Notice2024-13926
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Payload Incorporated With Computer Vision and Machine Learning
Primary source
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Published
June 26, 2024
Issuing agencies
Homeland Security DepartmentCoast Guard
Abstract
The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with AeroVironment, Inc. to evaluate payload(s) that can accelerate autonomy to fielded assets and uncrewed platforms, and automated overhead imagery analysis tool software. The Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with AeroVironment, Inc. to investigate their payload that seamlessly integrates with current AeroVironment UAS in use by the Coast Guard and solicits public comment on the possible participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA, and the nature of that participation. While the Coast Guard is currently considering partnering with AeroVironment, Inc., we are soliciting public comment on the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard also invites other potential Federal participants, who have the interest and capability to bring similar contributions to this type of research, to consider submitting proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.
Full Text
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<title>Federal Register, Volume 89 Issue 123 (Wednesday, June 26, 2024)</title>
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[Federal Register Volume 89, Number 123 (Wednesday, June 26, 2024)]
[Notices]
[Pages 53433-53434]
From the Federal Register Online via the Government Publishing Office [<a href="http://www.gpo.gov">www.gpo.gov</a>]
[FR Doc No: 2024-13926]
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DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY
Coast Guard
[Docket Number USCG-2024-0383]
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement: Payload
Incorporated With Computer Vision and Machine Learning
AGENCY: Coast Guard, DHS.
ACTION: Notice of intent; request for comments.
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SUMMARY: The Coast Guard is announcing its intent to enter into a
Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (CRADA) with
AeroVironment, Inc. to evaluate payload(s) that can accelerate autonomy
to fielded assets and uncrewed platforms, and automated overhead
imagery analysis tool software. The Coast Guard is currently
considering partnering with AeroVironment, Inc. to investigate their
payload that seamlessly integrates with current AeroVironment UAS in
use by the Coast Guard and solicits public comment on the possible
participation of other parties in the proposed CRADA, and the nature of
that participation. While the Coast Guard is currently considering
partnering with AeroVironment, Inc., we are soliciting public comment
on the possible nature of and participation of other parties in the
proposed CRADA. In addition, the Coast Guard also invites other
potential Federal participants, who have the interest and capability to
bring similar contributions to this type of research, to consider
submitting proposals for consideration in similar CRADAs.
DATES: Your comments and related material must reach the Coast Guard on
or before July 26, 2024.
ADDRESSES: You may submit comments identified by docket number USCG-
2024-0383 using the Federal portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. See
the ``Public Participation and Request for Comments'' portion of the
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION section for further instructions on
submitting comments.
FOR FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT: If you have questions about this
notice of intent, call or email Ms. Shelly Wyman, U.S. Coast Guard
Research and Development Center; telephone 860-271-2600, email <a href="/cdn-cgi/l/email-protection#cf9d8b8ce2a6a1a9a08fbabcaca8e1a2a6a3"><span class="__cf_email__" data-cfemail="673523244a0e0901082712140400490a0e0b">[email protected]</span></a>.
SUPPLEMENTARY INFORMATION:
I. Table of Abbreviations
CRADA Cooperative Research and Development Agreement
DHS Department of Homeland Security
MDA Maritime Domain Awareness
U.S.C. United States Code
II. Background and Purpose
The Coast Guard Research and Development Center (R&D Center) is the
Coast Guard's sole facility performing research, development, and test
and evaluation in support of the service's major missions. The R&D
Center supports the evaluation of feasibility and affordability of
mission execution solutions. When appropriate, the R&D Center
collaborates with relevant professionals in the public and private
sectors on technology evaluation and/or technology advancement.
Persistent surveillance can be defined as a collection strategy
that emphasizes the ability of some collection systems to linger on
demand in an area to detect, locate, characterize, identify, track,
target, in near or real-time. Persistent surveillance requires an
operationally focused surveillance approach that uses a full range of
strategic, operational, and tactical collection methods to dwell on and
revisit a target.
In the Coast Guard Strategic Plan, rapidly advancing technologies,
including those in uncrewed platforms, data analytics, artificial
intelligence, and machine learning need to be harnessed for possible
use in mission execution. The ability to detect, locate, characterize,
identify, and track people or objects in the water in near or real-time
and to apply that technology to Coast Guard sensors and systems has the
potential to improve mission support to meet the needs of the Coast
Guard today and in the foreseeable future.
In the Coast Guard Strategic Plan, two major goals are to direct
efforts to encourage developing innovative ways to increase delivery
and efficiency of mission support functions; and to strengthen or
expedite acquisition process to adopt new technologies that will
enhance frontline operations. The ability to enhance our existing
systems to incorporate innovative track processing capabilities that
may incorporate computer vision and/or machine learning technology for
search and rescue missions may greatly increase mission performance on
select platforms and improve Maritime Domain Awareness (MDA).
III. Public Participation and Request for Comments
We request public comments on this notice. Although we do not plan
to respond to comments in the Federal Register, we will respond
directly to commenters and may modify our proposal in light of
comments.
