Scalable, Adaptive, and Resilient Autonomy (SARA) CRA

Description

Future Army forces will need to conduct cross-domain maneuver (CDM) and at times, operate semi-independently, disbursed, and while communications and infrastructure such as GPS are disrupted or denied. Robotics and autonomous systems will play a key role in expanding the operational reach, situational awareness, and effectiveness of maneuver forces in CDM.

DEVCOM ARL is focused on developing fundamental understanding and informing the art-of-the-possible for warfighter concepts, through research, to greatly improve air and ground based autonomous vehicle perception, learning, reasoning, communication, navigation, and physical capabilities to augment and increase the freedom of maneuver in complex and contested environments.

The Scalable, Adaptive, and Resilient Autonomy (SARA) Collaborative Research Alliance (CRA) is focused on developing and experimentally accelerating emerging research in autonomous mobility and maneuverability, scalable heterogeneous and collaborative behaviors, and human agent teaming to realize adaptive and resilient intelligent systems that can reason about the environment, work in distributed and collaborative heterogeneous teams, and make op-tempo decisions to enable autonomous maneuver in complex and contested environments.

SARA Sprint 3 Webinar

When: Thursday, March 30, 3 p.m. EDT
Where: MS Teams
Who: All interested; open to the public

Program Structure

SARA consists of a series of technology sprint topics executed in annual program cycles. Each topic will be focused on addressing a different scientific area within the scope of the broad research aims of the SARA CRA. Each topic will be carefully chosen based on both program achievements from the previous year, on scientific and technological advancements by the broader research community, and in a way to systematically converge on the specific long-term SARA goals. The SARA Cycle 1 Technology Sprint Topic is: “Off-road Autonomous Maneuver.” The SARA Cycle 2 Technology Sprint Topic is “Autonomous Complex Terrain Maneuver.” The SARA Cycle 3 Technology Sprint Topic is “Long-Duration Autonomous Maneuver.”

Program Timeline
  • Opportunity Released: 21 March
  • Opportunity Webinar: 30 March
  • Deadline for Questions on Funding Opportunity: 7 April
  • Proposals due for Cycle 3: 5 May
  • Cycle 3 Awards: ~25 July
SARA Cycle 3

The SARA program will consist of a series of technology sprint topics executed in annual program cycles. Each topic will be focused on addressing a different scientific area within the scope of the broad research aims of the SARA program. Each topic will be carefully chosen based on both program achievements from the previous year, on scientific and technological advancements by the broader research community, and in a way to systematically converge on the specific long-term SARA program goals. The SARA Cycle 3 Technology Sprint Topic is “Long-Duration Autonomous Maneuver,” and there are three sub-topic areas of interest.

  • Sub-topic #1: Extended duration and distance mission. The objective is to develop techniques for enabling an autonomous platform to continuously localize, map, and plan over an extended duration, long-distance mission.
  • Sub-topic #2: Environmental degradation. The objective is to develop techniques to ensure the ability to safely perceive and act in a degraded environment.
  • Sub-topic #3: Unified air/ground scene representations. The objective is to develop technologies that enable air and ground vehicles to build a joint picture of the terrain and the situation.”
ARL Collaborative Alliance Manager:

Eric Spero
Office: 410-278-8743
eric.spero.civ@army.mil


Period of Performance Start/End:

Sprint 1: May 2020
Sprint 2: June 2021

Status:

Only awardees of Sprint 1 and Sprint 2 seedling years are eligible to continue performing (seedling year plus up to 3 years). Same for Sprint 3 once it is awarded.

Eligibility Limitations:

Applicants may be institutions of higher education, for-profit, or non-profit organizations. Federally Funded Research and Development Centers (FFRDC) may propose as well, with effort as allowed by their sponsoring agency and in accordance with their sponsoring agency policy. No fee or profit is allowed.

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