussing just one of these, in the health care industry, TM-UWB offers a single mechanism for wireless communication to and from mobile instruments, plus it offers the ability to track the position of each of those mobile assets. Numerous commercial ventures have grown in the recent years around this technology and the network and concepts proposed here is ideally poised to take advantage of this vast market. Therefore, our solution would have appeal to large groups of military and civilian applications alike. Return