Research & Development

Clockless Microprocessors
Nodes in a mobile ad hoc network must be small, inexpensive, and consume very little power. To this end, Bluetronix looks to design nodes around low-power, clockless microprocessors. Clockless processors, unlike their traditional synchronous counterparts, do not rely on a specific frequency clock signal in order to operate. Because of this, they typically require less power than traditional processors, they produce less electromagnetic interference, and their presence is more difficult to detect. Furthermore, a clockless processor can operate even when voltages fall below a certain level, whereas clocked processors may fail. Because of their elegance and simplicity, Bluetronix’s algorithms can run on small clockless microprocessors, resulting in a small and inexpensive node design capable of running for an extended period on a single coin-sized cell.

DNA Computing
All computers in existence today make use of binary code on the circuits of a computer chip, forming the basis for all computer calculations, from simple addition to the solution of the most complex differential equations. Since the DNA molecule is also a code, but is instead made up of a sequence of four bases that pair up in a predictable manner, many scientists have thought about the possibility of creating a molecular computer. Rather than relying on the position of electronic switches on a microchip, these computers would rely on the much faster reactions of DNA nucleotides binding with their complements, a brute force method that holds enormous potential for creating a new generation of computers that would be 100 billion times faster than today's fastest PC. DNA computing has been heralded as the "first example of true nanotechnology", and even the "start of a new era," which forges an unprecedented link between computer science and life science.

Intelligent Controls for Unmanned Vehicles
Bluetronix is designing intelligent algorithms to simplify the control of groups such as UAV's in various scenarios. This permits a single user to rapidly change the 'behavior' of the swarm as a whole without adjusting or fine-tuning the behaviors of each agent. As part of this work, Bluetronix looks to develop unique self-optimizing auction systems for agents to prioritize movement and targets among themselves. This auctioning system can take account of a large variety of factors including agent capability (e.g. speed, fuel, ability to prosecute specific target sets, and communications capability) and environmental effects (e.g. wind, terrain, target characteristics). This auction process is specifically designed to obtain results very quickly with minimal communication required between the individual unmanned agents. Furthermore, the results of the auctioning process have been mathematically proven to provide optimal solutions to a wide variety of problems. This optimization technique can be applied to groups of Bluetronix mobile wireless routers to efficiently self-optimize links through the network and ensure that critical communications move through the network as rapidly as possible with potentially reduced processing and memory requirements.

Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS)
Micro-Electro-Mechanical Systems (MEMS) are the integration of mechanical elements, sensors, actuators, and electronics on a common silicon substrate through microfabrication technology. While the electronics are fabricated using integrated circuit (IC) process sequences (e.g., CMOS, Bipolar, or BICMOS processes), the micromechanical components are fabricated using compatible "micromachining" processes that selectively etch away parts of the silicon wafer or add new structural layers to form the mechanical and electromechanical devices.

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MANETs
A MANET is a collection of computers, or nodes, participating and cooperating in a computer network. Information is communicated between nodes via a wireless link. There is a limited communications range for each node, and each node has only a few neighbors. Neighbors are nodes that can communicate directly. Nodes are assumed to be mobile; nodes can move relative to each other. This mobility allows the topology of the network to change dynamically. The network topology can be represented as a graph of the links that exist between pairs of nodes. Two nodes connected by a link may exchange information directly; otherwise, they must find a path using intermediate nodes to forward the information from the source to the destination.

Micro-Satellite Swarms
The operation of micro-satellites working together in swarms demands new strategies. Bluetronix is looking to develop control packages and communications suites founded upon rule based commands for group behavior algorithms enabling collaboration of swarms of micro-satellites, tasking of individuals, and fuzzy system identification for adaptive sensor fusion dictating rule based commands. In this architecture, parallel-distributed genetic algorithms will be implemented to generate rule bases for planning and scheduling the directives of individual group members. Individual satellites, each equipped with their own rule-based controller, will perform assigned sub-tasks based on their own directives.

The packets traveling through the various wireless connections formed by the network's intelligent routing software is based on some prior work that leverages research in the development of swarm intelligence. This program also performs conceptual designs that could be easily integrated on a wide variety of mobile platforms including satellites, Earth Science sensor networks, ground stations, and small aircraft, all connected in an ad-hoc fashion.

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RFID Applications
Broadly speaking, the RFID market is segmented into low-end and high-end tags. Low-end passive tags have approximately 32 bytes of local storage and are powered by the RF field generated by the readers. High-end tags can have full-blown microcontrollers and multiple interfaces to the environment, with local batteries to power them.

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Small Aircraft Adaptive MANETS
For small aircraft applications NASA and the FAA envision the Small Aircraft Transportation System (SATS) through a focused revolutionizing general aviation approach in the US with the development of 'smart' aircraft and runways. The development of 'smart' aircraft and runways could use the Mobile Intelligent Router for enhanced communications (both VOIP and Data) between aircraft and the ground without the limitations inherent in existing aircraft communications systems while increasing overall system reliability and flexibility through TCP/IP connectivity with secure high-speed intercommunications in a point-to-multipoint capacity.

Smart Sensor Networks
A smart sensor network consists of a number of sensors spread across a geographical area. Each sensor has wireless communication capability and sufficient intelligence for signal processing and networking of the data. Some examples of smart sensor networks are the following:

1. Military sensor networks to detect enemy movements, the presence of hazardous material (such as poison gases or radiation, explosions, etc.)
2. Environmental sensor networks (such as in plains or deserts or on mountains or ocean surfaces) to detect and monitor environmental changes.
3. Wireless traffic sensor networks to monitor vehicle traffic on a highway or in a congested part of a city.
4. Wireless surveillance sensor networks for providing security in a shopping mall, parking garage, or other facility.
5. Wireless parking lot sensor networks to determine which spots are occupied and which spots are free.

Besides offering certain capabilities and enhancements in operational efficiency in these conventional applications, smart sensor networks can assist in the national effort to increase alertness to potential terrorist threats.

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White papers on our products and technologies are available upon request. E-mail us at innovation@bluetronix.net or call 440.247.3434.