Notice of Intent for Sole Source Award: Nano-Hyperspec VNIR Concentric Imaging Spectrometer

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) intends to award a contract on a sole source basis to Headwall Photonics upon the basis of the authority provided at FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

ERDC-CRREL intends to purchase a small, lightweight hyperspectral imaging sensor to include a Nano-Hyperspec VNIR concentric imaging spectrometer, a Nano-Hyperspec airborne package, and radiometrically calibrated lenses.

The system will be used on an unmanned aerial vehicle. Headwall Photonics has been identified as the sole source of supply capable of supplying a system in accordance with the following requirements:

General requirements of the spectral imager:
Size requirement = 3"x 3" x 5" (with 12mm F/L lens)
Weight requirement = 1.5 pounds (with lens and completely integrated data collection module)
Offner-style Concentric imager design for High SNR and Spectral Fidelity
Robust design with no moving parts
Max power requirement = 10 watts
Highly-integrated data capture electronics read CMOS frames directly to high-speed solid-state storage component
Synchronized on-board GPS/INS for orthorectification post processing and flight control
480Gb solid state storage
GigE connection for high-speed downloading of data post-flight
Airborne software for ground-based processing - Windows-based, C++ program
Smile and Keystone distortions minimized, so spatial/spectral resolution can be preserved
All-reflective design to eliminate chromatic dispersion, allowing focus for all wavelengths
Excellent spectral line shapes, no asymmetries
Large F/2.5 aperture for high throughput/high SNR
High thermal stability
Capable of accepting any C-mount lens; easily switchable in the field
Imager includes the following C-Mount lenses: F/1.4 8mm, 17mm, 23mm and F/1.9 35mm.

Image output requirements:
640 spatial pixels
270 spectral pixels (2.2nm per pixel)
Spectral resolution with a 20 micron wide slit = 5-6nm
High-sensitivity Silicon CMOS 2-D array
Greater than 200 frames per second for use with higher platform speeds
Radiometrically calibrated
Ability to utilize different NIST-traceable Radiometric calibrations for different lenses

Airborne software requirements:
High speed data capture with no lost spectral lines
Software must run on airborne imager and a standard Windows laptop for ground-based processing
Permits dark noise subtract, white reference subtract, conversion from raw to radiance cubes, ortho-rectification of cubes, and polygons program to define perimeter boundaries for auto-triggering of data collection
Must create data cubes in industry standard, ENVI-compatible .BIL and .BSQ file formats

This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. Any interested party that believes they can fulfill this requirement should submit a capability statement to be reviewed. All submissions will be considered, however there is no guarantee that submissions in response to this notice will in any way alter the Government's acquisition strategy.

Please provide responses to this notice no later than 09:00 AM CT, 22 JUNE 2015 to:

Tom.F.Nowocin@usace.army.mil

Telephone responses will not be accepted.

Responses to this notice will not be considered as a response to any solicitation, a request to be added to a prospective offerors list, or to receive a copy of any solicitation. A determination by the Government not to compete the contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Note: In order to be eligible for award of a Government contract, vendors must be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), have no active exclusions, and complete FAR and DFARS representations and certifications.

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The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACE), Engineer Research and Development Center (ERDC), Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory (CRREL) intends to award a contract on a sole source basis to Headwall Photonics upon the basis of the authority provided at FAR 13.106-1(b)(1).

ERDC-CRREL intends to purchase a small, lightweight hyperspectral imaging sensor to include a Nano-Hyperspec VNIR concentric imaging spectrometer, a Nano-Hyperspec airborne package, and radiometrically calibrated lenses.

The system will be used on an unmanned aerial vehicle. Headwall Photonics has been identified as the sole source of supply capable of supplying a system in accordance with the following requirements:

General requirements of the spectral imager:
Size requirement = 3"x 3" x 5" (with 12mm F/L lens)
Weight requirement = 1.5 pounds (with lens and completely integrated data collection module)
Offner-style Concentric imager design for High SNR and Spectral Fidelity
Robust design with no moving parts
Max power requirement = 10 watts
Highly-integrated data capture electronics read CMOS frames directly to high-speed solid-state storage component
Synchronized on-board GPS/INS for orthorectification post processing and flight control
480Gb solid state storage
GigE connection for high-speed downloading of data post-flight
Airborne software for ground-based processing - Windows-based, C++ program
Smile and Keystone distortions minimized, so spatial/spectral resolution can be preserved
All-reflective design to eliminate chromatic dispersion, allowing focus for all wavelengths
Excellent spectral line shapes, no asymmetries
Large F/2.5 aperture for high throughput/high SNR
High thermal stability
Capable of accepting any C-mount lens; easily switchable in the field
Imager includes the following C-Mount lenses: F/1.4 8mm, 17mm, 23mm and F/1.9 35mm.

Image output requirements:
640 spatial pixels
270 spectral pixels (2.2nm per pixel)
Spectral resolution with a 20 micron wide slit = 5-6nm
High-sensitivity Silicon CMOS 2-D array
Greater than 200 frames per second for use with higher platform speeds
Radiometrically calibrated
Ability to utilize different NIST-traceable Radiometric calibrations for different lenses

Airborne software requirements:
High speed data capture with no lost spectral lines
Software must run on airborne imager and a standard Windows laptop for ground-based processing
Permits dark noise subtract, white reference subtract, conversion from raw to radiance cubes, ortho-rectification of cubes, and polygons program to define perimeter boundaries for auto-triggering of data collection
Must create data cubes in industry standard, ENVI-compatible .BIL and .BSQ file formats

This Notice of Intent is not a request for competitive quotations; however interested parties may identify their interest and capability to respond to this requirement. Any interested party that believes they can fulfill this requirement should submit a capability statement to be reviewed. All submissions will be considered, however there is no guarantee that submissions in response to this notice will in any way alter the Government's acquisition strategy.

Please provide responses to this notice no later than 09:00 AM CT, 22 JUNE 2015 to:

Tom.F.Nowocin@usace.army.mil

Telephone responses will not be accepted.

Responses to this notice will not be considered as a response to any solicitation, a request to be added to a prospective offerors list, or to receive a copy of any solicitation. A determination by the Government not to compete the contract based upon responses to this notice is solely within the discretion of the Government. Information received will be considered solely for the purpose of determining whether to conduct a competitive procurement.

Note: In order to be eligible for award of a Government contract, vendors must be actively registered in the System for Award Management (SAM), have no active exclusions, and complete FAR and DFARS representations and certifications.