Special Call for Proposals - November 2007: Sensor Embedded Processing Methods to Help Overcome the IED Threat

The EMRS DTC would like to encourage EM sensor processing based proposals that will help in the fight against the IED threat to UK forces. To this end we have produced the following unclassified definition of our requirements against which bidders may respond.

	Multi-band, multi-polarisation, single platform organic (intelligent) sensors to enable targets (and their pre-cursors and artefacts) to be discriminated from background
	Scene and scenario recognition including machine intelligence to help operators recognise dangerous situations
	Detection methods that exploit multiple views of a target (and/or its pre-cursors and artefacts) to enable easier discrimination
	Change detection in any domain i.e. visual, radar imaging, ESM and patterns of behaviour
	ESM processing to recognise threat signals, both RF and EMC related
	Remote prediction of intent, possible approaches may include: automatic lip reading at range, remote biometric monitoring, communications patterns within RF networks or anomalous behaviour of people or vehicles

Clearly the DTC would welcome other ideas that fall within its electromagnetic sensing remit and address this threat. In other words the topics above are indicative only, they are not meant to be restrictive.

The closing date for this Special Call for proposals is Monday 12th November 2007. All proposals should be sent to Neil Whitehall by email: "neil dot whitehall at selex hypen sas dot com". Proposals should be constructed for work packages starting in early December 2007 running through to end March 2008. It is then intention of the DTC to let no more than three contracts with the value of any individual contract no more than £50K. The total budget available for the initial 4 month period is approximately £100K. Projects that show promise will be invited to propose a programme of follow on reasearch in EMRS DTC Year 6 (end March 2007 to end March 2009).