Abstract: A human-portable modular system is provided for remotely controlling an automotive vehicle by an operator physically unconnected thereto. For a typical vehicle, the system includes a radio control transmitter that sends command signals from the operator, a pedal control assembly, a steering control assembly, an electronics case disposable on the driver's seat, coupling mechanisms that respectively connect said assemblies to the electronics case, and a package for stowing and transporting the transmitter, the electronics case, and the assemblies. The pedal control assembly includes a linkage arm, an actuator pivotably connected to the linkage arm at its proximate end, and first and second arms pivotably connected to the linkage arm to controllably push the respective control pedals for acceleration and braking. The steering control assembly includes a motor that provides torque, and an attachment that couples the motor to the vehicle's steering wheel.

Abstract: A guided fuse is provided for installation on a projectile at its nose. The fuse includes a conical frustrum housing, a pair of control panels rotatably connected to pivotable knuckles, and a pair of drag panels disposed on hinges. Each of the control panels releases on command from stowage to deployment. Stowage configuration disposes each control and drag panel to conform against the housing, whereas deployment configuration separately splays the control and drag panels radially outward from the housing. In response to maneuver commands, each control panel turns on one of the knuckles along a radial control axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal axis. The control panels turn together either the same angular direction or the opposite angular direction. The control and drag panels form a cruciform pattern along the exterior.

Abstract: A method is provided for predicting thermal energy transfer from an entrained particle to a wall surface, the entrained particle being incorporated within a computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model of a flow scenario. Initially, the method generates grid geometry for the CFD model to form a plurality of finite element cells; and establishes initial and boundary conditions for the flow scenario. The model determines a characteristic particle size of the entrained particle; inserts the particle into a cell at an initial location; initializes physical conditions of the particle as a particle state; and calculates a time-step based on characteristic cell size and flow velocity. The model integrates state change in the particle state over the time-step in the cell; and computes collision effect in response to the particle crossing a face of the cell. After convergence, the model quantifies energy flux to the wall surface from impingement by the particle.

Abstract: A spherical armored mobile platform (SAMP) is provided for at least one operator to enable protected entry and egress from a militarily hostile environment. The SAMP includes a spherical shell, an armored cockpit and a set of wheels. The spherical shell has inner and outer surfaces and features a plurality of cavities that extend therethrough. The cockpit houses a seat, a guidance controller, a display console, and an electric motor connected to a power supply. The cockpit is contained within said shell. The seat is designed to receive the operator. The wheels are driven by the motor and structurally supported by the cockpit. The wheels engage the inner surface and turn in response to the motor. The cavities are disposed within three-sided boundaries of a geodesic dome. The SAMP can further include a plurality of optical sensors disposed on the cockpit, and a signal integrator to present temporally concatenated visual signals into a mosaic at the display console.

Abstract: A collection apparatus is provided for receiving a portion of a medium that flows around the apparatus and directing the portion into a collector. The apparatus includes an axisymmetric streamline receiver and a support member. The streamline receiver includes a chamber as well as at least one opening into the chamber that receives the portion. The support member includes an axisymmetric conduit for directing the portion from the chamber towards the collector. An alternate apparatus includes a streamline receiver, a support member and a tail stabilizer. The receiver includes upper and lower members that form leading and trailing edges to define a chord. Along an exterior surface, one or both of the members provide at least one opening that receives the portion. The support member has a conduit that directs the portion from the opening towards the collector. The tail stabilizer is secured to the streamline receiver to orient the leading edge into the medium.

Abstract: A measurement system is provided to monitor a launcher assembly along a path along which to accelerate a projectile. This system includes an optical sensor, a light emitter, a light detector and a signal analyzer. The sensor is continuously disposed on (or integrated to) the assembly at a position on the path and has initial and terminus ends. The light emitter transmits an optical signal from the initial end. The light detector receives the optical signal from either the initial or terminus ends. The signal analyzer compares the optical signal from the detector to a quantifiable deflection of the assembly launcher. The signal analyzer issues an alarm indication in response to the quantifiable deflection exceeds a hazard-condition threshold. The sensor may be positioned either substantially parallel to or transverse at discrete points along the path and be disposed longitudinally along and/or wrapped helically around the launcher barrel.

