115 research outputs found

    Commercialization Analysis of SBIR Funded Technologies

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    The United States Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program invests 2.2billionannuallyintodomesticinnovationstimulation.TheDepartmentofDefense(DoD)contributesalmost2.2 billion annually into domestic innovation stimulation. The Department of Defense (DoD) contributes almost 1 billion of that investment; of which the Air Force accounts for 25%. Commercialization, either the transfer to programs of record or further industrial investment, is the program’s objective. Data from this research indicates that Air Force programs have a 7.6% commercialization rate; representing an opportunity to improve. Leveraging best practices from industry; this research provides a method to align investments with needed capabilities. This method exploits established user need taxonomies, the DoD Joint Capability Area (JCA) listing and the National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s SBIR taxonomy, to categorize SBIR efforts. This categorization allows for needs based innovation portfolio management. Metrics are developed that identify several technologies of interest that over perform and underperform relative to the overall portfolio. This development of metrics and visualization tools provides managers a new means to control and improve their innovation investments. This needs based mapping facilitates sharing and coordination amongst aerospace SBIR stakeholders. This thesis concludes by recommending improvements to the existing JCAs, the SBIR topic development process and the establishment of an aerospace SBIR community of interest

    A Conceptual Model to Identify Intent to Use Chemical-Biological Weapons

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    Simulation-Based Countermeasures Towards Accident Prevention : Virtual Reality Utilization in Industrial Processes and Activities

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    Despite growing industrial interests in fully immersive virtual reality (VR) applications for safety countermeasures, there is scanty research on the subject in the context of accident prevention during manufacturing processes and plant maintenance activities. This dissertation aims to explore and experiment with VR for accident prevention by targeting three workplace safety countermeasures: fire evacuation drills, hazard identification and risk assessments (HIRA), and emergency preparedness and response (EPR) procedures. Drawing on the virtual reality accident causation model (VR-ACM) (i.e., 3D modelling and simulation, accident causation, and safety drills) and the fire evacuation training model, two industrial 3D simulation models were utilized for the immersive assessment and training. These were a lithium-ion battery (LIB) manufacturing factory and a gas power plant (GPP). In total, five studies (publications) were designed to demonstrate the potential of VR in accident prevention during the manufacturing processes and maintenance activities at the facility conceptual stages. Two studies were with the LIB factory simulation to identify inherent hazards and assess risks for redesigning the factory to ensure workplace safety compliance. The other three studies constituted fire hazard identifications, emergency evacuations and hazard control/mitigations during the maintenance activity in the GPP simulation. Both study models incorporated several participants individually immersed in the virtual realm to experience the accident phenomena intuitively. These participants provided feedback for assessing the research objectives. Results of the studies indicated that several inherent hazards in the LIB factory were identified and controlled/mitigated. Secondly, the GPP experiment results suggested that although the maintenance activity in the virtual realm increased the perception of presence, a statistically significant delay was recorded at the pre-movement stage due to the lack of situational safety awareness. Overall, the study demonstrates that participants immersed in a VR plant maintenance activity and manufacturing factory process simulation environments can experience real-time emergency scenarios and conditions necessary for implementing the essential safety countermeasures to prevent accidents.Vaikka kiinnostus virtuaalitodellisuuden (VR) kÀyttöön turvallisuuden varotoimissa teollisuudessa on kasvanut, tutkimuksia ei ole juurikaan tehty onnettomuuksien ehkÀisystÀ valmistus- ja kunnossapitotoiminnassa. TÀmÀn vÀitöskirjan tavoitteena on tutkia ja kokeilla VR:ÀÀ tapaturmien ehkÀisyssÀ kohdistuen kolmeen työpaikan turvallisuuden varotoimeen: paloharjoitukset, riskien arvioinnit sekÀ hÀtÀtilanteiden valmiusmenettelyt ja toimintasuunnitelmat (EPR). Kokemuksellisessa ja uppouttavassa koulutuksessa hyödynnettiin kahta teollisuuden 3D-simulointimallia, jotka nojautuvat virtuaalitodellisuuden onnettomuuksien aiheutumismalliin (VR-ACM) (eli 3D-mallinnus- ja simulointi, onnettomuussyy- ja turvallisuuskoulutus) sekÀ paloharjoitusmalliin. NÀmÀ 3D-simulointimallit ovat litiuminoniakkuja (LIB) valmistava tehdas, joka rakennettiin Visual Components 3D-simulointiohjelmistolla (versio 4.0) ja kaasuvoimala (GPP) Unrealin reaaliaikaisella pelimoottorilla (versio 4.2). YhteensÀ viisi tutkimusta (julkaisua) suunniteltiin havainnollistamaan VR:n potentiaalia tapaturmien ehkÀisyssÀ valmistusprosessin layout-suunnittelun ja tehtaan konseptivaiheissa tehtÀvÀn kunnossapidon aikana. Kaksi tutkimusta tehtiin LIB-tehdassimulaatiolla vaarojen tunnistamiseksi sekÀ riskien arvioimiseksi. Tutkimukset tehtiin tehtaan uudelleensuunnittelua varten, työturvallisuuden noudattamisen varmistamiseksi. Muut kolme tutkimusta kÀsittelevÀt palovaaran tunnistamista, hÀtÀevakuointia ja riskien vÀhentÀmistÀ huoltotoiminnan aikana GPP-simulaatiossa. Molemmissa tutkimusmalleissa oli useita virtuaalimaailmaan uppoutuneita osallistujia, jotka saivat kokea onnettomuudet yksilöllisesti ja intuitiivisesti. Osallistujat antoivat palautetta kokeen jÀlkeisessÀ kyselyssÀ. Kyselyn tuloksien avulla LIB-tehtaassa tunnistettiin ja lievennettiin useita vaaroja. GPP-kokeilun tulokset viittasivat siihen, ettÀ vaikka yllÀpitotoiminta virtuaalimaailmassa lisÀsi telelÀsnÀoloa, tilastollisesti merkittÀvÀ viive kirjattiin liikettÀ edeltÀvÀssÀ vaiheessa turvallisuustietoisuuden puuteen vuoksi. Kaiken kaikkiaan tutkimus osoittaa, ettÀ VR-laitoksen kunnossapitotoimintaan ja tuotantotehtaan prosessisimulaatioympÀristöihin uppoutuvat osallistujat voivat kokea reaaliaikaisia hÀtÀskenaarioita ja olosuhteita, jotka ovat vÀlttÀmÀttömiÀ olennaisten turvallisuustoimien toteuttamiseksi.fi=vertaisarvioitu|en=peerReviewed

