SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Vadum will develop Advanced EOD Aiming Technology that is precise, low-cost, compatible with one-time use devices, visible in all lighting conditions, and highly portable. Today, military EOD technicians and Law Enforcement Agency bomb squad members use several methods to aim energetic tools. For disrupters, many laser-based devices have been developed. Some laser aiming devices project a beam along the bore central axis, but must be removed before firing, risking disturbance to the point of aim. Others project a laser beam parallel to the barrel, requiring some user skill to guess the precise point of impact, which may be difficult on irregular target surfaces. Existing lasers also suffer from poor visibility in bright ambient light, and poor operation in cold temperatures. Vadum proposes an innovative approach to aiming that can be used with the vast majority of energetic EOD tools including disrupters, shaped charges, and EFPs of widely-varying sizes. The technology is adaptable to large and small EOD tools, and provides a true on-axis indication of the likely point of impact on the target. In Phase II, Vadum will continue to mature its Advanced EOD Aiming Technology for use with both manually-emplaced tools and robotically-aimed tools.