Abstract: An armor plate is provided for a body jacket to include provision for electrical power. The plate includes a flexible substrate, a ceramic cover disposed on the substrate, and a battery. The cover includes cavities along the substrate, with the battery disposed within the cavities. The battery comprises sheets disposed within the cavities. The battery includes a first metal layer disposed on the substrate, an electrolyte layer disposed on the first electrode layer and a second electrode layer disposed between the electrolyte layer and the cover.

Abstract: An apparatus is provided for traversing a barrel of a gun and disposing at a select position therein. The apparatus includes a bore-rider assembly and a sight-mount assembly. The bore-rider assembly enters a muzzle of the barrel, slides within a bore of the barrel, and anchors to the select position. The sight-mount assembly projects a line-of-sight from the select position to the muzzle. The bore-rider assembly includes a rod having wedges, first and second bore-riders with proximal and distal ends, a sleeve couple that joins at axial ends the bore-riders in tandem from their proximal ends. Each bore-rider has a rim at the distal end and an extension at the proximal end. The rim has an outer diameter adjustable by expansion. The sleeve couple joins in tandem at each axial end each bore-rider from the proximal end. The rod passes through each bore-rider and the couple. The rod includes first and second wedges that engage their corresponding bore-riders.

Abstract: A process is provided for disposing a sensor in an environment for optimally obtaining characteristic measurements. The process includes modeling covariant sets of environment elements that correspond to conditions of the environment and of sensor elements that correspond to characteristic functionalities of the sensor. The process further includes covariantly coupling the environmental elements with the sensor elements to produce a third set of configuration elements; and combining the configuration elements to obtain a fitness function parameter. The process may additionally include adjusting the environment elements and the sensor elements; repeating operations for covariantly coupling and combining until obtaining the fitness function parameter over a defined region of the environment within a set of fitness function parameters.

Abstract: A method and system are provided for merging data from a plurality of multiplexed measurement sources to a decision-maker. The method includes operations for receiving a corresponding plurality of measurements of the data, processing each measurement to respectively obtain local state estimates and local error covariances, determining a corresponding plurality of lag periods, offsetting each of the corresponding event times, supplying to a track fusion center the local state estimates and the local error covariances for summing the pluralities of the local state estimates as a fusion state estimate and the local error covariances as a fusion error covariance. The measurements to be fused are each acquired from its respective source and correspond to an associated sampling period within an acquisition interval. The lag periods represent a wait duration for obtaining the corresponding local state estimates and local error covariances.

Abstract: A portable checkpoint system is disclosed that incorporates a configurable freight container to intercept and inspect an approaching vehicle. The container includes a quadrilateral set of walls connectable to form a rectangular box, first and second ends of the walls, a blast plate disposed within the box, and a receptacle for mounting a device. At least one of the ends includes a door. The blast plate is disposed between two interior surfaces of the quadrilateral set of walls for absorbing shock and shrapnel, such as at an oblique angle. The mounted device is an instrument for measuring a characteristic of the vehicle. Another such device is a lamp for illuminating the vehicle. The checkpoint includes an obstacle to direct the vehicle in traffic flow, and a pair of configurable freight containers as described. The obstacle directs the vehicle towards the zone. The containers are disposed substantially parallel to each other and separated apart to form a zone that enables the vehicle to pass there-between.

Abstract: The current invention encompasses a microemulsion having environmentally safe components, the microemulsion exhibiting optical clarity and stability over a wide range of temperatures. The microemulsion also forms a part of a decontaminant solution for treating chemical and biological contaminant agents, the solution preferably containing peroxycarboxylic acids generated from solids as the primary decontamination agent. The solution is a single phase emulsion that is both stable and effective over a broad range of temperatures, the range extending well below 0° C. There is also disclosed a microemulsion decontaminate solution having components that stabilize the included solid and peroxycarboxylic acids.

Abstract: An alignment and locking system includes a dovetailed male portion having partial female threads formed in a surface thereof, a housing having a dovetailed notch for slidingly receiving the male portion, and a screw assembly coupled to the housing. The screw assembly includes a rotatable rod having a threaded region that partially extends into the housing's notch. The threaded region includes a partially threaded portion and a fully threaded portion. The partially threaded portion is defined by (i) a first region that cannot engage the partial female threads of the male portion as it slides in the notch, and (ii) a second region that can engage the partial female threads of the male portion as it slides in the notch. The system is further configured to impart a biased rotational movement to the rod to align the first region of the partially threaded portion with the notch when the male portion is not engaged in the notch.

