Research grant for imaging test bed goes to Harris

Harris Corp. won a $6.6 million research and development contract from the Army Communications-Electronics Command to develop and demonstrate the Jigsaw Laser Radar 3D-imaging test-bed system for use on an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

The ability to reliably identify targets ? tanks and other vehicles ? hidden under foliage and camouflage was successfully demonstrated by Harris and MIT-Lincoln Laboratories during an earlier proof-of-concept Jigsaw study.

This demonstration was followed by the recently completed initiative to design a smaller, lighter, autonomous, better-performing test bed system suitable for use on a medium-sized UAV.

During this latest phase of the DARPA-sponsored effort, Harris is providing systems integration services in cooperation with LADAR sensor developer MIT-LL and DP-5X platform developer Dragonfly Pictures Inc.

Harris is based in Melbourne, Fla., and is ranked No. 23 on Washington Technology's 2005 Top 100 list of the largest government contractors.