Reach Power and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln NIMBUS Lab, have announced that they have been selected by AFWERX for a STTR Phase I contract focused on wireless power-enabled perched drones for persistent communications and ISR to address the most pressing challenges in the Department of the Air Force (DAF).
The Air Force Research Laboratory and AFWERX have partnered to streamline the Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) and Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) process by accelerating the small business experience through faster proposal to award timelines, changing the pool of potential applicants by expanding opportunities to small business and eliminating bureaucratic overhead by continually implementing process improvement changes in contract execution.
The DAF began offering the Open Topic SBIR/STTR program in 2018 which expanded the range of innovations the DAF funded and now, Reach and UNL have started their journey to create and provide innovative capabilities that will strengthen the national defense of the United States of America.
Artistic illustration of a drone swarm with power-beaming technology. Image: Reach Power
Chris Davlantes, Founder and CEO of Reach, said,
“Persistent autonomy requires persistent power. This STTR gives Reach and the University of Nebraska-Lincoln an opportunity to explore how wireless power can enable small unmanned systems to remain in position longer, support communications and ISR missions, and reduce the operational burden of battery swaps and recovery cycles. We are excited to work with UNL and AFWERX to advance a concept that could help the warfighter maintain connectivity and awareness in contested environments.”
Dr. Brittany Duncan, Ross McCollum Associate Professor of Computing and Director of the NIMBUS Lab at the University of Nebraska-Lincoln, added,
“This project brings together Reach’s wireless power-beaming expertise with the University of Nebraska-Lincoln NIMBUS Lab research capabilities in autonomous systems, communications, and field robotics. Together, we aim to evaluate how perched drones can serve as persistent, reconfigurable mission nodes for communications and sensing. The work is well aligned with NIMBUS Lab’s commitment to advancing practical technologies that support national security, fundamental science, and operational resilience.”
Source: Reach