Abstract: A process is provided to detect an object within a defined region using standing longitudinal cavity mode waves. The process includes disposing first and second electromagnetic reflectors within the region at opposite ends of the axis; transmitting an electromagnetic signal into the region in proximity to the first reflector, measuring a received signal in proximity to the second reflector, extracting an appropriate parameter from the received signal to obtain a received characteristic, comparing the received characteristic to an established characteristic that lacks the object to obtain a characteristic differential, and analyzing the characteristic differential to obtain a position of the object between the reflectors. The analyzing can be performed by Fourier transform across wave modes.

Abstract: An interface device is provided for securing a range finder to a Picatinny rail. The device has a longitudinal direction with first and second mounts, which are pivotably connected to open and closed configurations. The mounts are in substantially parallel and coaxial mutual positions along the longitudinal direction while in the closed configuration, and instead rotated along a first axis substantially perpendicular to the longitudinal direction in the open configuration. The device further includes a stock onto which the Picatinny rail attaches along the longitudinal direction, the stock being pivotably connecting to the first mount along a second axis substantially parallel to the first axis to one of a lock configuration to be substantially parallel to the first mount and a release configuration to pitch said stock relative to the first mount.

Abstract: A battery assembly is provided for electrical concatenation in series. The battery assembly includes a plurality of battery packs; a switch; a receiver; and an actuator. Each battery pack includes a plurality of rechargeable battery cells electrically connected in series. The switch electrically connects and disconnects first and second battery packs together. The receiver transmits power from the switch. The actuator operates the switch to connect and disconnect the battery packs. In preferred embodiments, the switch includes first and second buses and a deflector. The first bus electrically contacts the first battery pack. The second bus electrically contacts the second battery pack. The deflector moves the first bus electrically connect and disconnect with the second bus in response to communication with the actuator. An electrical connector is further provided for mechanical engagement and disengagement of electrical conduction to a terminal. The connector includes a block and a plurality of contacts.

Abstract: The current invention encompasses a microemulsion having environmentally safe components, the microemulsion exhibiting optical clarity and stability over a wide range of temperatures. The microemulsion also forms a part of a decontaminant solution for treating chemical and biological contaminant agents, the solution preferably containing peroxycarboxylic acids generated from solids as the primary decontamination agent. The solution is a single phase emulsion that is both stable and effective over a broad range of temperatures, the range extending well below 0° C. There is also disclosed a microemulsion decontaminate solution having components that stabilize the included solid and peroxycarboxylic acids.

Abstract: A laser tracking processor is provided for integrating measured target-reflection signals used in directional control. The integration is performed to distinguish pulses reflected from the target against a noise background. The processor includes an optical detector, an accumulator, a correlator, a phase-lock loop and an integrator array. The optical detector receives the measured signals distributed among several guidance channels. The accumulator sums the measured signals as a combined signal for all the channels. The correlator temporally identifies an event that occurs to indicate a target-reflection pulse within the combined signal. The phase-lock loop synchronizes the event with a clock reference to produce a pulse window within which to search the combined signal for the pulses. The integrator array superimposes the measured signals within the pulse window for each channel to produce channel-specific integrated pulse signals.

Abstract: A projectile is provided for delivering a payload from a smoothbore launcher to a target. The projectile includes an aerodynamic stabilizer, an extender along which the stabilizer can longitudinally translate, and a chamber connected to the extender to contain the payload. The chamber can include a plastic bag for containing a liquid that represents the payload, and a plurality of holes that radially extend through its wall. The stabilizer enhances post-launch directional stability of the projectile by longitudinally translating rearward along the extender to shift center of pressure of the projectile aft of center of gravity of the projectile. The bag ruptures upon contact with the target, thereby disbursing the liquid through the holes. The bag can include malodorant or paint. The projectile can be contained within a gunpowder-loaded shotgun shell for launch.

Abstract: A switch circuit is provided for conditional communication within a magnetic-induction interface, including first and second control nodes, a data input and output nodes, a parallel circuit, and first and second control nodes. The parallel circuit includes a pair of legs, each leg connecting to the data input and data output nodes. Each leg has a connector to a condition. Each control node is connected to the corresponding connector. The condition is one of the interface is connected and the interface is disconnected. The parallel circuit enables communication between the data input and output nodes only in response to the condition being that the interface is disconnected. The pair of leg includes first and second legs. The first leg includes a first MOSFET and a first diode. The first MOSFET has a first source, a first gate and a first drain. The second leg includes a second MOSFET and a second diode. The second MOSFET has a second source, a second gate and a second drain.