DARPA ENVision Proposers Day
 

Overview

The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) Defense Sciences Office (DSO) is sponsoring a Proposers Day webcast to provide information to potential proposers on the objectives of an anticipated Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for the Enhanced Night Vision in eyeglass form factors (ENVision) program. The Proposers Day will be held via webcast on January 21, 2021 from 10:00 AM to 4:30 PM. Advance registration is required for viewing the webcast. Note: All times listed in this announcement and on the registration website are Eastern Time.

The goals of the ENVision Proposers Day are to (a) introduce the research community (Proposers, Academia, and Government) to the ENVision program vision and goals, (b) explain the mechanics of a DARPA program and the milestones of this particular effort, and (c) encourage and promote teaming arrangements among potential organizations that have the relevant expertise, facilities, and capabilities for executing a research and development program responsive to the ENVision program goals.

DARPA anticipates releasing the ENVision BAA in January, 2021. If released, the BAA will be available on https://beta.sam.gov/ and on http://www.grants.gov/. Following the event, DARPA may post the presented materials as well as a Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ) list to the DARPA/DSO Opportunities website.

To maximize the pool of innovative proposal concepts, DARPA strongly encourages participation by non‐traditional proposers (including small businesses, academic and research institutions, and first‐time Government contractors) in events such as this and any subsequent solicitations.

Program Objective and Description

Traditional Night Vision Goggle (NVG) systems provide the wearer with enhanced visibility in low-light conditions by exploiting the natural near-infrared (NIR) illumination from moonlight or starlight. These systems use a multi-step process called image intensification, which involves converting NIR photons to electrons, amplifying electrons, and converting them into visible photons presented to the wearer. Current NVG systems are bulky (lengths of ~10 cm) and heavy (>1 kg), which moves the center of gravity away from the head and induces a large torque on the wearer’s neck. In the short term, this torque greatly limits agility, and over prolonged use can lead to acute and chronic neck injury. Additionally, traditional NVG systems are limited in field-of-view (FOV) to ~40° and are typically limited to a narrow NIR bandwidth, both of which greatly limit situational awareness.

Recent advances in materials science and nanofabrication open up the possibility to replacing the bulk refractive optics and image intensification technologies with ultrathin planar optics and planar image intensifiers. These advances show promise in disrupting the current trade-off between enhanced capabilities and large induced neck torque, leading to low-torque direct-view NV systems. The DARPA ENVision program seeks to leverage these advancements and expand their capabilities to develop enhanced direct-view NV systems with the following capabilities:

  • lightweight systems in near-eyeglass form factors;
  • extended visual access beyond NIR to include short-wave (SWIR, 1.5-3 µm), mid-wave (MWIR, 3-5 µm), or long-wave infrared (LWIR, 8-12 µm) through a common aperture, and;
  • expanded FOV to near natural eyesight (100°).

Additionally, while NV systems use a multi-step process, the physics to directly upconvert IR photons to VIS in a single step has been known since the invention of the laser in 1960. Direct photon upconversion involves the absorption of two or more photons and re-emission of a photon of higher energy. As a separate thrust, ENVision will take the next technical leap forward and investigate the possibility of achieving direct vision of the infrared through photon upconversion. Photon upconversion-based night vision would eliminate the need for multiple components and could lead to even simpler, all-optical NVG systems in the future.

Q & A

Administrative, technical, and contractual questions about ENVision should be emailed to ENVision@darpa.mil. All questions must be in English and must include the name and email address of a point of contact. Following the Proposers Day, DARPA will post an FAQ list to the DARPA/DSO Opportunities website.

Disclaimers and Important Notes

Viewing the ENVision Proposers Day webcast is voluntary and is not required to propose to the anticipated ENVision BAA. Interested parties to this notice are cautioned that nothing herein obligates the Government to issue a solicitation. The Proposers Day does not constitute a formal solicitation for proposals or abstracts. This announcement is issued solely for information and program planning purposes and is not a Request for Information (RFI). Since this is not an RFI, no proposal submissions against this notice will be accepted by the Government. No classified, ITAR controlled, or proprietary information shall be included in submitted materials or shall be presented or discussed at the Proposers Day. DARPA will not provide reimbursement for costs incurred to participate in this Proposers Day. Recording the Proposers Day webcast is not permitted.