N242-097 TITLE: Unmanned Aerial System for Tag Deployment in Marine Mammal Monitoring
OUSD (R&E) CRITICAL TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Biotechnology
OBJECTIVE: Technologies and techniques for marine mammal monitoring are growing rapidly but many barriers remain. This SBIR topic seeks to adapt a compact, National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA)-compliant, commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS), unmanned aerial system (UAS), and develop the payloads to facilitate accurate deployment of Type A anchored biologging tags from small boats to improve marine mammal monitoring, health measurements, behavioral sequencing, and understanding of the effects of Navy sources of sound on marine mammals.
DESCRIPTION: Advances in both biologging tag technology and UAS present unprecedented opportunities to improve our capacity to collect robust data with minimal disturbance to marine mammal species. In particular, percutaneous tags can collect data over extended periods and are integral to understanding cetacean ecology. Compared to other less invasive tag types, these percutaneous tags are capable of collecting datasets on the order of weeks to months, which are critical in providing information on marine mammal distribution, migration, and behavior. Such data are necessary to support the Navy’s environmental compliance requirements.
However, as these tags require both significant force and accurate placement to attach to the individual properly, current methods of tag deployments via a long pole from a small boat are challenging, as they require close boat approaches, thereby increasing the risk to both the cetacean and tagging personnel. Further, cetaceans often respond evasively to close boat approaches, which increases chances of harassment, reduces deployment opportunities, and extends the time it takes to deploy each tag.
As such, the use of UAS in tag deployment can help reduce these risks while also increasing tag deployment rates by enabling remote deployment of percutaneous tags. While UAS methods have led to the successful deployments of suction-cup attached tags on cetaceans, to date these available systems rely only on gravitational force and are therefore inadequate for Type A anchored tag deployments that require accurate tag placement.
This SBIR topic seeks to adapt a compact, NDAA-compliant, COTS UAS and develop payloads capable of carrying both the biologging tag and propulsive source to facilitate accurate deployment of Type A anchored tags. In particular, this prototype device should include the ability to launch and recover from small boats, have sufficient propulsive force to launch the tags at a sufficient speed for anchored attachment, accurately hit small targets when taking into account winds and motion of the UAS and animal, and minimize operator training and workload. Further, this COTS UAS device should utilize predictive systems to model the ballistic trajectory of the irregularly shaped tags and take into account onboard measured environmental factors such as true wind speed that affect the tag trajectory. Further development leveraging AI and computer vision could additionally enable assisted targeting where the UAS could automatically track specific features on an individual. In addition to this deployment capability, the UAS should additionally include the ability to collect high-resolution imagery of marine mammals with associated range and geo-spatial information.
Note: Phase I performers should review appropriate guidance required for animal research protocols at Animal Use Research Requirements | Office of Naval Research (navy.mil) so they have the information to use while preparing their Phase II Initial Proposal [Ref 6]. Institutional Review Board (IRB) determination as well as processing, submission, and review of all paperwork required for animal use can be a lengthy process and should be started in the Phase I Option period. Animal research will not be allowed until Phase II and work will not be authorized until approval has been obtained, typically as an Option to be exercised during Phase II.
PHASE I: Develop concepts and determine feasibility of adapting COTS UAS technologies with payloads and technology suitable for percutaneous tag deployment in a compact, efficient, and cost-effective design, including the identification of components to increase propulsive force and accuracy. Develop key component technology milestones and conceptual designs for hardware. Prepare a Phase II plan.
Note: Please refer to the statement included in the Description above regarding animal research protocol for Phase II.
PHASE II: Develop prototype payloads and technology hardware based on the Phase I effort. Establish hardware performance and develop a conceptual plan for integration into a COTS compact UAS system. A prototype should be delivered at the end of Phase II, ready for integration and testing by the Government.
Note: Please refer to the statement included in the Description above regarding animal research protocol for Phase II.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Successful adaptation of a COTS compact UAS and development of payload suitable for percutaneous tag deployment will open tremendous opportunities for small businesses to provide marine mammal monitoring capabilities to a wide range of government agencies having equities in marine life issues. For example, NOAA National Marine Fisheries, National Ocean Service, Office of National Marine Sanctuaries, Bureau of Ocean Energy Management, U.S. Geological Survey, and the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, among others would benefit from this capability. A key goal of this phase will be making the technology available to the broader research and Navy communities.
