SBIR Phase I: Rapid and Accurate Large Aperture Surface Metrology for Future High Speed Communication

这个小型企业创新研究第一阶段项目旨在彻底改变卫星通信和射电天文学的高精度天线盘的建造方式。通过开发一种能够在几分钟内以微米精度测量大型天线碟片的光学计量系统，该项目解决了生产高精度、低成本、大规模生产天线碟片的关键瓶颈。目前的测量方法，如全息照相和摄影测量，速度慢，成本高，不方便，而且缺乏未来菜肴所需的准确性。该项目的商业影响针对不断增长的数十亿美元的卫星通信和射电天文学市场，仅下一代超大型阵列(NgVLA)的可寻址部分价值约为23亿美元。该项目的目标不仅承诺加强全球连通性和国防通信网络，还支持关于宇宙的开创性发现。该项目的智力价值在于其在光学计量学方面的开创性方法，将现有系统的能力扩展到其在户外测量直径达18米的物体的极限。研究目标集中于克服基本挑战，如在大范围内保持高精度和准确性，构建轻便和便携的硬件，以及设计一种随时可供天线技术人员部署的系统。预期成果包括一个原型系统，该系统能够显著推进光学计量领域，并为大量生产精密天线盘提供可扩展的解决方案。这一创新将通过简化高精度磁盘的建设和维护，在卫星通信和射电天文学方面产生重大进步。该奖项反映了NSF的法定使命，并通过使用基金会的智力优势和更广泛的影响审查标准进行评估，被认为值得支持。

This Small Business Innovation Research Phase I project seeks to revolutionize how high-precision antenna dishes for satellite communications and radio astronomy are constructed. By developing an optical metrology system capable of measuring large antenna dishes with micron precision in minutes, this project addresses a critical bottleneck in the production of high-accuracy, low-cost, mass-manufactured antenna dishes. Current metrology methods like holography and photogrammetry are slow, costly, inconvenient, and lack the accuracy required for future dishes. The commercial impact of this project targets the growing multi-billion-dollar market of satellite communications and radio astronomy, with an addressable segment valued at approximately $2.3 billion for the next-generation Very Large Array (ngVLA) alone. The goals of this project not only promise to enhance global connectivity and defense communication networks but also support groundbreaking discoveries about the universe.The intellectual merit of this project lies in its pioneering approach to optical metrology, stretching the capabilities of current systems to their limits for measuring objects up to 18 meters in diameter outdoors. The research objectives focus on overcoming fundamental challenges such as maintaining high precision and accuracy over large areas, construction of lightweight and portable hardware, and designing a system that is ready to be deployed by antenna technicians. Anticipated results include a prototype system capable of significantly advancing the field of optical metrology and providing a scalable solution for the high-volume production of precision antenna dishes. This innovation will produce significant advancements in satellite communication and radio astronomy by streamlining the construction and maintenance of high-precision dishes.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.