Abstract: An interface node for enabling a robotic arm to be used as a reconfigurable fixture for vehicle manufacture is described. The interface node comprises an attachment element for attaching the interface node to the robotic arm. The interface node also comprises a first locating element, the first locating element comprising a flat surface wherein the flat surface is suitable for locating a first feature of a first component wherein the first feature comprises a face of the first component. The interface node further comprises a wall extending from and substantially around the flat surface, the wall connecting the flat surface to the attachment element wherein the wall defines a second locating element, the second locating element suitable for locating a second feature of a second component, which may or may not be the same.

Abstract: A method fabricating at least one universal substrate from a batch product. The method includes steps of: providing a preform having a predetermined profile; wrapping a plurality of conductors about an outer surface of the preform; injecting a nonconductive matrix between conductors of the plurality of conductors, wherein the nonconductive matrix permeates between interstitial spaces of the plurality of conductors to isolate some conductors of the plurality of conductors from one another; forming the batch product that includes the plurality of conductors and the nonconductive matrix; and wafering at least one section of the batch product to form the at least one universal substrate. The plurality of conductors of the at least one universal substrate defines a first connection surface, a second connection surface opposite to the first connection surface, and a plurality of conductive pathways defined between the first connection surface and the second connection surface.

Abstract: A crimping tool for assembling a countermeasure expendable. The crimping tool includes a main body that has a top end, a bottom end vertically opposite to the top end, and an axis defined between the top end and the bottom end. The main body is configured to receive a cap of the countermeasure expendable, a spacer of the countermeasure expendable, and a cartridge case of the countermeasure expendable. The crimping tool also includes a presser that selectively operably engages with the main body and is configured to press the cap and the spacer of the countermeasure expendable into the cartridge case of the countermeasure expendable. The crimping tool also includes a set of crimpers that operably engages with the main body and is configured to crimp at least the cap, the spacer, the cartridge case with one another to collectively maintain the cap and the spacer with the cartridge case.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for fabricating an expandable tightly coupled dipole array (TCDA) antenna with dual-linear linear polarization. An antenna implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes an array of the electrically coupled antenna elements. The antenna elements comprise a horizontally polarized planar dipole antenna disposed on a first foldable substrate and a ground plane disposed on a second foldable substrate. The second substrate is parallel to the first substrate. The antenna elements also comprise a first printed circuit board (PCB) coupling the first substrate to the second substrate, the first PCB perpendicular to the first substrate and the second substrate, and a second PCB coupling the first substrate to the second substrate, the second PCB perpendicular to the first substrate and the second substrate and parallel to the first PCB. The antenna elements further comprise a vertically polarized dipole antenna disposed on the second PCB.

Abstract: Techniques are provided for employing an embedded software defined radio (SDR) in a navigation system. A navigation system implementing the techniques according to an embodiment includes a global positioning system (GPS) receiver configured to acquire and track received GPS signals. The system also includes an SDR configured to process received communication signals. The communication signals include timing data. The SDR is further configured to calculate position and navigation data based on a combination of the processed communication signals and the tracked GPS signals provided by the GPS receiver. The system further includes a system timer configured to provide a common time base for use by the GPS receiver and the SDR. The navigation system is implemented in an application specific integrated circuit (ASIC).

Abstract: An antenna assembly includes an antenna feed configured to receive a signal over a wide bandwidth, a ground plane, and an antenna element. The antenna element includes first and second conductive dipole arms each in planar alignment with a surface of the ground plane and adjacent to each other. The antenna assembly further includes a conductive wall (“H-wall”) in electrical communication with the ground plane and having an end adjacent to, and physically separate from, the second conductive dipole arm, where an axial length of the H-wall being orthogonal to the ground plane, and a resistive surface having an attenuation effect on the reflected signal from the ground plane.

Abstract: A cooling system and method for cooling a contactor from the contactor-terminal side or both the contactor-mount side is provided. The contactors may be mounted to a base of a chassis. The cover may have one or more fluid channels associated with an exterior side of the cover. The interior side may have a plurality of thermally conductive bosses projecting from the interior surface configured to indirectly contact busbars which are respectively connected to contactor terminals of the contactors via thermal pads to provide a heat transfer path between the busbars and the fluid within the one or more fluid channels associated with the exterior side of the cover. Certain of the thermally conductive bosses are offset from the one or more fluid channels.

Abstract: A smart store communication interface (SSCI) squib of a countermeasure expendable. SSCI squib also includes a first electrical network. SSCI squib also includes a second electrical network that is isolated from the first electrical network. SSCI squib includes a fire pin contact that operably engages with the first electrical network and the second electrical network. The SSCI squib is configured to one of ignite a propellant loaded inside of a housing of the SSCI squib and communicate with a processor of the countermeasure expendable in response to receiving at least one electrical signal at the fire pin contact.

Abstract: A method of determining a schedule for a pointing device includes distributing targets among a plurality of groups and assigning schedules to the groups, after which the groups and group schedules are not modified. A partial pointing schedule is successively grown by selecting a list of remaining groups, and appending a best candidate sub-schedule for the list to the partial schedule. If a sub-schedule cannot be found for which the grown partial schedule meets all applicable requirements, the partial schedule is pruned to a previous state and a different, previously evaluated sub-schedule is appended to the pruned partial schedule to attempt re-growth. Groups, group schedules, lists, and sub-schedules can be selected according to values, dwell times, and/or windows of performance of the targets, groups, and sub-schedules. If no schedule is found that meets all requirements, a missed group can be excluded from the schedule.

