Systems and Methods for a High Performance Unattended Ground Sensor (HiPer-UGS) System for Persistent, Global Surveillance of Personnel and Vehicles

Description:

Overview of Technology

HiPer-UGS system that supports critical intelligence, defense, surveillance and reconnaissance missions of related organizations

Background

This invention addresses a novel UGS system concept called HiPer-UGS that supports critical intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance missions of US national defense, intelligence and security organizations. These missions include: a wide area surveillance of ground targets, border security and critical infrastructure protection and persistent, globe capable surveillance of critical areas of interest. HiPer UGS could provide the capability for collecting actionable intelligence in the field for periods of months to years, relaying critical intelligence over satellite communications and displaying that information to users world-wide in near real time. Moreover, HiPer-UGS could also enable robust perimeter security and intrusion detection capabilities for the commercial security market.

Technology Description

The HiPer UGS system concept comprises a highly sophisticated, low power RADAR-based ground sensor that provides the capability to detect, classify and track both personnel and vehicles in near real-time. Due to their expected small size, HiPer-UGS could be easily emplaced in difficult areas using airborne assets, such as unmanned aerial vehicles or delivered by hand using military or security personnel. Moreover, since node-to-node communications and networking are not necessary, deployment would be very simple and reliable. 

Once deployed and activated, an individual HiPer-UGS node would have direct network connection with a remote command and control unit through a Satcom Link. Using a novel electronically steerable phased array antenna and a high resolution RADAR waveform, the HiPer-UGS node would scan a RADAR beam at revisit rates consistently with the velocities of targets of interest. Real-time RADAR signal processing algorithms, including a target detector and classifier, would generate precision target detection, classification and tracking information that would be included in a detailed target report. These target reports would be buffered on the node’s microprocessor and transmitted using an in-node satellite transceiver to the C2 unit for display and analysis.

Benefits

  • Simple and reliable deployment system 
  • Small and compact size 
  • Addresses specific, critical UGS problems related to sensing, power consumption and communications
  • Key ASIC, antenna and software design approaches, provide significant performance advantages over existing wireless sensor networking technologies in terms of detection ranges, system robustness, communications latency and endurance
  • Technological improvements in overall performance result in significant advancements in operational utility of UGS for both military and homeland security measures

Applications

For strategic implementation into national-level‑importance defense, security and intelligence strategy.

Opportunity

Opportunity for further development or implementation in highly important situations

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