Robotic Applique

Sources Sought for Rapid Explosive Hazard Mitigation Tele-Operations Applique Kits AFCEC/CXAE Robotics Research Program Lead 1. INTRODUCTION The Air Force Civil Engineer Center Requirements, R&D, and Acquisition Division (AFCEC/CXAE), Tyndall Air Force Base, FL, is seeking information and surveying industry capabilities to retrofit Air Force inventory Civil Engineer heavy equipment and vehicles with Tele-Operation Applique Kits. Examples of Civil Engineer equipment include the Caterpillar 279D Compact Track Loader and Caterpillar 966H Wheel Loader. 2. DISCLAIMER THIS NOTICE IS ISSUED AS A SOURCES SOUGHT ANNOUNCEMENT FOR INFORMATION PURPOSES ONLY. This notice DOES NOT constitute a Request for Proposal or complete package outlining the technical competencies/qualifications of the prospective contractor, nor does it represent any commitment by the Government. Since this is a Sources Sought announcement, no evaluation letters and/or results will be issued to the respondents. No reimbursement will be made for any costs associated with providing information in response to this announcement. No telephone calls will be accepted requesting a bid package or solicitation. A solicitation does not presently exist. 3. PROGRAM BACKGROUND The United States Air Force (USAF) AFCEC/CXAE has a requirement for the purchase of appliques which allow for tele-operation of government furnished heavy equipment required to perform Rapid Airfield Damage Recovery (RADR). Remote Explosive Hazard Mitigation (REHM), a component of RADR, requires the capability of mass mechanical clearance of ordnance from operating surfaces through specialized processes & techniques, using armored, earth moving heavy equipment & attachments to minimize engineering personnel exposure to multiple explosive hazards during RADR mitigation operations. Examples of such equipment include the Caterpillar 279D Compact Track Loader and Caterpillar 966H Wheel Loader. 4. PROJECTED CAPABILITIES The tele-operation applique kit or - system must provide the tele-operator as near to - in the seat situational awareness and loader control in all operational conditions. When installed, the system must integrate with the vehicle such that the system will not interfere with or impede the manual operation of the vehicle. The system must be able to provide continuous vehicle operations for a length of no less than three hours utilizing MANET type waveform secure radios that have interchangeable frequency bands (L, S, and C) for worldwide use, such as the Persistent MPU-5 and the Silvus SC4200. The Government desires the following additional characteristics. System Capability Threshold Situational Awareness The system shall give the remote operator near - in the seat 360 degree situational awareness and loader control of the vehicle Manual Operation The system, when installed, shall not interfere with or impede the manual operation of the vehicle Duration The system shall provide no less than 3 hours of continuous remote vehicle operation Global Positioning System The system shall display, at operator control station, in MGRS format, vehicle GPS location with 1 meter precision Vehicle Health and Status The system shall display, at operator control station, all vehicle operator warning system indicators and gauge data GeoExPT Integration The system shall integrate hardware and software with Geospatial Expeditionary Planning Tool (GeoExPT) Remote Operation and Range The system shall tele-operate all vehicle functions with no less than a wireless line-of-sight range of 1000 meters (3280 feet) unaided Environmental The system shall withstand operating in all weather and environmental conditions, including snow, ice, fog, and rain Day/Night Operations The system shall perform operations in both day and night conditions Operating Temperatures The system shall withstand operating temperatures from -4 F (-20 C) to 122 F (50 C) Lost Communications The system shall cease vehicle movement within 100 milliseconds if communication with operator control station is lost or interrupted Automatic Braking In the event of a power loss, the system shall engage vehicle brakes to prevent free roll (forward or backward) Interoperability Profile The system's architecture shall be based on Society of Automotive Engineers (SAE) Aerospace Standard (AS-4) (formerly known as Joint Architecture for Unmanned Systems or JAUS) Safety The system shall have an independent remote safety stop Expandability The system shall provide hardware/software interfaces for future semi-autonomous operation of vehicle Attachments The system shall provide hardware/software interfaces for attachment control capability Cyber Security. The vendors and manufacturers for this system shall ensure all delivered information technology (IT) hardware complies with AFMAN 17-1203, Information Technology (IT) Asset Management (ITAM). The vendor/manufacturer will be required to work with the AFCEC Cyber Security Advisor to obtain an Authority to Operate (ATO) through the Risk Management Framework (RMF) process. Note that the only approved operating systems are Microsoft Windows 10 (current versions) and Oracle Linux 7.3 OSPP. A copy of all software used on the system, including associated licenses, End User License Agreements, manuals, and related documentation will be provided to the government. 5. SUBMISSION DETAILS It is requested that interested businesses submit to the contracting office (1) a summary outline and a brief capabilities statement package (no more than 20 pages in length, single spaced, 12 point font minimum) demonstrating ability to meet the Government's requirement. This documentation must address at a minimum the following: Company Name; Company Address; Company Business Size, socio-economic status, and Point-of-Contact (POC) name, phone number, fax number, and e-mail address. What NAICS codes the company operates under and current small/large business status under each NAICS. Company profile to include number of employees, annual revenue history, office location, CAGE code, DUNS number, etc. Outline the type of work your company has performed in the past five years in support of the same or similar requirement, including contract numbers and values, and Government point of contact with current telephone number. Provide information in regard to the specific technical skills your company possesses to ensure capability to perform the tasks. If you are a small business, specify whether you are a manufacturer or distributer. If a manufacturer, specify the percentage of work done by your company. If a distributer, specify the business size of the manufacturer. Include in your response your ability to meet the desired capabilities above in paragraph 4. A list of available systems along with pricing for each system. Proposed system lifecycle considerations, estimates, and costs to include fielding, supportability and sustainment. Concept drawings or actual photographs showing the entire REHM Tele-Operations Applique Kit; vehicle attachment points; electrical drawings, including wiring schematics; and analysis of electrical power requirements. Qualification certifications of the system, if applicable. List of system support equipment for installation and operation. Suggested contract format/type. Optional: An alternative solution that meets the capabilities of paragraph 4 or suggested adjustments to the Government's approach. Your response to this Sources Sought, including any capabilities statement, shall be electronically submitted via email to stephen.cooper.15@us.af.mil in either Microsoft Word or Portable Document Format (PDF). All data received in response to this Sources Sought that is marked or designated as corporate or proprietary will be fully protected from any release outside the Government. Information and materials submitted in response to this request WILL NOT be returned. Classified material SHALL NOT be submitted. All questions must be submitted via e-mail. The Government is not committed nor obligated to pay for the information provided, and no basis for claims against the Government shall arise as a result of a response to this Sources Sought.