SBIR Phase II: An Innovative and Open Satellite-Based Internet of Things (IoT) Network

拟议的项目主要围绕进一步开发世界上最小的双向通信卫星和相关的地面硬件。该项目的主要贡献包括系统和网络优化以及通过端到端演示验证技术。系统优化组件将涉及系统级模型的开发，该模型捕获所有元素的复杂交互，包括动态、约束和目标。网络优化组件将专注于算法的开发，当网络扩展到数千台地面设备时，实现无缝通信调度。这个小企业创新研究（SBIR）二期项目的更广泛的影响/商业潜力跨越了商业、科学和人道主义应用，将物联网（IoT）连接扩展到没有蜂窝覆盖的偏远地区，以及卫星数据对农业、能源、航运和天气等重要应用过于昂贵的地区。在SBIR二期项目中开发的卫星和地面硬件已经朝着小型化和降低功耗的方向发展，通过允许轻松集成到他们的设备和易于安装的自主地面解决方案，使更广泛的客户能够利用网络。小型化卫星提供的独特发射经济性使物联网（IoT）传感和数据返回的成本仅为现有卫星数据提供商的1/10至1/100。该奖项反映了美国国家科学基金会的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的知识价值和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

The proposed project centers around further development on the world's smallest 2-way communications satellites and associated ground hardware. Key contributions of this project include system and networking optimization and validation of the technology through end to end demonstrations. The system optimization component will involve the development of system-level models that capture the complex interaction of all elements, including dynamics, constraints, and objectives. The network optimization component will focus on the development of algorithms that enable seamless communications scheduling as the network scales to several thousand devices on the ground.The broader impact/commercial potential of this Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Phase II project spans commercial, scientific and humanitarian applications by extending IoT (Internet of Things) connectivity to remote regions without cell coverage and where satellite data is prohibitively expensive for vital applications including agriculture, energy, shipping, and weather. The satellites and ground hardware being developed in this SBIR Phase II project have been driven towards miniaturization and power reduction to enable a broader range of customers to take advantage of the network by allowing easy integration into their devices and easy-to-install autonomous ground solutions. The unique launch economics afforded by the miniaturized satellites enable IoT (Internet of Things) sensing and data return at a cost 1/10th to 1/100th that of incumbent satellite data providers.This award reflects NSF's statutory mission and has been deemed worthy of support through evaluation using the Foundation's intellectual merit and broader impacts review criteria.