Defence hunts and rewards disruptive technology magic

The new initiative is to help bring bright ideas that could aid current operations to fruition does not seem to have  a US parallel, as have other MOD initiatives such as the Grand Challenge and the Competition of Ideas, but is complemented by The Defence Technology and Innovation Centre based at the Defence Academy in Oxfordshire, where Professor Andrew Baird runs a team of 75 scientists, engineers and back-up staff.

For those lurking outside the triangle, a modicum of access is offered by means of the Centre for Defence Enterprise through an associated MOD website. Those with defence ideas, angles or interests in Scotland will find the focus initiators have for some years been that low profile, but hardworking University of Glasgow ADS programme organisers.

The main MOD challenge is to come up with innovative solutions to address some of the issues facing soldiers on current operations, including weight reduction of personal kit; and increased mobility through new technologies. 
The interesting news is that MOD will provide up to 100% funding to investigate new ideas and gain an understanding of their utility to defence. This early proof of concept or seed corn funding will also improve access to defence markets.

 For later stages of investment, where technologies are being further developed and matured, MOD will seek to share funding with either suppliers or third party investors. MOD will provide as much information as possible on potential applications and routes to market to promote greater shared funding. In line with wider Government policy, the intellectual property generated will be owned by the supplier, and MOD will encourage exploitation by the suppliers  within defence and across other market sectors.

Minister for Defence Equipment and Support, Baroness Taylor, said: “The Centre for Defence Enterprise is about tapping into the UK’s best talent to develop the next generation of military technology for our Armed Forces. It is an exciting opportunity to expand the MoD’s science and technology supplier base for defence. We are looking for the innovative solutions and technology that will provide our front line with the battle-winning edge.”

Building on the success of the Grand Challenge and Competition of Ideas, the Centre for Defence Enterprise will look for innovative proposals, the best of which will be taken forward as research contracts to produce the next generation of military equipment and technology. It also seeks to stimulate wider entrepreneurial interest in the defence sector.

Applicants will submit proposals for assessment and the Centre for Defence Enterprise will support those ideas that have the potential to meet current and future operational requirements. The aim is to capture these ideas and develop them into solutions that can be quickly applied to the frontline. Innovators will be invited to regular seminars showing them what defence is looking for, further opening up communication of MoD’s science and technology requirements.

Current MOD schemes aimed at delivering innovation are the Grand Challenge  competition. This has Stellar, Swarm, Mira, Team Tumblewood, Silicon Valley, Barnard Microsystems (MOD funded) and Thales, i-Spy, Mindsheet and locust Team playing in the August’s battle for Copehill Down with autonomous vehicles capable of detecting a range of military threats in an urban environment.

Ideas - three awards out of 66 offerings
 The initiative developed by the MoD’s Research Acquisition Organisation (RAO) as part of the UK MoD’s commitment to developing the defence supplier network and providing leadership in investment for science, technology and engineering, attracted 467 proposal submissions in the first call, resulting in 66 contracts.

A contract approximately £300, 000 went to Plextek Ltd (the software defined radio-based  WiMax proponents)  to research their proposal for technology that allows improved communication between military vehicles and convoys. Plextek Ltd is a Cambridge based SME, with approximately 100 staff in the UK, specialises in product and systems design for communications. The proposal looks at how an ad-hoc networking system can enable better communication between vehicles and convoys.  http://www.plextek.co.uk .

Graham Edgar and Di Catherwood, founder members of the University of Gloucestershire’s Applied Cognitive Science Research group, were also awarded a contract worth £247,000 to study the cognitive and neurological basis of prediction of intent.

The University of Gloucestershire project will involve further development of a new approach to measuring ‘situation awareness’ currently under development , and this will be combined with measurements of brain activity using electroencaphalography (EEG) to provide a better understanding of the processes underpinning prediction of intent.   The aim of the project will be to achieve a greater understanding of, and ability to predict, those situations where an individual may make an incorrect prediction of intent leading to a potentially embarrassing, or even fatal, mistake. 

WFS Ltd based in Livingstone, Scotland won a £280k contract offering the development of a Sensing Net.