[[Page 53434]]
We encourage you to submit comments in response to this notice of
inquiry through the Federal Decision Making portal at <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>. To do so, go to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, type
USCG-2024-0383 in the search box and click ``Search.'' Next, look for
this document in the Search Results column, and click on it. Then click
on the Comment option. In your submission, please include the docket
number for this notice of intent and provide a reason for each
suggestion or recommendation. If your material cannot be submitted
using <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a>, contact the person in the FOR
FURTHER INFORMATION CONTACT section of this document for alternate
instructions. To view documents mentioned in this notice of intent as
being available in the docket, find the docket as described in the
previous paragraph, and then select ``Supporting & Related Material''
in the Document Type column. Public comments will also be placed in our
online docket and can be viewed by following instructions on the
<a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> Frequently Asked Questions web page. We
review all comments received, but we may choose not to post off-topic,
inappropriate, or duplicate comments that we receive.
We accept anonymous comments. Comments we post to <a href="https://www.regulations.gov">https://www.regulations.gov</a> will include any personal information you have
provided. For more about privacy and submissions in response to this
document, see DHS's eRulemaking System of Records notice (85 FR 14226,
March 11, 2020).
IV. Discussion
Cooperative Research and Development Agreements (CRADAs) are
authorized under 15 U.S.C. 3710a.\1\ A CRADA promotes the transfer of
technology to the private sector for commercial use, as well as
specified research or development efforts that are consistent with the
mission of the Federal parties to the CRADA. The Federal party or
parties agree with one or more non-Federal parties to share research
resources, but the Federal party does not contribute funding.
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\1\ The statute confers this authority on the head of each
Federal agency. The Secretary of DHS's authority is delegated to the
Coast Guard and other DHS organizational elements by DHS Delegation
No. 0160.1, para. II.B.34.
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CRADAs are not procurement contracts. Care is taken to ensure that
CRADAs are not used to circumvent the contracting process. CRADAs have
a specific purpose and should not be confused with procurement
contracts, grants, and other type of agreements.
Under the proposed CRADA, the R&D Center will collaborate with one
non-Federal participant. Together, the R&D Center and the non-Federal
participant will evaluate payloads and software incorporating computer
vision and machine learning systems designed for autonomous detection
and tracking to determine their potential for search and rescue
planning that may greatly increase mission performance on select USCG
platforms and improve MDA capability.
We anticipate that the Coast Guard's contributions under the
proposed CRADA will include the following:
1. In conjunction with the non-Federal participant(s), develop the
demonstration a test plan to be executed under the CRADA;
2. Provide access to and coordinate the use of necessary Coast
Guard facilities, surface assets, and R&D Center equipment to
facilitate assessments and ensure that all necessary approvals have
been obtained before the execution of the test plan;
3. Collaboratively collect and analyze demonstration test plan
data; and
4. Collaboratively develop a summary documenting the findings,
conclusions, and recommendations of this CRADA work.
We anticipate that the non-Federal participants' contributions
under the proposed CRADA will include the following:
1. Provide and integrate the payload and imagery software equipment
to conduct the demonstration described in the demonstration test plan;
2. Provide engineering support, including all required operators
and technicians to conduct the demonstration
3. Provide shipment and delivery of all payload and software
equipment required for the demonstration;
4. Provide travel and associated personnel and other expenses as
required; and
5. Assist with compiling the results of the demonstration(s) with
the R&D Center that documents the findings, conclusions, and
recommendations under this CRADA
The Coast Guard reserves the right to select for CRADA participants
all, some, or no proposals submitted for this CRADA. The Coast Guard
will provide no funding for reimbursement of proposal development
costs. Proposals and any other material submitted in response to this
notice will not be returned. Proposals submitted are expected to be
unclassified and have not more than five single-sided pages (excluding
cover page, DD 1494, JF-12, etc.). The Coast Guard will select
proposals at its sole discretion on the basis of:
1. How well they communicate an understanding, of and ability to
meet, the proposed CRADA's goal; and
2. How well they address the following criteria:
a. Technical capability to support the non-Federal party
contributions described, and
b. Resources available for supporting the non-Federal party
contributions described.
Currently, the Coast Guard is considering AeroVironment, Inc. for
participation in this CRADA. This consideration is because
AeroVironment Inc. has a solution in place that is designed for
seamless integration with existing R&D Center systems with potential
for increased mission performance. However, we do not wish to exclude
other viable participants from this or similar CRADAs in the future.
This is a technology assessment effort. The goal of the Coast Guard
for this CRADA is to evaluate new payloads on current systems in
conjunction with software tools using computer vision and machine
learning models to determine how they can be utilized in the field,
while providing user feedback and use cases in a maritime environment.
The software tools can not only utilize AV optical sensors but also
pull additional input from other optical sensors across multiple
platforms that have feeds with different inputs and resolutions, as
well as connect everything to a common operating picture. The ability
for the equipment to locate, characterize, identify, and track objects
in the water in different scenarios will be tested. Special
consideration will be given to small business firms and consortia, and
preference will be given to business units located in the U.S.
This notice is issued under the authority of 5 U.S.C. 552(a).
Dated: June 20, 2024.
M.P. Chien,
Captain, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard Research and Development
Center.
[FR Doc. 2024-13926 Filed 6-25-24; 8:45 am]
BILLING CODE 9110-04-P
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