Abstract: A cooling system for a modular power control system (MPCS) is provided. The MPCS comprises modules. Each module has a chassis with a first manifold segment for first common manifold and a second manifold segment for second common manifold. When the modules are mounts to each other, the first manifold segments align to form the first common manifold and the second manifold segments align to form the second common manifold, providing two fluid channels between endcaps. The chassis of at least two modules further have a first opening providing a fluid interface region between the first common manifold and a module specific flow path, and a second opening providing a fluid interface region between the module specific flow path and the second common manifold. The module specific flow path provides at least one fluid branch between the first common manifold and the second common manifold.

Abstract: An antenna assembly includes an electrically conductive ground plane; a signal pin adjacent to the ground plane; and a tapered conductive surface coupled to the signal pin, the tapered conductive surface being symmetric about an axis passing through the signal pin and orthogonal to the ground plane, where the ground plane and the tapered conductive surface are an additively manufactured contiguous unitary component. The antenna assembly can further include a support structure extending from the ground plane to the tapered conductive surface. The support structure can be coupled to an outer edge of the tapered conductive surface or a center region of the tapered conductive surface. The antenna assembly can further include a cover over the tapered conductive surface thereby forming a hollow region between the cover and the tapered conductive surface.

Abstract: An antenna assembly includes a first flare arm, a second flare arm located adjacent to the first flare arm, a feed block having an opening therein, a feed slot extending from the opening to an outer periphery of the feed block, and a feed line integral with the feed block as a contiguous unitary component. The first flare arm and the second flare arm are symmetric about the feed block. The feed line can have a first portion integrated into the feed block and a second portion at least partially extending across the feed slot. A method of fabricating an antenna assembly includes additively manufacturing a feed block having a feed slot adjacent to a first flare arm and a second flare arm, and additively manufacturing a feed line having a first portion integral with the feed block, and a second portion at least partially extending across the feed slot.

Abstract: A signal from a mobile communication device (102) of an unmanned aerial vehicle (103) is received, via cellular network communication, by each of a plurality of cellular network base stations (106, 107, 108). A position of the unmanned aerial vehicle (103) is determined based on a triangulation operation performed using the signal received by the cellular network base stations (106, 107, 108). Vehicle navigational data derived from the position determination is used to determine that a navigation assistance notification should be communicated to a notification receiver (102, 114) and, in response, communication of the navigation assistance notification to the notification receiver (102, 114) is initiated.

Abstract: In some examples, an underwater imaging apparatus comprises a source of electromagnetic radiation configured to generate a short-range illuminating beam at a selected wavelength, and an image sensor for generating image data representing a scene or object to be illuminated by the illuminating beam, the image sensor sensitive to the selected wavelength.

Abstract: A mobile communication device (102) of a vehicle (103) is associated with a navigation system (202). Vehicle navigational data derived from the navigation system (202) is received, via cellular network communication, from the mobile communication device (102) of a vehicle (103). The vehicle navigational data is used to determine that a navigation assistance notification should be communicated to the mobile communication device (102) and, in response, communication of the navigation assistance notification to the mobile communication device (102) is initiated.

Abstract: A method of performing analogue to digital conversion of an analogue input signal. The method comprises: generating a first laser pulse train having a first wavelength; generating a second laser pulse train having a second different wavelength; modulating, using an interferometric modulator, the first laser pulse train and the second laser pulse train on the basis of the analogue input signal, wherein the interferometric modulator is configured such that its response to the first laser pulse train is not in phase with its response to the second laser pulse train; determining, on the basis of the modulated first laser pulse train and the modulated second laser pulse train, a voltage of the analogue input signal; and generating a digital signal indicative of the determined voltage.

Abstract: A video processing system (100) comprises at least one controller (102) configured to receive a plurality of video data from a respective plurality of video data sources (106, 208). The system can assign one of a plurality of hierarchical display layers to each of the plurality of video data, and generate an output video for display, the output video comprising at least a portion of each of the plurality of video data layered according to the assigned hierarchical display layers. The plurality of hierarchical display layers is based on a respective plurality of safety/security levels defined in a safety/security standard.

Abstract: An unmanned vehicle (20) for relaying radio frequency signals in a tactical communications network is described. The unmanned vehicle comprises a processor (22) arranged to receive the location of a first asset (40a); select a relay site (30) from at least one relay site; and control the unmanned vehicle to move to the selected relay site, wherein at the selected relay site, communication between the first asset and the unmanned vehicle is enabled. The unmanned vehicle also comprises a receiver for receiving data from the first asset; and a transmitter for transmitting the data to a second asset (40b, 20, 10). A control unit (60) for an unmanned vehicle, a tactical communications network comprising a plurality of unmanned vehicles, and a method of relaying signals in a tactical communications network using an unmanned vehicle are all also described.

Abstract: There is provided an apparatus for pulse charging of a load capacitor, the apparatus comprising: a ferrous cored transformer having a primary winding and a secondary winding; a primary circuit connected to the primary winding; a secondary circuit connected to the secondary winding, the secondary circuit comprising the load capacitor; and an uncoupled inductance in the primary circuit or the secondary circuit, the uncoupled inductance reducing the coupling coefficient between the primary circuit and the secondary circuit.

Abstract: An adaptive filter protocol stored on a non-transitory computer readable medium that is operatively in communication with a processor of a platform. The adaptive filter protocol includes a first processing loop that is operatively in communication with at least one receiving device of the platform for receiving at least one input signal. The adaptive filter protocol also includes a second processing loop that is operatively in communication with the first processing loop and has a deterministic gradient descent optimization logic and an interpolation logic. When the at least one receiving device receives the at least one input signal, the adaptive filter protocol enables the processor to generate a refined match filter parameters that substantially correlates with the initial parameters of the at least one input signal upon completing a plurality of refining cycles of the second processing loop.