I see the DoD issued a pre-release late April and may have already been covered but I found this one interesting.
Similar wording I've seen somewhere previously....not sure of too many COTS....my bold
Note - the doc is 422 pages.
DoD PDF
DEPARTMENT OF DEFENSE
SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM
SBIR 22.2 Program Broad Agency Announcement (BAA)
April 20, 2022: DoD BAA issued for pre-release
May 18, 2022: DoD begins accepting proposals
June 15, 2022: Deadline for receipt of proposals no later than 12:00 p.m. ET
AF NUMBER: AF222-0010
TITLE: Event Based Star Tracker
TECH FOCUS AREAS: Biotechnology Space; Nuclear
TECHNOLOGY AREAS: Nuclear; Sensors; Space Platform
OBJECTIVE: Develop a low SWAP, low cost, high angular rate star tracker for satellite and nuclear
enterprise applications.
DESCRIPTION: Existing star tracking attitude sensors for small satellites and rocket applications are
limited in their ability to operate above an angular rate of approximately 3-5 degrees/second, thus
rendering them useless for both satellite high spin (i.e. lost in space) applications, as well as spinning
rocket body applications. Recent advances in neuromorphic (a.k.a. event based) sensors have
dramatically improved their overall performance2, which allows them to be considered for these high
angular rate applications1. In addition, the difference between a traditional frame-based camera and
an event based camera is simply a matter of how the sensor is read out, which should allow for
electronic switching between event based (i.e. high angular rate) and frame (i.e. low angular rate) modes
within the star tracker. Additional advantages inherent in an event based sensor include high temporal
resolution (µs) and high dynamic range (140 dB), which could allow for multiple modes of continuous
attitude determination (i.e. star tracking, sun sensor, earth limb sensor) within a single small, low
cost sensor package. All technology solutions that meet the topic objective are solicited in this call,
however, neuromorphic sensors appear ideally suited to meet the technical objectives and should
therefore be considered in the solution trade space. The scope of this effort will be to first analyze the
capability of event based sensors to meet a high angular rate star tracker application, define the trade
space for the technical solution against the satellite and nuclear enterprise requirements, develop a
working prototype and test it against the requirements, and finally in Phase 3 move to initial production
of a commercial star tracker unit.
PHASE I:
Acquire existing state of the art COTS neuromorphic (a.k.a. event based) sensor or modify
existing star tracking sensor as appropriate. Perform analysis and testing of the event based sensor to
determine feasibility in the high angular rate star tracking satellite and nuclear enterprise applications
PHASE II: Development of a prototype event based high angular rate star tracker. Ideally this prototype
will have the ability to be operated in both event based mode, as well as switch back and forth to
standard (i.e. frame) mode. Explore and document the technical trade space (maximum angular rate,
minimum detection threshold, associated algorithm development, etc.) and potential
military/commercial application of the prototype device.
PHASE III DUAL USE APPLICATIONS: Phase 3 efforts will focus on transitioning the developed
high angular rate attitude sensor technology to a working commercial and/or military solution. Potential
applications include commercial and military satellites, as well as missile applications.
NOTES: The technology within this topic is restricted under the International Traffic in Arms
Regulation (ITAR), 22 CFR Parts 120-130, which controls the export and import of defense-related
material and services, including export of sensitive technical data, or the Export Administration
Regulation (EAR), 15 CFR Parts 730-774, which controls dual use items. Offerors must disclose any
proposed use of foreign nationals (FNs), their country(ies) of origin, the type of visa or work permit
possessed, and the proposed tasks intended for accomplishment by the FN(s) in accordance with
section 5.4.c.(8) of the Announcement and within the AF Component-specific instructions. Offerors are
advised foreign nationals proposed to perform on this topic may be restricted due to the technical data
under US Export Control Laws. Please direct questions to the Air Force SBIR/STTR HelpDesk:
usaf.team@afsbirsttr.us
The only other mention of neuromorphic in my search (haven't checked other keywords yet) is:
OSD222-D02 TITLE: Advanced Integrated CMOS Terahertz (THz) Focal Plane Arrays (FPA)
OUSD (R&E) MODERNIZATION PRIORITY: Microelectronics, AI/ML
TECHNOLOGY AREA(S): Information Systems, Modeling and Simulation Technology
OBJECTIVE: Develop advanced THz-FPA that offer large pixel count, high dynamic range, and high
speed over a broad THz frequency range.
DESCRIPTION: Electromagnetic waves in the THz spectral band (roughly covering the 0.1 – 3 THz
frequency range) offer unique properties for chemical identification, nondestructive imaging, and remote
sensing. However, existing THz devices have not yet provided all the functionalities required to fulfill
many of these applications. Although complementary metal–oxide–semiconductor (CMOS) technologies
have been offering robust solutions below 1 THz, the high-frequency portion of the THz band still lacks
mature devices. For example, most of the THz imaging and spectroscopy systems use single-pixel
detectors, which results in a severe tradeoff between the measurement time and field of view. To address
this problem, a large pixel count, high dynamic range, high speed, and broadband THz-FPA needs to be
developed. The proposed THz-FPA can operate either as a frequency-tunable continuous-wave detector
or a broadband-pulsed detector. It should be able to operate over a 1 – 3 THz frequency range while
offering more than 30 decibel (dB) dynamic range per pixel. It should have more than 1,000 pixels and a
frame rate of at least 1 hertz (Hz). Some anticipated features include developing THz-FPAs by exploring
three-dimensional microstructures, smart readout integrated circuits, and processors that incorporate
neuromorphic computing and ML to increase the data collection efficiency.