Full and Open Competition after exclusion of sources
Major Defense Program
Not listed
Pricing Type
Firm Fixed Price
Place of Performance
Lafayette, CO 80026, USA
Solicitation Procedures
Negotiated Proposal / Quote
Number Of Offers Received
500
Legislative Mandate
Not listed
National Interest Action
Not listed
Research Type
SBIR Program Phase I Action
Primary Consortia Member
Not listed
The National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) awarded a $124,863 Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase I contract to Boulder Nonlinear Systems Inc. to develop a compact, low-size, weight, and power (low-SWAP) 3D wind sensor system that can be deployed on small unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The goal is to provide wider coverage and cheaper operation for measuring 3D wind vectors, which is critical for understanding climate processes, weather prediction, and planetary atmospheric dynamics. The proposed system leverages Boulder Nonlinear Systems' exclusive electro-optic beam scanner technology and commercial off-the-shelf components to significantly reduce the size, weight, and power requirements compared to existing mechanical beam scanning solutions. In Phase I, the company will fully characterize the impact of the beam scanner on Doppler lidar measurements and demonstrate recovery of 3D velocity vectors using an existing low-SWAP short-range Doppler lidar prototype. If successful, Boulder Nonlinear Systems plans to partner with an existing lidar wind sensor contractor for the Phase II development of a full UAV wind sensor prototype.