SOC26BZ02-NV003ActiveSBIR

Passive Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for Terminal Guidance

Department of DefenseSOCOM

AI Overview

This SBIR seeks passive SLAM technology enabling small unmanned aircraft to autonomously navigate complex environments using onboard sensors and compute. The solution must identify obstacles, plan dynamic routes to static or moving targets, and maintain accuracy without external connectivity or cloud support.

This summary is AI-generated from the official solicitation.

Key Details

Agency
Department of Defense
Funding Amount
Release Date
May 6, 2026
Due Date
June 24, 2026

Official Description

This topic seeks innovative research and development efforts that allow Special Operations Soldiers to employ autonomously navigating Group 1 UAS in complex, cluttered, and unstructured environments. OWA UAS often have some level of autonomous terminal guidance when a target is verified and approved for targeting. Basic UAS terminal guidance capabilities typically utilize computer vision to develop bounding boxes on a selected target and navigate directly to that location. Utilizing a designated...

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Change History

Status ChangedMay 27, 2026 at 1:03 PM

Passive Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for Terminal Guidance

Status changed from Pre-Release to Open

Q&A UpdatedMay 26, 2026 at 9:08 PM

Passive Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for Terminal Guidance

# Q&A Changes Summary **New Question Added:** - Q1: Clarifies that terminal guidance range is a key Phase I deliverable, to be determined by speed + camera + compute analysis rather than pre-specified. **No Material Changes:** Questions Q2-Q5 remain identical to previous version with consistent answers on passive-only sensing, real-time processing requirements, non-cooperative tracking in denied environments, and day/night operations in DDIL settings. **Note:** Q4 and Q5 in the updated version appear truncated (Q5 cuts off at "14. Evaluation metrics..."), so full comparison of Phase I feasibility evidence and Phase II demonstration expectations cannot be completed.

Q&A UpdatedMay 26, 2026 at 8:03 PM

Passive Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for Terminal Guidance

**Summary of Q&A Changes:** **New Questions Added (Q3):** Seven substantive questions added covering sensing modalities, real-time processing requirements, target behavior assumptions, cooperative vs. non-cooperative tracking, environmental conditions, compute constraints, and Phase I evaluation metrics. **Key Clarifications:** - **Sensing:** Passive sensors only; near-infrared laser ranging explicitly prohibited (Q1, Q2) - **Target Behavior:** Targets assumed to maneuver erratically in non-cooperative, denied environments—not pre-defined trajectories - **Real-Time Processing:** Required onboard; no hard latency specs if performance criteria met - **Compute:** No specific platform mandates; solutions must not degrade Group 1 UAS performance - **Operations:** Day/night capable in rural/urban DDIL environments - **Phase I Metrics:** Success measured on target interdiction rates, obstacle avoidance reliability, and SWAP (not specific accuracy thresholds yet) **Notable:** Answers emphasize operational realism (adversarial targets, GPS denial, non-cooperative tracking) while maintaining flexibility on technical implementation details.

Q&A UpdatedMay 21, 2026 at 2:02 PM

Passive Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for Terminal Guidance

This content specifies technical requirements for autonomous terminal guidance of Group 1 drones in GPS-denied environments using passive sensors, requiring ROS2/Docker architecture, visual odometry at 100Hz, operation on edge devices (Jetson/Voxl2), and obstacle avoidance in forested/rural, maritime, and rubble terrain.

Opportunity AddedMay 6, 2026 at 12:52 PM

Passive Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for Terminal Guidance

New opportunity: Passive Simultaneous Localization and Mapping (SLAM) for Terminal Guidance

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