67--PURCHASE OF TWO CUSTOM CAMERA SYSTEMS FOR AUTONOMO

SOURCES SOUGHT: This is a SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE. The U.S. Geological Survey is conducting a MARKET SURVEY to determine the interest and capability of any firm eligible to compete under NAICS code 334511 with a Small Business Size Standard of 1,250 employees for a requirement to purchase two custom camera systems with stereo and strobes for use with Iver3 autonomous underwater vehicles. THIS IS NOT A SOLICITATION. ALL COST ASSOCIATED WITH PROVIDING INFORMATION AS REQUESTED BY THIS SOURCES SOUGHT NOTICE SHALL BE THE RESPONSIBILITY OF THE CONTRACTOR. Submission is voluntary. Equipment Description: The intent of these specifications is to describe the general functional requirements for two identical camera systems, each consisting of multiple camera sensors, to be operated on Iver3 autonomous underwater vehicles (AUVs). Each camera system will consist of one high-resolution color machine vision camera, a lower-resolution color stereo camera, and external strobe lights. The camera system components will be housed within custom-fabricated, water-tight hull section(s) that can mate to the standard Iver3 hull configuration. The camera systems will be used with the AUVs to gather well-lit and well-focused images of lakebed environments at water depths ranging from 2 to 200 meters where water clarity allows. The images will be used to distinguish lakebed substrates, plants, and animals, and to create three-dimensional reconstructions of physical habitats using photogrammetry. The specifications for the hull sections, camera systems, and external strobe lights are described below: - Each hull section shall: o Consist of a custom-fabricated 5.86" diameter section that can be joined to other hull sections on an Iver3 AUV and carry cameras, lenses, and control systems; o Have sealed ingress paths that can withstand at least 300 PSI external pressure for a period of two weeks with no evidence of leakage; o Have a neutral or slightly positive buoyancy with all components installed; o Be delivered with cameras, lenses, and control systems installed and wired. - All cameras within each system shall be capable of gathering well-illuminated and well-focused color images at no less than 6 frames per second while moving at forward velocities up to 3 knots (1.54 meters per second). - The high-resolution machine vision camera in each of the two systems must: o Achieve a pixel resolution of approximately - mm on the lakebed with a 2-m ground field of view at a 2-m standoff when oriented perpendicular to a flat lakebed; o Collect well-focused images at standoffs from the lakebed ranging from 1 m to at least 4 m, (i.e., depth of field 1 to > 4 m). o Be able to acquire images that are lit consistently to the edges of the photo (see specifications for strobe lights below). o Be synchronized with lights (described below) to achieve well-exposed images. - The color stereo camera must o Achieve a pixel resolution of approximately 1 mm on the lakebed with a 2-m ground field of view at a 2-m standoff when oriented perpendicular to a flat lakebed; o Collect well-focused stereo pairs at standoffs from the lakebed ranging from 1 m to at least 4 m, (i.e., depth of field 1 to > 4 m); o Deliver the output of the stereo cameras in the form of raw images, a densified disparity map, and stereo point clouds consistent with the required frame-rate outlined above; o Have, as part of its normal operation, a calibration mode, in which the stereo parameters are measured and reported, along with a test disparity map. - The vendor shall provide an interface API to the stereo camera sub-system using some version of the Robot Operating System (ROS), to be agreed upon with the purchaser. This node shall publish all the relevant data from the stereo camera system, on a frame-by-frame basis, as a ROS topic, including a time-stamp synchronized with the control system clock. o The ROS node shall use a communications channel available to the control system, to be decided in discussions with the purchaser, that can accommodate the data-rate needed to publish and store the topic. o There should be a control channel that the stereo camera system uses, which may be a ROS topic, but may be some other protocol as needed, to configure the camera on a mission-by-mission basis. o The vendor shall provide documentation describing the message formats. - The system shall be capable of accepting operating parameters (e.g. exposure, shutter speed, ISO, flash duration/duty-cycle, etc.) from the system controller. The format of this communication will be negotiated with the purchaser, but ROS messaging will be available. - Each camera must be synchronized with two LED strobe lights that can illuminate the field of view to enable collection of well-lit and well-focused images at the desired speeds in conditions ranging from full daylight in shallow waters to full darkness. The strobes shall: o Be mounted fore and aft of the camera system, separated by a distance sufficient to prevent excessive backscatter in turbid conditions; o Have a depth rating of at least 200 m; o Have a duty cycle capable of providing well-lit subjects while preventing overheating; o Be capable of operating in water temperatures from -10 degrees C to 40 degrees C; o Have wiring configuration(s) that maintain the water tightness of the AUV (i.e., all ingress paths to hull sections must withstand at least 300 PSI external pressure for a period of two weeks with no evidence of leakage). - The forward strobe light can utilize a standard Iver3 22-mm hull penetrator, but the rear strobe must be external, with connectivity to the camera control system via an external port to be negotiated with and installed by the purchaser. - The total power budget available from internal batteries cannot exceed continuous 100 W. If the vendor's design exceeds this, supplemental power must be provided, along with some way to charge the system that does not require hull disassembly. A list of specifications and other required information will be provided with any solicitation that may be issued. Responses to this announcement are requested from (1) SBA certified Small Business HubZone firms; (2) Small Business firms certified by a Small Business Administration (SBA) district or regional office for participation in the 8(a) program; (3) Service-Disabled Veteran-Owned small Business firms; (4) Small Businesses. In response to this announcement, please indicate your firm's socioeconomic status (e.g. small business, service-disabled veteran-owned, women owned, HUBZone, etc.) This information will assist the Government in determining how small businesses can fit into the acquisition strategy. A firm is considered small under NAICS code 334511 if their AVERAGE annual employee count for the preceding three (3) years were less than or equal to 1,250. Any information submitted is voluntary. If sufficient interest and capability is not received from firms in categories (1) through (4) above, any solicitation may be issued as unrestricted without further consideration. Interested small business firms shall submit (1) NAME, ADDRESS, and PHONE NUMBER OF THE FIRM (including DUNS NUMBER); (2) a CAPABILITY STATEMENT including (a) RECENT (within the last three fiscal years) RELEVANT (similar projects to this requirement) performance history (identify the name of the owner and their point(s) of contact with telephone and fax numbers, e-mail addresses; and (b) in what capacity (e.g., prime, subcontractor etc.) they performed the work; and (3) their SIZE STATUS. Your company must have a DUNs number and be registered on-line at the System for Award Management (SAM). You will also be required to provide your small business status information either via the RFP or the On-line Representations and Certifications (ORCA) also located at the SAM website before an award to your company can be made. Your on-line ORCA registration will cover any/all of your offers to the Federal Government, and only needs updated annually. All responses must be submitted NLT May 27, 2021 at 5:00pm EST via e-mail to: contact@example.gov. This is NOT a Request for Proposal (RFP) or Invitation for Bid (IFB) and does not constitute any commitment by the Government. Responses to this sources sought notice will be used by the Government to make appropriate acquisition decisions. All interested sources must respond to future solicitation announcements separately from responses to this market survey. Any solicitation that may be issued will be posted on the beta.SAM.gov website and no paper copies will be provided.