Abstract: Biosynthetic melanin can capture fentanyl from aqueous environments. The captured fentanyl can be released by introducing the fentanyl-bound melanin to an acidic environment. In this way, fentanyl can capture melanin for subsequent detection/analysis, in addition to operating to remove fentanyl for decontamination.

Abstract: A method includes receiving lidar data associated with remote sensing of moving water, and calibrating the lidar data, the calibration being based on one or more measurements contemporaneously measured with remote sensing of the moving water. The method includes refining the calibrated lidar data, the refinement being based on bubble detection associated with the moving water, where the refining includes discriminating between one or more signals associated with the bubble detection and one or more signals associated with non-bubble background detection. The method includes determining, from the refined lidar data, a bubble mask via feature detection based on depolarization ratio, and determining, based on the bubble mask, one or more bubble characteristics associated with the moving water.

Abstract: Provided are methods and apparatus that provide for removing unnecessary configuration information from the bitstream to configure a field programmable gate array (FPGA) using a reduced bitstream stylized as a “microbitstream.” The method and apparatus split FPGA configuration information into two separate configurations to reduce the initial configuration while applying encryption and authentication to the initial bitstream and leverage partial reconfiguration through a bootloader to load in secondary functionalities during or after run time of the initial configuration. Encryption and authentication are also applied to secure the bitstream from tampering, cloning, and malicious insertions. The present apparatus and methods achieve significant reductions in the total configuration time of an FPGA, which is particularly useful for time-sensitive systems, thus decreasing program development costs and time spent in the design process.

Abstract: A superconducting quantum interference apparatus comprising a planar array of loops where each loop constitutes a superconducting quantum interference device, and a magnetic shield disposed over part of one of the loops so to protect the covered part of the loop from exposure to a magnetic field.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for mapping arbitrary isolated quantum-mechanical systems to quantum processor registers on quantum computers that use available symmetry to maximize compactness. For example, embodiments of the present disclosure exploit existing symmetries in the simulated system to minimize the required number of quantum bits (qubits) in the quantum processor.

Abstract: An RF pulse correlator comprising a track database, an antenna, a receiver, and a processor. The track database is configured to store established tracks of RF emissions. The antenna and receiver are configured to receive RF pulses. The tracker is configured to generate improved geolocation data for every received RF pulse based on kinematics of the received RF pulses. The processor is communicatively coupled to the database, the receiver, and the tracker. The processor is configured to associate each received RF pulse with an existing track in the track database or to create a new track.

Abstract: A space-based circuit-replacing robotic system and method include a satellite grasper configured to grasp the satellite having a printed circuit onto which an integrated circuit is soldered and the integrated circuit is to be replaced; an access mechanism configured to remove the printed circuit and/or to provide access to the printed circuit; a printed circuit orientation device configured to orient a printed circuit such that sunlight is incident on the printed circuit; one or more temperature sensors configured to measure a temperature of the solder on the printed circuit; a processor configured to adjust a rate of heating to match a desired heating rate; a circuit grasping device configured to position the circuit for replacement; and an optical shield that is configured to be adjusted to allow light to pass substantially only to a desired area of the printed circuit.

Abstract: A retrofit kit retrofits a buoy to provide dynamic control of a freeboard of the retrofitted buoy. The retrofit kit includes buoyancy chambers, an air reservoir, and a valve arrangement. A method for retrofitting a buoy retrofits a buoy to provide dynamic control of a freeboard of the retrofitted buoy. The buoyancy chambers surrounding a vertical axis of the buoy with a center of mass of the buoy disposed on the vertical axis below the buoyancy chambers. The buoyancy chambers provide a variable buoyancy ranging from a minimum buoyancy to a maximum buoyancy. The air reservoir inflates of the buoyancy chambers. The valve arrangement dynamically sets the freeboard of the buoy upon inflation and deflation of the buoyancy chambers for varying the variable buoyancy between the minimum buoyancy and the maximum buoyancy.

Abstract: Provided is a radar and communications enhanced sail for a sailboat, sail ship, or sail drone. The sail includes a first sail section comprising an active communication system, a second sail section comprising a passive communication system, or a combination thereof. The active communication system includes an antenna array (transceiver) and a software-defined radio (SDR), while the passive communication system comprises a reflective panel or sections and/or array of reflector panels or sections. The active system utilizes its SDR and transceiver to communicate back and forth with an onshore SDR and transceiver to provide information as necessary. The passive system receives a radar signal via the reflective material on the sail and reflects the signal back at the radar, which produces a radar cross section indicating that there is an object (in this case the sailboat) in the ocean.

