Geophysical sensing and characterization of the mine-hunting environment

The Department of the Navy Office of Naval Research awarded $930,700 to the University of Southern Mississippi on June 1, 2026, under the Basic and Applied Scientific Research program (CFDA 12.300) to conduct geophysical sensing and characterization of the mine-hunting environment through December 31, 2027, with performance in Mississippi.

The award funds development of a high-resolution magnetic field measurement system for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs). The primary deliverable is a complete system designed for operation within USM's Magnetically Shielded Zero Gauss Test Chamber, enabling position-referenced mapping of static and induced magnetic fields under both stationary and moving conditions.

USM passed through work to sub-recipient Hyperion Technology Group Inc. (Tupelo, Mississippi) via sub-award N000142612244-8007861-01, dated August 20, 2026. Hyperion will engineer, fabricate, and integrate the magnetic field measurement system, leading mechanical design and procurement of key components. Deliverables from Hyperion include a rotating cage assembly with inner and outer slide rings, a transverse slide mechanism, a three-axis fluxgate magnetometer, and PC-based data acquisition software. Hyperion will also conduct empirical modeling and simulation to analyze array-based sensor configurations on the selected UUV platform and propose enhanced magnetic sensing designs for future integration. The system is designed to scale readily to other unmanned underwater platforms and will incorporate collaboration with USM's artificial intelligence and machine learning efforts.