Announcement of an opportunity re The Berkeley UXO Detector and Characterization system

1. Announcement of an opportunityre The Berkeley UXO Detector and Characterization system (From my point of view, of course) Robin Lafever

2. PROPRIETARY This presentation is intended as a non-technical briefing to potential Collaboration partners, the LBNL legal staff, the LBL Tech Transfer group, and the LBL Research Team. It is my own work. Robin Lafever, 1/5/2020 Robin Lafever

3. Synopsis I propose forming a Collaboration to support the LBL UXO Research Team to advance the Berkeley UXO Detector and Discrimination System design and produce a stable, robust, field-capable demonstration instrument. This seen as a last R & D step before releasing the technology for commercialization. The Collaboration then submits a pre-proposal, jointly with the LBL Research Team, to ESTCP in response to Solicitation BAA-09-0003. Two specific UXO designs are presented as candidates: • The ‘1-meter detector’ and • The ‘Handheld detector’ Robin Lafever

4. ESTCP announces solicitation for pre-proposals • ESTCP FY 2010 Solicitation Released, posted 7 Jan 2009 • Included is BAA-09-0003 Presolicitation • Topic areas eligible for consideration include ESTCP Topic Area 5: “Military Munitions Detection, Discrimination, and Remediation” • The Berkeley UXO detector system specifically addresses this Topic Area. • Two versions exist as lab prototypes. With additional resources, either or both could be brought to a point where the design was stable enough to attract commercial interest. • Both are candidates for a response to the solicitation. • The Broad Agency Announcement opens the solicitation to Non-Government businesses • In cooperation with National Laboratories. • The deadline for pre-proposals is 5 March, 2009 Robin Lafever

5. LBL Technology Transfer may have an interest Tech transfer has already posted the 1-meter system as available for collaborative research Detection and Identification of Unexploded Ordinance IB-2190 (hardware) and CR-2344 (software) There are two or more business formats supported by LBL that may be appropriate to a Collaboration. • Small Business Innovation Research Program (SBIR), and • Sponsored Research (Work for others) are examples Robin Lafever

6. So What ? This is an opportunity to assemble resources to take the instrument design to the next level and bring it to a point where it is ready to leave the lab. Collaboration allows the possibility of assembling resources and expertise that are no longer available at LBL and which are critical to integrating the design. The talent, expertise, and facilities are available. But, are they interested? This is not new with this project. Much of the work to date has been collaborative. The difference here is the allocation of resources and the focus on integrating a stable, working, demonstrable detector system, appropriate for the field. If I/we hurry, it is barely possible to submit a pre-proposal in response to BAA-09-0003 in which I/we propose that the LBL Research Team and a Collaboration jointly undertake the development of a practical field instrument. The LBL Research Team will be instrumental in overall design and debugging integration problems as prototypes evolve. The Collaboration will support with overall mechanical design support and prototyping, electronics prototyping and packaging, testing, and field operations, Robin Lafever

7. The projects under discussion 2 Projects: • Berkeley Handheld UXO detector system • Berkeley 1-meter mobile UXO detector system Status as of today: UXO HandHeld detector system is currently active in a new R&D phase. This phase will focus on detector configurations, electronics, and software. No significant mechanical issues will be addressed in this study. At the termination of this phase, the overall design may be stable enough to consider another effort to produce a field-capable instrument. Results of that effort will determine whether or not the instrument is ready for commercialization. UXO 1-meter detector system is not currently active. It’s last field trials produced spectacular data and established proof-of-concept technology. The mechanical and electronic packaging also survived the field trials, as designed. It is still a laboratory prototype. Further development awaits the enthusiasm of the Research Team and the Funding Agency. With further integration, this project could be a candidate for commercialization. Robin Lafever

8. UXO Handheld Overview • Based on a Detector Array that fits into a 1’ cube. • One-man portable • DAQ and preprocessing aboard the instrument, Detailed post-processing done off-line. • It works, kinda….. Robin Lafever

9. UXO 1-meter overview • Based on a 1 meter cube detector array. • One-man mobilized, without power assist. • DAQ and preprocessing aboard the instrument, Detailed post-processing done off-line • It works. Robin Lafever

10. Either or Both To date, both projects have been characterized by rapid iteration and focused development. This strategy has paid off handsomely and has produced good data, and test results as well as Kudos from the funding Agency and the Technical Press. However, they are both, still, laboratory prototypes. Neither have addressed the rigors and requirements of Full-time field use, or reached a level of integration appropriate to evaluate as a commercial product. Software, electronics, and mechanical assemblies are all hand-made prototypes whose specific purpose was to pass a defined number of performance trials, in the Lab and in the Field, and did. In neither case, however, is there any well defined, packaged, “Final design”, that reliably works That, awaits further effort by the Research team to bring the pieces together into an integrated system: a stable design, and a robust field-ready instrument;. That will also present a basis for evaluating the commercial potential. Next iterations will have to include requirements imposed by real-life field conditions and human ergonomics. These have not been priorities to date The funding agency, however, has a great interest in a demonstration of real-life productivity, and both packaging and ergonomics are critical components of the system performance. This will put heavy emphasis on mechanical development and prototyping on top of a host of refinements , ‘tweaks’, and updates leading to an integrated system. Currently, LBNL Mechanical Engineering resources relevant to this project have been severely curtailed due to shop closures and loss of technicians and engineers. Prototyping in wood, plastics, and composites, for example, is no longer possible at LBL. Robin Lafever

11. I propose I propose a Collaboration, jointly with, the LBL Research Team to bring the 1 meter UXO design, or the Handheld UXO design, or both, to sufficient detail to launch a subsequent commercialization effort. The collaboration would provide integration, prototyping, and testing capabilities that are currently unavailable at LBL. In addition, the collaboration would provide expertise in resolving manufacturing, testing, marketing, and field operations requirements that will affect the function and operation and thus the design of the instrument. This effort is seen as a Research and Development project since the primary effort will require iterative integration by the Research Team as prototypes are developed. The rest of the collaboration provides support and services, with focus on the early development of requirements that have not been addressed, in detail, to date. Areas to be addressed: • Software GUI, ops and maintenance manuals, “handles” and modularity….. • Electronics Packaging, robustness, manufacturability, field-handling and parts back-up. • Mechanical Packaging and field ops, human factors, materials and manufacturability. • Ergonomics Who operates the instrument? How? Under what conditions and requirements? • Field operations Requirements, operation, performance and maintenance criteria, human factors • Marketing Who? What factors will affect the design? • Manufacturing Who? What factors will affect the design? Robin Lafever

12. The goal The goal is to develop a practical, robust, field-unit that works reliably under realistic conditions, and is stable enough to be considered as a commercial product. • The final ‘package’ should include software, hardware and mechanical details, as well as assembly, fabrication, and testing criteria and methods. ( Software and electronics design are well along and much of this is in place, however, mechanical design is very crude, at the moment) • The final prototype will probably NOT be a production prototype. But it would be wise to get as close to one as possible, or at least attempt to resolve as many manufacturing and marketing requirements as resources allow. Hopefully, the end product of this effort will allow a glimpse into the technical and practical details of converting this design into a marketable product, that can be produced in quantity, and put into the field quickly. And, hopefully, this will give the collaboration an opportunity to see if we, as an entity, are appropriate to take on the subsequent commercialization. Robin Lafever