Abstract: A method of training a document parsing artificial intelligence (AI) system, the method includes configuring a PYTHON data structure for generating a simulated document for training the document parsing AI system and a JAVA data structure for generating a non-simulated document for training the document parsing AI system. The method includes training the document parsing AI system based on a generated word-processing format file and on a parsed JSON file for the simulated document made via the PYTHON and JAVA data structures. The method includes parsing, a received document, with the trained document parsing AI system to determine one or more characteristics associated with textual data written to the received document, and generating an output of the parsed received document.

Abstract: Quasi-planar borane doped into (hexathiol)triphenylenes (TPP) operates as the photoactive component in the heterojunction of photovoltaics or photodiodes in heterojunctions with monolayer graphene.

Abstract: A superconducting quantum interference device (SQUID) array (SQA) includes at least one row each including SQUIDs. The SQUIDs in each row are connected in parallel and include junctions, such as Josephson junctions, shared among the SQUIDs. The SQUIDs have respective inductance parameters and the junctions have respective critical currents. The respective inductance parameters of the SQUIDs and respective critical currents of the junctions both vary in a predetermined pattern across the row. This improves performance including improved linearity and improved sensitivity.

Abstract: Tunable devices and methods for fine tuning the optical responses of thin film devices post fabrication are described. This approach modifies the refractive indices of the chalcogenide glass thin films incorporated into the devices, and using this change in the refractive indices to fine tune the optical responses of the devices. Thermal annealing may be used to modify the refractive index. Thermal annealing provides good uniformity in large-area devices and may be applied to multi-layer structures.

Abstract: A method removes defects in a dielectric layer, such as during fabrication of a device that emits light from hot electrons injected into an atomically two-dimensional material. An atomically two-dimensional material and the dielectric layer are adjoined. The dielectric layer is adapted to convey a variable electric field for modulating a wavelength of photons electronically emitted across a band structure of the atomically two-dimensional material. Laser pulses are strobed into the dielectric layer with sufficient cumulative energy to remove a majority of the defects in the dielectric layer without altering the atomically two-dimensional material.

Abstract: A field configurable vehicle includes bladders located interior of the vehicle hull walls. One or more of the bladders can be filled with fluids of varying densities to manage the buoyancy, mass properties, and thermal heat dissipation of the vehicle.

Abstract: Systems and methods are provided for addressing the complexity inherent in evaluating Service Oriented Architecture (SOA) systems by using meta-agent based adaptation in multi-agent systems. Embodiments of the present disclosure provide a multi-agent based automated evaluation capability for distributed, SOA systems that can dynamically adapt to the non-deterministic nature of such systems to enable a continuous monitoring capability for detecting and circumventing operational errors as they arise.

Abstract: A method for extracting data from a single-layer raster navigational chart (RNC) comprising: using a computer vision algorithm to extract color, text and symbol data from the RNC, storing the color, text, and symbol data in a database, and building an RNC data vector based solely on the color, text, and symbol data of the RNC, wherein the RNC data vector identifies geographical features shown in the RNC and a location of the geographical features' corresponding pixels in the RNC; and drawing a region of interest on the navigational chart based on user input and the RNC data vector, wherein a perimeter of the region of interest is georeferenced with latitude and longitude information.

Abstract: A method for using a single-pixel camera to reconstruct images of objects obscured by fog or other dynamic scattering media. A pseudo-random phase or intensity pattern is imposed on illumination beams directed at a target. The beam with the imposed pattern forms a pseudo random pattern on the target. Information regarding the pattern imposed on each pulse is entered into a data processor/controller. The illumination beams with the pseudo random patterns are reflected off the target, collected by receiving optics and a bucket detector and converted into electronic signals fed into the data processor/controller. The data processor/controller applies a high-pass filter to remove slower signal variations produced by dynamic changes in the scattering medium over time. The filtered bucket values are then used together with their corresponding speckle patterns to generate the images using any appropriate reconstruction algorithm such as CGI or CSI.

Abstract: A system for joining swarm-communication modules comprising modular elements and attachable components, including a male end adapted to join a single-piece female end by rotating the male end into the single-piece female end such that data bus terminals align and power bus terminals align. The system can be assembled from these modular elements and components to meet desired mission and performance characteristics without the need to purchase specially designed systems for each mission. The joints connecting the modules are designed such that power and data connections between modules are reliably made.

Abstract: An apparatus and method generate oxygen gas from sodium percarbonate and water including seawater. The apparatus includes a chamber, a valve system, and an output port. The valve system controls combining a quantity of the sodium percarbonate, a quantity of the water, a quantity of potassium iodide, and optionally a quantity of sodium sulfate decahydrate. A chemical reaction between the sodium percarbonate and the water in the chamber generates oxygen gas, which is output at an output port from the chamber. The potassium iodide is a catalyst for the chemical reaction and optionally the sodium sulfate decahydrate is a temperature moderator for the chemical reaction. A ratio between the water and the sodium percarbonate is in a range of 2.5 to 8 by weight. A ratio of the potassium iodide per liter of the water yields a molarity in a range of 0.25 to 1.25.