US Navy and Marine Corps science and technology agency that funds basic and applied research at universities and defense contractors.
NAWCAD landed a drone on a moving ship with onboard cameras, motion sensors and software, without GPS or a pilot. The center says it is designed for nearly any drone flight computer, so the Navy could field it by software upgrade.
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Raytheon holds an Office of Naval Research contract, running through 2031, to improve SPY-6 radar detection range in software. Laboratory and field tests will help decide whether the upgrades are ready to deploy.
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Cornell researchers give the first anatomical account of how each of the oarfish's hundreds of fin rays spins on its own in a full circle. A co-author plans to copy it in a quiet ocean robot whose effect on fish only a prototype can show.
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Huntington Ingalls and EO Solutions received a $3.8 million agreement in June for a marinized counter-drone laser. A defense official told Laser Wars the money is likely for experimentation with a system that already exists.
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ONR's $10.25 million draft solicitation treats the laser source and the beam director as separate products joined by fiber. That moves value into connectors, transport, and interface specs.
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A Natural Hazards model from FIU and a former Navy meteorologist prices injuries, evacuations and lost trust, and finds per-storm savings from $200,000 to more than $70 million.
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