Abstract: A tunable or dual-band antenna includes a ground plane, top plane, a cage structure, first and second half-loops, and a hybrid phase shifter. The cage structure is attached to the ground plane and the top plane that includes four leg structures in electrically-conductive contact with the top plane. The top plane is one of a cross-element with four equilateral elements, a cross-element with eight equilateral elements, or a disc element. The first and second half-loops are independent from each other, located diagonally to each other within the cage structure, and support transmitting and receiving an electromagnetic field orthogonal to each other. The hybrid phase shifter shifts a frequency of the first and second half-loops to 90° from each other. The ground plane has an inner ground plane with two or more capacitors embedded therein.

Abstract: A hydraulically operated tool adapted to remove coatings and surfaces from a substrate. The tool may comprise a robotic machine that includes a surface removal tool, a manipulator arm, and a rotation assembly. The manipulator arm may position the surface removal tool to a location along the substrate. The rotation assembly may adjust an angular position of the surface removal tool. A first end of the manipulator arm may be coupled to the surface removal tool, and a second end of the manipulator arm may be coupled to the rotation assembly. The manipulator arm may be hydraulically extended and retracted. The rotation assembly may comprise a spindle, and may be attached to a hinge pin and an air bladder. The rotation assembly may comprise a worm drive.

Abstract: The present invention relates to a remote tomography system. A filament system generates at least one plurality of plasma filaments. An electromagnetic radiation (EMR) system directs EMR towards the at least one plurality of plasma filaments such that the EMR reflects off of the at least one plurality of plasma filaments towards at least one target region. The EMR system is configured to receive EMR reflected from the at least one plurality of plasma filaments such that EMR reflecting from the at least one target region can be directed towards the EMR system.

Abstract: Methods and apparatuses for downconverting high frequency subbands to a lower frequency band and recovering signals-of-interest. The system includes a controller, a signal generator, an optical source, a dual-drive mach zehnder modulator (DDMZM), a photodetector, and a dechipping/image (DI) rejector. The controller outputs chipping frequencies to the signal generator which generates local oscillator (LO) tones shifted by the respective chipping frequencies. The optical source outputs an optical signal to the DDMZM which has first and second arms and modulators. The first modulator receives a signal from a source and modulates it onto the optical signal propagating through the first arm to form a first modulated optical signal. The second modulator receives the shifted local oscillator tones and modulates them onto the optical signal propagating through the second arm to form a second modulated optical signal.

Abstract: A light-guided vehicle comprising: a platform; an optical sensor mounted to the platform, wherein the optical sensor is configured to image off-axis scatter of a photon beam; a processing unit mounted to the platform, wherein the processing unit is communicatively coupled to the platform and to the optical sensor, and wherein the processing unit is configured to monitor intensities of off-axis photons that are scattered by aerosol particles in a beam propagation path as measured by the optical sensor, and wherein the processing unit is further configured to maintain the platform within a vehicle path based on the monitored off-axis-photon intensities, wherein the vehicle path is offset from, and parallel to, the propagation path.

Abstract: A bonded optical assembly comprising infrared-transparent materials. The assembly comprises two or more infrared transparent optical elements and a polymer comprising at least one chalcogenide element and crosslinking moieties between the infrared-transparent optical elements. The crosslinking moieties may be organic, inorganic, or both.

Abstract: A recoil device is provided for a gun having a barrel with a breech. The device includes a breech nut, a brake assembly, a pneumatic spring and a counter-recoil buffer. The breech nut has first and second adjacent sides. The brake assembly includes a brake cylinder that mounts to the breech nut on the first side. The pneumatic spring mounts to the breech nut on the second side. The counter-recoil buffer attaches to the pneumatic spring. The brake cylinder and the pneumatic spring internally push fluids for recoil absorption and return in response to firing the gun.