The project is based on leading edge technology developed in the UK by WFS. WFS has emerged as the world leader in a growing market for underwater and underground RF based communications, sensing and navigation following several years of investment in new technology. Advances in electronics design and signal processing make it possible to reconsider the basic science of electro-magnetics as an aid to underwater sensing. The programme focuses on remote sensing of underwater intrusion. An intruder crossing through the Sensing Net would be almost instantly detected and its characteristic size, movement and direction would trigger closer
investigation to determine the exact nature of the threat

Right: Virtual sensing nets for harbours. Courtesy: http:// melindaschwakhofer. files. wordpress.com

From glass bead games to the latest whisky?
The Ideas winners for MoD awards

Interfacial energy management    Advanced Defence Materials Ltd




Prediction system to support the identification of people that may cause harm in crowded environments    University of Sheffield

Spatially diverse array antennas    University College London

Improved identification & 3D tracking of multiple moving targets    Imperial College London

Bistatic Clutter    University College London

Atri Lessons fro natural systems    University College London

Inferring Plans from behaviour and situation    Heriot-Watt University

Armour on demand    Queen Mary University of London

2-band quantum dot infrared photodiodes    University of Sheffield

Adaptive reduced rank space time processing    University of York

Enhanced ballistic protection through fibre and fabric monitoring    Innoval Technology

Surface to air refuelling system    Oxford mathematical designs

Explosives detection with NQRBAS    National Physical laboratory

Ad hoc wireless networking for dismounted combat    Queens University of Belfast

Terrorist Intent Detection    ONSci Ltd

Evaluation & Training of Expertise    University of Glasgow

Bullet Radar    Saul Research

Electro & Magneto optic nano-materials    University of Southampton

Acoustic hostile fire indication for aircraft    Roke Manor

Semantic world modelling     Heriot-Watt University

Sentiment Analysis for Military intelligence (SAMI)    QinetiQ

Physiological Monitoring    University of Gloucester

Development of improved body armour    University of Manchester

Avalanche photodiodes for UV    University of Sheffield

Stealthy Object detection and recognition    Systems Engineering & Assessment Ltd

Social network inference    ThinkTank Mathematics

The Glass bead game    University of Birmingham

Physiological Markers for detecting intent    QinetiQ

Undistorted Imaging    QinetiQ

Keeping troops safe    QinetiQ

Detection and Recognition of objects of interest using Orbital Angular momentum imaging    QinetiQ

Recognising partially obscured targets    QinetiQ

Fly's eye imaging    QinetiQ

Millimetre Wave Vibrometry    QinetiQ

Detection & Location of underground bunkers/military facilities usingcompact gravity gradiometer sensor    Qinetiq

Cognitive Routing for tactical ad hoc communications    University of York

Quantum-State Object Recognition    QinetiQ

Ad hoc networking to convoy operations    Plextek

AC electrical energy exciting phosphor    Linear Guidance

Tecdur Transparent Armour    Hamilton Erskine Ltd

Battlefield wound dressing    University of Brighton

Self Healing Armour    BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre

Rapid electro optic beam steering    QinetiQ

Increasing capability & resilience     QinetiQ

Crosshair    OMG plc (2d3 Ltd)

Networked distributed ES geolocation system    QinetiQ

Compressed Sensing (SAR)    University of Edinburgh

Airborne monitoring of ground traffic behaviour    Cranfield University

Rifle mounted sniper locator    Ultra Electronics Ltd

Stabilised 360 degree video    Dreampact Limted

HPLA High Performance Light weight laminate Armour     TWI Ltd

Innovative Lightweight Energy Absorbing (LEA) Armour    BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre

Titanium matrix composites    TISICS Ltd

Analysis of Ship Wake Information    Waterfall Solutions

Validation of personal heat stress monitor    Optimal Performance

Development of fast 1.3 mpixel EMCCD camera    Melford Resolution Ltd

Detecting suspicious behaviour     BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre

Fibre Mat concrete (FMC)    University of Sheffield

Metal Reactive Armour (MRA)    QinetiQ

"JD"    QinetiQ

Underwater electromagnetic sensing net    Wireless firbre systems Ltd

Effective automatic recognition for unmanned UV    BAE Systems Advanced Technology Centre

Underwater target identification    QinetiQ

Subzooka Underwater Deterrent System    Subacoustech Ltd

SATCOM    EADS Astrium Ltd

Skycomet    Silicon Valley Systems

Cross layer adhoc network system    Ultra Electronics Ltd

Webs: www.science.mod.uk/Engagement/enterprise.aspx
http://www.science.mod.uk/
http://www.challenge.mod.uk/
http://computescotland.com/1243.php
http://www.plextek.co.uk
http://tinyurl.com/6evoad
http://www.wirelessfibre.co.uk/