Informational Only
This challenge is no longer accepting new submissions.
Mobile Weather Station
Portable weather station for Air Force Special Operations
Department of Defense
Type of Challenge: Scientific
Submission Start: 05/18/2017 12:00 AM ET
Submission End: 07/18/2017 05:00 PM ET
This challenge is externally hosted.
You can view the challenge details here: https://www.innocentive.com/ar/challenge/9934001?cc=Gov4001
Description
Weather data is vital to the U.S. military, impacting missions worldwide. The need to collect atmospheric data in numerous remote areas around the world is never going away. This challenge is to design a man-portable system that is capable of collecting atmospheric data from ground level to 10,000 ft. above ground level (AGL). This data needs to be downloaded to a portable computer that that operator will be carrying with them. This system cannot use an external gas source (gas not present in situ and/or naturally present in operating environment that needs to be carried in such as Helium tanks) to lift the sensor to altitude since these gases are not readily available and expensive. Technical merit: Proposals will be evaluated based on the system’s ability to meet the most or all of the threshold requirements listed in the Rules section of this challenge.Prizes
1st place overall winnerCash Prize Amount: $15000
Awarded for best overall system
Second place winner
Cash Prize Amount: $9000
Awarded for the second best solution for overall capability
Single part solution
Cash Prize Amount: $3000
Awarded for the proposal that best solves either 1) the transport concept (getting the sensor to altitude) or 2) the sensor concept (collecting and transmitting data) better than the 1st and 2nd place winners.
Rules
This is a theoretical challenge that requires only a written proposal to be submitted. This challenge has two parts:- Design a man-portable system that is capable of collecting the atmospheric data of interest.
- Deliver that system from ground level to 10,000 ft. above ground level (AGL) without an external gas source.
- Atmospheric data: Must collect the following atmospheric conditions ground to 10K ft AGL. The system must accurately report these conditions in intervals of 100ft[i].
Parameter | Operating Range | Resolution | Accuracy |
Pressure | 1080 to 600 hPa | 0.05 hPa | 1.0 hPA |
Temperature | -35C to +45C | 0.05°C | ±0.5°C |
Humidity | 3 to 100% | 1.0% | ±3.0% |
GPS Altitude | Surface to 10k ft | 1.0 m | 5 m |
GPS Position[ii] | All Lat & Lon | .02 arc sec | 5 m |
GPS Velocity[iii] | 0-80 knots | 0.5 m/sec | 1 m/sec |
Wind speed[iv] | 0-80 knots | 0.5 m/sec | 1 m/sec |
Wind direction | n/a | 0.1 degree | 1 degree |
- Data collection: The system must provide the above data to the collection device within 10 minutes of the system being setup or launched (an acceptable solution is if data was stored during collection and retrieved within the time limit) over the interval 0-10,000ft AGL. As stated above, the system must report atmospheric conditions in intervals of 100ft. The data must be downloadable into the RAwinsonde OBservation (RAOB) program.
Sensor | Operating Range | Resolution | Accuracy | Time Response[v] |
Data Downlink | 2400 bits/sec | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Transmit | No less than 8 NM Line of Sight[vi], omni-directional & downloadable to a device containing the RAOB program[vii] | n/a | n/a | n/a |
Sensor Transmit Freq. | 400-405.99 MHz | n/a | n/a | n/a |
- Portability: The entire system including the transport method, must weigh < 10 lbs. (preferably < 5 lbs.) when carried and have no dimension wider than 2 ft. when stored during man transport.
- System must be able to perform data collection for at least 3 days after a charge. The system shall not take more than 8 hours to charge between collections.
- The system should cost no more than $50 per sample collection[viii] and no more than $10,000 over the entire life of the system.
- This system cannot use an external gas source (gas not present in situ[ix] and/or naturally present in operating environment that needs to be carried in such as Helium tanks) to lift the sensor to altitude since these gases are not readily available and expensive.
- A system that could be scaled up to reach altitudes of 40,000 ft AGL. (Time response/intervals would increase to less than or equal to every 1,000 ft. This system must provide atmospheric data within 30 minutes of the system being deployed)
- A system that could autonomously collect the sample and download the data without operator input[x].
How To Enter
The submitted proposal should include the following: 1) A detailed description of the proposed system, no more than 8 pages (NOTE: All pages count so avoid extra pages like title pages or blanks.) Description must include a section (with drawings) detailing each of the following components: a) The measurement system and components b) The mechanism to collect the data at altitude or from the ground with a projected error estimate c) The file storage and transfer mechanism from the system to the RAOB program on a portable computer and/or a smart phone d) The power system, with an estimate of overall power requirements e) An estimate of the overall weight and size of the system when stored and deployed/during sample collection 2) The following drawings of the system should also be included in the proposal, but do not count against the 8 page requirement:- a) A labeled electronic schematic of the entire system in both the stored and operational/sample collection mode, with a parts list