REFERENCES:
KEYWORDS: Unmanned aerial systems; drone; tag attachment; tag deployment; marine mammals; monitoring; percutaneous tag; anchored tag
** TOPIC NOTICE ** |
The Navy Topic above is an "unofficial" copy from the Navy Topics in the DoD 24.2 SBIR BAA. Please see the official DoD Topic website at www.defensesbirsttr.mil/SBIR-STTR/Opportunities/#announcements for any updates. The DoD issued its Navy 24.2 SBIR Topics pre-release on April 17, 2024 which opens to receive proposals on May 15, 2024, and closes June 12, 2024 (12:00pm ET). Direct Contact with Topic Authors: During the pre-release period (April 17, through May 14, 2024) proposing firms have an opportunity to directly contact the Technical Point of Contact (TPOC) to ask technical questions about the specific BAA topic. Once DoD begins accepting proposals on May 15, 2024 no further direct contact between proposers and topic authors is allowed unless the Topic Author is responding to a question submitted during the Pre-release period. SITIS Q&A System: After the pre-release period, until June 5, 2024, at 12:00 PM ET, proposers may submit written questions through SITIS (SBIR/STTR Interactive Topic Information System) at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ by logging in and following instructions. In SITIS, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous but all questions and answers are posted for general viewing. Topics Search Engine: Visit the DoD Topic Search Tool at www.dodsbirsttr.mil/topics-app/ to find topics by keyword across all DoD Components participating in this BAA.
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| 6/2/24 | Q. | Thank you for the answer to the previous question stating…"While there will not be a Navy boat/ship available for a Phase II flight test, there should be opportunity to work with a marine mammal researcher (the ultimate end user of this system) for on-the-water testing. "
Do you know approximately how many opportunities will be available for flights with a marine mammal researcher during Phase II? And, where would the Navy prefer that this teaming with a researcher take place.? Boston? New York? Norfolk? Our company would like to research the requirements/laws and/or restrictions in place to fly UAS in coastal areas of the potential flight test area (state…MA, NY, VA, etc) to properly (briefly) discuss this in our proposal. Will there (likely) be a representative(s) from the Navy attending these research sessions? |
| A. | We do not have a set nor an anticipated number of on-the-water opportunities during Phase II. We anticipate that this need will be very system-specific, as well as subject to the availability of the marine mammal researchers and their partnerships.
We are ultimately looking for a system that can be location-independent, including use on the east coast, west coast, and southern breeding grounds. We have no preference for location of development or testing of this system. Important to note, this UAS must comply with the rules, regulations, and restrictions of the following mandates and requirements: Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) Endangered Species Act (ESA) Office of Naval Research Animal Use Research Requirements (www.nre.navy.mil/work-with-us/how-to-apply/compliance-and-protections/research-protections/marine-mammal-animal-use-protocol) National Defense Authorization Act Compliance (NDAA) Federal Aviation Administration rules for drone operation The National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) has a specific webpage for permitting UAS research activities (www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/marine-life-viewing-guidelines/permitting-scientific-research-using-small-unmanned). Other than these, to date there are no other specific UAS guidance for obtaining a required research permit. Each application is reviewed on a case-by-case basis based on their objectives and goals of the proposed activities. For the size of UAS, NMFS uses the FAA definition of small UAS (less than 55 lbs) and most UAS used for research fall under this definition (www.ecfr.gov/current/title-14/chapter-I/subchapter-F/part-107). For the distances/altitudes, NMFS currently have researchers permitted to collect blow samples or deploy suction-cup tags as low as 6 feet. The technical POCs will ultimately attend a demonstration/validation of the developed system, but will not be present for all research and/or development sessions. |
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| 05/24/24 | Q. | Obviously, this topic requires a VTOL multicopter type aircraft with exceptional station-keeping ability and water resistance due to the harsh ocean saltwater environment. Will you have a station-keeping and/or a waterproof/resistance requirement [IP65, 66 and 67, etc]? A station-keep example could be holding a position +/- 1ft[?] for 5 minutes[?] in a 20-25 mph[?] wind [typical off the east coast of the US]. |
| A. | We require an NDAA-compliant and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS system) for this effort. This system must have the following abilities: Capable of carrying both the biologging tag and propulsive source to facilitate accurate deployment of Type A and Type C tags; sufficient propulsive force to launch the tags at sufficient speed for anchored attachment ; accurately hit small targets when taking into account winds and motion of both the UAS and the animal; ability to launch and recover from small boats (caught by hand); collect high-resolution imagery of marine mammals with associated range and geo- spatial information; minimize operator training and workload; utilize predictive systems to model the ballistic trajectory of the irregularly shaped tags.
