The U.S. Army's Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program, through the Army Futures Command, is offering a Phase I funding opportunity for the development of autonomous robotic bridging in riverine environments. The funding is provided under the topic of "Autonomous Robotic Bridging," which was released on January 8, 2025. The application window opens on January 29, 2025, with a closing date for applications set for February 26, 2025. This opportunity aims to develop autonomous drone swarm technology for watercraft that can operate in rivers and other bodies of water. The focus is on enhancing the Army's ability to conduct dispersed river crossings, increase crew survivability, and reduce the logistics footprint when crossing rivers with floating bridges.

This project addresses a significant gap in current military river crossing capabilities, which do not meet the demands of future operational environments, especially in contested logistics situations. The Army seeks to leverage autonomous powered floating bridges, which could operate independently or in swarms to form a single larger rafting platform. These autonomous bridges will provide enhanced mission effectiveness and survivability by removing personnel from the risky task of operating the craft and enabling more flexible and unpredictable river crossings. The goal is to make river crossings more efficient, secure, and adaptable to combat scenarios where the enemy can target infrastructure anywhere in the battlespace.

The primary technological challenge is developing the autonomy package that will allow multiple autonomous floating bays to operate in close proximity without colliding with one another or obstacles in the environment. This includes selecting and maturing sensor technologies capable of handling challenging marine environments, such as obstacle-laden rivers or waters obscured by particles. Additionally, the project involves creating communication and control logic that ensures the coordination of the drone swarm without human intervention. The bays must also be capable of finding and connecting with one another to increase buoyancy and transport military vehicle payloads across the water.

Phase I of this project offers up to $250,000 for a six-month period of performance. The contractor's work will focus on conducting a feasibility study that identifies the necessary sensors, communication systems, and control logic. This study will also include an analysis of how the solution will integrate with other Department of Defense (DoD) systems, as well as plans for testing the proposed solution on a surrogate platform. The goal is to develop a comprehensive approach for building autonomous floating bridges and demonstrate the feasibility of the concept.

Phase II will involve the development of the architecture, sensor systems, and software necessary to achieve the desired outcomes in a secure, GPS-denied environment. Testing will be conducted in relevant conditions, and prototypes will be delivered for further evaluation. Phase III will expand the application of the technology to fields like infrastructure inspection, underwater exploration, agricultural monitoring, and space exploration, where autonomous drone swarms can be employed.

Interested parties can submit proposals through the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP). For additional details or assistance, the SBIR/STTR Help Desk can be contacted via email at usarmy.sbirsttr@army.mil.