Abstract: Provided are systems, apparatus, and methods for pushing out and drilling a flare grain in an aerial flare. The system includes at least three stands including a first stand holding a first electric linear actuator positioned to interface with the aerial flare and push out a flare grain of the flare. The second stand holds the aerial flare and is positioned relative to the first stand to facilitate interface of the flare with the first electric linear actuator. The third stand includes a drill and is movable relative to the second stand for drilling a hole in the flare grain. A second electric linear actuator is coupled to the third stand device moves the third stand device relative the second stand to enable the drill to engage with the flare grain. The system also includes a controller/processor automating the pushing and drilling operations by controlling the electric linear actuators.

Abstract: An apparatus for fiber optic cable loss measurement includes a control data acquisition and processing unit, a light source for emitting an optical signal toward a fiber optic link under test, a power meter for measuring optical power, a fiber optic reflector, and a fiber optic router. The control data acquisition and processing unit can control the optical power and the wavelength of the light source. The power meter can send optical power data to the control data acquisition and processing unit. The fiber optic reflector reflects the optical signal transmitted through the fiber optic link under test towards the fiber optic router, which routes the light towards the power meter. The power meter measures total optical power input into the fiber optic link under test and measures the total optical power after two passes through the fiber optic link under test and reflected from the fiber optic reflector.

Abstract: A method that includes receiving a set of one or more images, each having one or more sets of pixels, receiving a ground truth value that a vertex point associated with a transition between two regions in a respective set of pixels, identifying a machine placement candidate vertex point for a first set of pixels, determining a set of one or more selected candidate features in the set of candidate features that maximizes an objective function that identifies an accuracy of the identified machine placement candidate vertex point compared to the respective ground truth for a respective set of pixels, updating a set of one or more basis features by adding the set of one or more selected candidate features that maximizes the objective function, and training a machine learning model based on the updated set of one or more basis features to identify additional vertex points for a transition.

Abstract: A communication terminal for addressed messaging within an Automated Identification System (AIS) arrangement includes a user interface and an Aid to Navigation (AtoN) transponder. The user interface facilitates the addressed messaging, which includes one or more of: chat messaging addressed between the communication terminal and a participant terminal of the AIS arrangement, automatic position messaging addressed from the communication terminal to a monitoring terminal of the AIS arrangement, or situational report messaging addressed from the communication terminal to a situational awareness terminal of the AIS arrangement. The AtoN transponder of the communication terminal of the AIS arrangement is coupled to the user interface for transmitting and receiving that achieves the addressed messaging. For the situational report messaging, the situational awareness terminal reformats and exchanges the addressed messaging with a web-based situational awareness tool via the internet.

Abstract: An extended semi-supervised learning (ESSL) generative adversarial network (GAN) including metrics for evaluating training performance and a method for generating an estimated label vector ? by the extended semi-supervised learning (ESSL) generative adversarial network (GAN) discriminator are described. Embodiments in accordance with the invention improve classification accuracy over convolutional neural networks with improved synthetic imagery.

Abstract: A system of magnetically coupled 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: A system for joining propulsion 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: A method for the removal of paint from a surface using a molecular adhesive comprising: applying an anionic coating to the paint to be removed; placing a pulling medium in contact with said anionic coating; said pulling medium comprising a substrate having a surface comprising a conductive polymer nanotube array; applying an electric potential across said pulling medium and said anionic coating to facilitate ionic bonding between said conductive polymer nanotube array and said anionic coating; and applying force to said pulling medium to pull away said pulling medium from said surface and thereby removing the paint which is bonded to said anionic coating which is bonded to said conductive polymer nanotube array.

Abstract: A system for joining modules having capillaries integrated in the module walls that may be fluidly coupled to the interior volume of 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: A system for joining ferry 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: A system for joining movably coupled 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: A system for mounting mechanisms 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: The magneto-optical Kerr effect (MOKE) is used to capture variations in magnetic permeability and magnetization to determine the presence of sensitization. MOKE-magnetometry-based systems and apparatus may be used to provide in-field magnetic measurements, and may be particularly useful in methods for assessing changes in composition, crystal structure, and grain size in magnetic materials.