Important to note, this aircraft should never touch the water nor the whale. All tag attachment pieces must remain sterile until the moment they contact the marine mammal. Darts need to be sterilized before implantation and can't come into contact with any non-sterile object. Instead, due to the small field of operation for launch and recovery off of a small boat, it is essential that the prototype device be compact and portable in both size and weight such that the UAS can be caught by hand during small boat-based operations. Therefore, while there is no specific requirement of waterproof/resistance for the saltwater environment, we do request a minimum weather resistant rating of IP45 to allow for operations of the system in wet conditions (rain, spray, etc). Once the target whale to be tagged is identified by the researchers and the UAV is deployed over that whale, we expect the UAV's automation system to kick in and lock on to certain features on that target whale (ex: dorsal fin) and determine the correct trajectory, ballistics, and propulsion needed to properly place the tag on the whale, all while taking into account the surrounding environmental factors such as wind. This positioning will likely need to be adjusted rapidly by the UAV's automated system as the target whale will be continuously moving. Once that positioning is "locked in" to ensure correct placement and positioning, then the human operator comes back in to play to click that final "Fire" button. Therefore, we anticipate this state of station-keeping once a position is “locked in” and identified for the marine mammal research to be maintained for up to one minute in order for the marine mammal research to make the final decision on whether or not to fire. |
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| 05/24/24 | Q. | Does the Navy have a boat/ship available for a Phase II flight test? |
| A. | While there will not be a Navy boat/ship available for a Phase II flight test, there should be opportunity to work with a marine mammal researcher (the ultimate end user of this system) for on-the-water testing. | |
| 05/24/24 | Q. | For both #1 communication/control (typical Comm range is a few miles, but could be extended) and #2 total distance before the battery dies (could be 10 miles to 25 miles or more for a multicopter with a multi-camera, and tag payload), what is the expected range [#1,#2] of the Phase II prototype? |
| A. | We are looking for this system to work up to ˝ mile distance between the boat and the whale. Dependent on many factors, we are hopeful to deploy multiple tags throughout a day, but only one tag at a time (per flight). We would expect one shot to be fired and then have the UAV return to the boat to be reloaded (including efficient battery swap, payload swap, etc).
Once the target whale to be tagged is identified by the researchers and the UAV is deployed over that whale, we expect the UAV's automation system to kick in and lock on to certain features on that target whale (ex: dorsal fin) and determine the correct trajectory, ballistics, and propulsion needed to properly place the tag on the whale, all while taking into account the surrounding environmental factors such as wind. This positioning will likely need to be adjusted rapidly by the UAV's automated system as the target whale will be continuously moving. Once that positioning is "locked in" to ensure correct placement and positioning, then the human operator comes back in to play to click that final "Fire" button. With this goal, we do not have a specific expected range in miles for the battery to operate, but rather a need in time for battery life. Specifically, we need the battery to last a minimum of 30 minutes. Important to note, we understand the constraints of overall size of the system (due to hand launch/catch capability) as well as flight time related to batteries. Therefore, it is reasonable for the tag and propulsive force payload to be separate, detachable, and swappable with the high-resolution camera required for photogrammetry. If necessary, these two payloads do not have to be attached at the same time. However, the ability to detach and swap these payloads must be quick, efficient, and possible on a small boat platform. |
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| 05/24/24 | Q. | What is the approximate level of accuracy for the tags? +/- 3 inch, +/- 1 inch, +/- 1 cm, etc? |
| A. | Dependent on the species, Type C tags are deployed between the dorsal fin and the blowhole (from a few inches up to about a foot of usable placement area). In comparison, Type A tags are deployed horizontally into the dorsal fin, and this have a few mm to inches at most for usable and safe placement area. | |
| 05/24/24 | Q. | Can you please tell us what the weight, dimensions, and supplier name is for the Type A tag that will be utilized/designed for use with the Phase II prototype UAS? |
| A. | We require an NDAA-compliant and commercial-off-the-shelf (COTS system) for this effort that is capable of carrying both the biologging tag and propulsive source to facilitate accurate deployment of Type A and Type C tags.
From Andrews, Russel D., et al. "Best practice guidelines for cetacean tagging." J. Cetacean Res. Manage. 20 (2019): 27-66: Type A = Anchored. Anchored tags are tags with the electronics package external to the skin, attached by one or more anchors that puncture and terminate below the skin. The anchors, often solid shafts with retention barbs or petals, are designed to terminate in the internal tissue of the dorsal fin or in dermal or hypodermal tissue along the dorsum. Anchored tags are usually deployed using remote-attachment methods that do not require restraint of the animal, such as projection from a crossbow or air-gun, or placement with a pole. Type C = Consolidated. The electronics and retention elements are consolidated into a single implanted anchor. The electronics are typically inside a metal case, usually a cylinder, designed to be partially implanted in the body, with only a small part of the top of the tag and antenna and/or sensors projecting above the skin. Retention barbs, or petals, are connected directly to the implanted package. Puncture of the skin typically occurs on the body or the base of the dorsal fin (not the central part of the dorsal fin), and the distal end of the tag sometimes terminates internally to the muscle/blubber interface. Application of these tags does not require restraint and they are deployed with remote methods The current Type C tags available from Wildlife Computers range from 130 mm to 300 mm in length, 22-24mm in diameter and weight between 140 and 390 grams. Details of the Wildlife Computers tags, can be found here: https://wildlifecomputers.com/taxa/cetacean-transdermal/ Oregon State University is also working to produce a robust Type C consolidated tag. The current iteration of this tag will be 27.5 cm in length and 2.4 cm in diameter, with a weight of at least 300 g (but permitted up to 400g). Type A tags in the market are currently around 57 mm in length, 48-50mm in width, 24 - 27mm in height, and weigh between 57 and 69 grams. Details of the current Type A tags available from Wildlife Computers can be found here: https://wildlifecomputers.com/limpet-suite-product-sheet/ |