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Sensors & Electron Devices
The U.S. Army Research Laboratory's Sensors and Electron Devices Directorate (SEDD) is the principal Army organization for basic and applied research in sensors, electron devices, and power and energy to ensure U.S. military superiority. SEDD conducts innovative research in the areas of sensors, electron devices and power and energy to provide the Army with affordable enabling technology in advanced electro-optical technologies; flexible displays; advanced RF technologies; electronic materials and devices; autonomous sensing; micro autonomous technologies; hybrid electric vehicle, platform, and pulse power; directed energy; and micro, Soldier, and portable power. We coordinate these technologies within ARL and the Army, with other services and agencies, and with industry and academia, to leverage basic and applied research opportunities for the benefit of the Army. Major research areas in sensors include advanced electro-optical technologies; flexible displays; advanced RF technologies; electronic materials and devices; autonomous sensing; and micro autonomous systems and technology. Additionally, major research areas in power and energy include Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), platform and pulse power; directed energy; and micro, Soldier, and portable power.
Advanced Electro-Optical Technologies
Perform basic and applied research on electro-optic and photonic devices, including active and passive sensing technologies and transition these technologies in support of reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance and target acquisition (RISTA), fire control, guidance, fuzing, survivability, mobility, and lethality applications. The vision of advanced electro-optical technologies is high performance, high efficiency, low cost, next generation electro-optic sensors and devices for enhanced lethality, mobility, and survivability. Research areas include detectors; photonic devices; imaging integration development; and biology, physics, and bio-mimetics.
Flexible Displays
Develop processes and technologies that will enable the demonstration of lightweight, rugged, low volume flexible displays. The development of displays on flexible substrates will enable novel applications that cannot be achieved by glass based technologies.
The vision for flexible displays is for rugged, compact, low-cost, low-power, lightweight, novel form-factor flexible displays for next generation Army systems. Research areas include partnership model, display demonstrators and manufacturing technology.
Advanced RF Technologies
Perform basic and applied research in electronic/radio frequency (RF) sensing and advanced electronic device technologies and execute the material implementation of these technologies in support of reconnaissance, intelligence, surveillance, and target acquisition (RISTA), communications, fire control, guidance, and fuzing applications. The vision for this area is scalable, reconfigurable, and networked RF and radar technology for a variety of emerging platforms. Research areas include RF sensor architectures and phenomenology and antennas.
Electronic Materials and Devices
Perform basic and applied research in the growth of semiconductors and related electronic materials, as well as micro analysis with the aim of developing new and improved electronic devices for Army applications. The specialized need of the Army, including MILSPEC requirements will be the focus of the research. The vision in this area is next generation electronic devices and sensors for improved performance and reliability of Army systems in complex environments. Research areas include nanoelectronics and MEMS and prognostics and diagnostics.
Autonomous Sensing
Perform basic and applied research in sensors to allow autonomous detection, tracking, and identification of battlefield targets. Develop new signal processing algorithms for acoustic, seismic, magnetic, and electromagnetic sensors as well as single band and hyperspectral image sensors. Develop novel new magnetic, electromagnetic, and acoustic sensing devices. Develop fusion algorithms to improve detection performance in multimodal sensor systems. Key focus areas are persistent sensing, networked sensors, and unattended ground sensors. The vision here is intelligent sensors that enable intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) operations with little or no human intervention. Researchers areas in Autonomous Sensing include acoustic sensing, image understanding, magnetic and electric field sensing, sensor fusion and unmanned sensors and sensor integration.
Micro Autonomous Systems and Technology
Research objectives in MAST include microsystem mechanics, microelectronics and processing for autonomous operation. Microsystem mechanics specific objective is to develop a fundamental understanding of mechanics for small unmanned air and ground vehicles as needed to obtain desired mobility objectives. Microelectronics objective is to enable power efficient multi-functional sensing, ambulatory control and reconfigurable networked response in mobile micro-scale platforms. Processing for autonomous operation objectives include providing the fundamental underpinnings for autonomous operation of distributed, mobile and multi-modal sensing micro-systems integration. The second is developing a fundamental understanding of microsystem architectures through the development and application of modeling and design tools and experimentation and analysis.
Hybrid Electric Vehicle (HEV), Platform, and Pulse Power
High power switching devices, components, and subsystems; power electronics; power conditioning and conversion; power MEMs. The vision is compact, high density power and conditioning for continuous and pulse applications. Research areas include pulse power components — survivability and lethality and power components — hybrid electric platforms.
Directed Energy
Directed energy weapons and effects and related technologies; electromagnetic hardening; and alternative energy sources. The vision for directed energy is radio frequency (RF) directed energy weapon (DEW) technology and solid state architecture and components for high energy lasers (HEL) to enhance survivability and mobility. Research areas for directed energy include high power RF directed energy and laser directed energy.
Micro, Soldier, and Portable Power
High energy and high power primary and secondary batteries; fuel cell components; logistics fuel reforming for fuel cells; and munitions batteries. The vision for this area is long-lasting power for Soldier and autonomous microsystems. Researchers areas include high energy batteries, fuel cells and fuel processing, power sources for munitions and UGS power/novel power sources.