Multi-Core Parallel Processing for Sensor Fusion Architecture

The enhancement of target tracking, situational awareness, and decision-making in manned and autonomous systems is accomplished by fusing data from multiple sensors (homogeneous and heterogeneous). There are many complex issues within the implementation of sensor fusion, including, but not limited to, process latency, overprocessing of redundant data, and the inherent serial nature of current fusion architecture. To alleviate these issues, a prioritization ranking system is implemented to process higher valued tracks/data while dropping others. This forces a trade-off that risks track loss, leading to incomplete tracks and reduced situational awareness for operators in high-workload environment. The objective is to develop a modular, platform-agnostic sensor fusion architecture that utilizes multi-core parallel processing to optimize data throughput and minimize latency. The system must support the parallel execution of both whole-task and sub-task fusion algorithms across multiple processing cores to maximize hardware utilization. The proposed architecture must demonstrate a significant reduction in process latency without the loss of fused track data or correlation accuracy. Key requirements include: • Parallelization: Ability to decompose fusion tasks into sub-tasks (spatial-alignment, temporal correlation, and attribute fusion) for concurrent execution. • Track Integrity: Elimination of track loss currently caused by serial processing bottlenecks or aggressive data-prioritization filters. • Latency: Real-time processing capability to support operator’s decision-making in dynamic, complex environments. • Platform Integration: Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) for the processing unit should be compatible with 5th-generation or later platforms (typically 0.5 to 1.0 cubic feet and 28V DC power). • Scalability: Design accommodates increasing number of data sources, including, but not limited to: o AESA Radar o Distributed Aperture Systems (DAS) o Electro-Optical Targeting Systems (EOTS) Work produced in Phase II may become classified. Note: The prospective contractor(s) must be U.S. owned and operated with no foreign influence as defined by 32 U.S.C. § 2004.20 et seq., National Industrial Security Program Executive Agent and Operating Manual, unless acceptable mitigating procedures can and have been implemented and approved by the Defense Counterintelligence and Security Agency (DCSA) formerly Defense Security Service (DSS). The selected contractor and/or subcontractor must be able to acquire and maintain a secret level facility and Personnel Security Clearances. This will allow contractor personnel to perform on advanced phases of this project as set forth by DCSA and NAVAIR in order to gain access to classified information pertaining to the national defense of the United States and its allies; this will be an inherent requirement. The selected company will be required to safeguard classified material during the advanced phases of this contract IAW the National Industrial Security Program Operating Manual (NISPOM), which can be found at Title 32, Part 2004.20 of the Code of Federal Regulations.