January 2012 Welcome to The CTMA Connector, a monthly newsletter designed to provide news and ideas about the Commercial Technologies for Maintenance Activities (CTMA) program. The CTMA program is a joint Department of Defense/National Center for Manufacturing Sciences (DoD/NCMS) effort promoting collaborative technology development between industry and the DoD maintenance and repair facilities. This newsletter highlights ongoing projects, serves as a forum for promoting new project ideas, and provides other news of interest to the program. Our goal is to stimulate your participation and solicit your input. Feel free to submit items for the newsletter as well as any suggestions to make it more useful. More information about the program can be found at http://ctma.ncms.org/. To subscribe or unsubscribe to the CTMA Connector, send a message to: listserv@listserv.ncms.org with “subscribe CTMANewsletter” or “unsubscribe CTMANewsletter” in the message body. At Least Three Reasons to Come to San Diego on March 25-28 #1: Technology Showcase at the Navy Fleet Readiness Center Southwest, March 26. Expose your capabilities to the engineers and artisans at FRC-SW; Learn about the operations and needs at FRC-SW. There are a couple of ways to participate. NCMS member companies are invited to set up tabletop displays inside the FRC facilities to show-off their technologies to an audience of FRC-SW managers, engineers, and artisans. Others are invited to view the FRC facilities as well as the displays. Technologies of particular interest to FRC-SW include:
Further information can be found at: http://www.ncms.org/index.php/programs/ctma/ctma-current/technology-showcase/
#2: The CTMA $100,000 Maintenance Technology Challenge Maintenance Leaders within the DoD will be reviewing and choosing a new $100,000 CTMA project of strongest interest to the DoD. Here is a chance to get exposure with DoD leaders, and a chance to walk away from the CTMA Symposium with a funded project. Concept papers are due to NCMS by March 1st, 2012. The selection criterion for project ideas includes the level of innovation, overall benefits, ability to deploy the technology within 12 months, DoD interest, and the strength of the team. Initial judging will be led by OSD with representatives from each of the services. Five finalists will be given the opportunity to present their project ideas to the DoD Senior Sustainment Leader Panel, who will ultimately choose the winning team for the Challenge as part of the 2012 CTMA Symposium. Details are found at: http://www.ncms.org/index.php/programs/ctma/ctma-current/the-2012-ncmsosd-maintenance-technology-challenge/
#3: The 2012 CTMA Symposium, “Collaborate to Innovate” This years CTMA Symposium opens with a reception on Monday night, March 26 with plenary sessions starting early on Tuesday, March 27. Perspectives will be given from DoD Senior Sustainment Leaders, and a Program Managers Panel with representatives from each of the services outlining their sustainment issues and how they are being addressed. In addition we will feature our first Maintenance Technology Challenge competition. On Wednesday, March 28, a Depot Commanders Panel will feature several Commanding Officers discussing their technology needs. Project track sessions with technology project presentations rounds out the Symposium. Networking activities include the opening reception on Monday, March 26, an Industry Tabletop Display during an evening reception on Tuesday, and for those of you needing more reasons to come to balmy San Diego, join us in a golf scramble on Sunday, March 25 at the FRC-SW club. More information and registration can be found at: http://www.ncms.org/index.php/programs/ctma/ctma-current/ctma-symposium-2012/ US Army Robotics Requests Your Help The U.S. Army has posted a Market Survey request for the Engineering Squad Robot (ESR) to its PROCNET at http://contracting.tacom.army.mil/ssn/sources.htm. The survey is listed under Open Notices and Surveys with Deborah Hough as the Point of Contact. Two documents are available for downloading; a Microsoft Word document containing the survey document, and a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet containing the schedule, capability requirements, interoperability specifications, and information assurance requirements. All interested companies are invited to participate in the survey. The ESR will be a rugged robotic system weighing less than 20 lbs. threshold (T), 15 lbs objective (O), consisting of a robotic operator control interface, a robotic chassis platform with video capability, digital communications/audio relay modules that are adaptable to advanced sensors or mission modules, and the power supply. The ESR should possess Plug-N-Play capabilities with open software architectures allowing different payloads or modules that will enable a trained operator to remotely detect by visual or other sensors, and to confirm, mark, and neutralize Explosive Ordnances (EO). Furthermore, it may also be used for lane proofing and other combat engineer specific tasks, as well as providing support to infantry and military police operations such as urban reconnaissance. In a reconnaissance role, the ESR should detect, locate, identify, and support targeting of enemy forces. Future roles for the ESR will employ modules for other specific tasks as needed such as chemical hazard and contraband detection. The ESR should have a manipulating arm to provide increased capabilities to the Marine Air-Ground Task Force (MAGTF) in complex and urban terrain including confined areas and subterranean environments (i.e., buildings, bunkers, tunnels, sewers, caves, culverts, ditches, behind guardrails, and around bridge abutments). The purpose of this market survey is to solicit feedback from industry and potential offerors in regards to the Engineering Squad Robot (ESR) program. The Government is drafting cost, schedule and performance requirements for a future formal Request for Proposal (RFP); this market survey is part of the requirements development and program planning effort. From this market survey, the Government intends to 1) Gauge industry interest in both attending a future industry day and offering future proposals for this program; 2) Understand whether there are any potential commercial products that may meet this requirement and 3) Gain voluntary feedback and analysis from industry to advise the Government on technical feasibility, technology readiness levels, and cost and schedule realism, as well as any other feedback desired by industry, of the draft requirements contained therein. The NCMS Contact is Tony Haynes, tonyh@ncms.org, 734-995-4930 . We appreciate your feedback. Please contact Chuck Ryan with suggestions or input on other topics that would be of interest to you in this newsletter. The CTMA Program is sponsored by the Department of Defense; the content of this newsletter does not necessarily reflect the position or policy of the government; no official endorsement should be inferred. © 2012 |
