The Defense Department has opened a new Web portal seeking solutions to “theme topics” from industry and research organizations as a means to quickly find and produce prototype solutions to meet DoD needs.
The Web portal, http://www.defensesolutions.gov, was launched earlier this month by the Defense Technical Information Center and the Director of Defense Research and Engineering Rapid Reaction Technology Office (RRTO). The new portal promises ease of use and relatively speedy feedback in terms of initial responses.
Entries are submitted electronically in free form with a short description, including its technical basis and how it will be matured into a prototype and tested. Initial responses are supposed to be made in less than 30 days.
According to the web site, all ideas are reviewed by technical experts and then evaluated. When ideas are selected contract negotiations begin, an award is made, and the company or organization begins the process of transitioning a capability to DoD. Participants who aren’t selected are notified as such. The RRTO may retain ideas for reference and reappraisal.
The first theme topic on the web site is Battlefield Forensics. The opportunity can also be accessed through the http://www.fedbizopps portal and has its own solicitation number. For the forensics topic, the RRTO seeks the development of three items. One is a Multi-Test Kit that is compact, rugged and easy to use for testing for the presence of explosives, drugs, heavy metals/gunshot residue.
The second item is a Handheld Sensitive Site Exploration Documentation Device that is a combination tool for rapid and precise collection of evidence. The tool integrates the functions of a camera, digital tape recorder, distance measuring devices, label printer, GPS locator, and control software.
The third item is a Digital Image Device that interrogates cell phones to determine the origin of any stored images. The forensics solicitation (W911NF-09-R-0008) will remain open until Feb. 10, 2010.
Additional themes coming to the defense solutions portal include Autonomous Unmanned Aerial Vehicles equipment, models, algorithms and ideas; large scale database manipulations and analysis techniques; and topics associated with venture capital investments from which DoD could benefit.