    Air Force Institute of Technology Research Report 2020

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    This Research Report presents the FY20 research statistics and contributions of the Graduate School of Engineering and Management (EN) at AFIT. AFIT research interests and faculty expertise cover a broad spectrum of technical areas related to USAF needs, as reflected by the range of topics addressed in the faculty and student publications listed in this report. In most cases, the research work reported herein is directly sponsored by one or more USAF or DOD agencies. AFIT welcomes the opportunity to conduct research on additional topics of interest to the USAF, DOD, and other federal organizations when adequate manpower and financial resources are available and/or provided by a sponsor. In addition, AFIT provides research collaboration and technology transfer benefits to the public through Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs). Interested individuals may discuss ideas for new research collaborations, potential CRADAs, or research proposals with individual faculty using the contact information in this document

    Emerging Threats of Synthetic Biology and Biotechnology

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    Synthetic biology is a field of biotechnology that is rapidly growing in various applications, such as in medicine, environmental sustainability, and energy production. However these technologies also have unforeseen risks and applications to humans and the environment. This open access book presents discussions on risks and mitigation strategies for these technologies including biosecurity, or the potential of synthetic biology technologies and processes to be deliberately misused for nefarious purposes. The book presents strategies to prevent, mitigate, and recover from ‘dual-use concern’ biosecurity challenges that may be raised by individuals, rogue states, or non-state actors. Several key topics are explored including opportunities to develop more coherent and scalable approaches to govern biosecurity from a laboratory perspective up to the international scale and strategies to prevent potential health and environmental hazards posed by deliberate misuse of synthetic biology without stifling innovation. The book brings together the expertise of top scholars in synthetic biology and biotechnology risk assessment, management, and communication to discuss potential biosecurity governing strategies and offer perspectives for collaboration in oversight and future regulatory guidance

    DOD Mission Engineering and Integration Explorative-Exploitative Architecture for Technology Innovation

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    The ability of U.S. Department of Defense to achieve timely innovation in support of U.S. National Defense and Military Strategies continues to increase in significance. The growing challenges in U.S. Department of Defense (DoD) technological innovation in a context of global security and rapid pace of global competitiveness continue to reveal many shortcomings in current weapon systems development and acquisition practice. As the pace of technological innovation is accelerating, the DoD faces the challenge that the same disruptive technological advances are also being made available to or developed by its adversaries. Based on literature review, no innovation system theory exists that accounts for organization interaction with the environment given socio-economic objectives and associated missions, including a less closed-system approach to interactions across the private and public sector boundaries. The Mission Engineering Explorative-Exploitative Architecture for Innovation expands Bennan & Tushman’s (2003) and O’Reilly & Tushman (1996) explorative-exploitative theory from a process management, innovation behavior, and private firm’s performance within the context of environmental technological change. A System Theory framework based qualitative content analyzes the innovation and Department of Defense dataset and produced a set of initial seed-categories. These seed-categories were interpreted resulting in architectural views and associated propositions. The resulting architecture contributions are propositional definitions for Mission Engineering and Integration Management functions in the context of military missions and complex situations including constructs for identifying socio-technical misalignments as basis for understanding and identifying technological innovation opportunities and associated partnerships
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