Better than Meets the Eye: Reliable Object Detection Amongst the Waves

IMPORTANT

To avoid last minute technical difficulties that could delay your submission, please send your request to open an epost Connect conversation as soon as possible, following the epost Connect instructions listed in Part 2 - Bidder Instructions of the CFP.

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UPDATES

December 3, 2020

Attachment 5 has been added. The document contains questions and answers related to the Challenge.

November 23, 2020

Attachment 4 has been added. The document contains questions and answers related to the Challenge.

November 9, 2020

Attachment 3 has been added. The document contains questions and answers related to the Challenge.

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INTRODUCTION

This Challenge notice is issued under the Innovation for Defence Excellence and Security (IDEaS) Program Call for Proposals (CFP) Call 004 (W7714-207317).

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HOW TO APPLY

Please refer to the main solicitation documents which contain the process for submitting a proposal.

Step 1: Prepare for Proposal Submission

Read the Call for Proposals documents and Challenge tender notice in their entirety.

Step 2: Download and Complete Attachment 1 – Electronic Proposal Submission Form

• Attachment 1 – Electronic Proposal Submission Form can be found at the bottom of each Challenge tender notice page on Buy and Sell.
• If you have technical difficulties downloading and opening the form, please follow the instructions in Attachment 2 – Technical Instructions, found at the bottom of the Challenge tender notice page on Buy and Sell.
• The security warning on the form is for DND internal information only. The use of epost Connect enables submission of the form through an encrypted delivery platform for secure electronic delivery of Protected B documents.

Step 3: Follow the submission instructions listed in Part 2 – Bidder Instructions of the CFP

• Please allow sufficient time to register and submit the completed form before the Challenge closing date and time.
• Additional attachments or documentation (technical drawings, CVs, diagrams, etc.) must not be submitted and will not constitute part of the Bidder’s proposal.
• Only one proposal is permitted per epost Connect conversation. For multiple submissions, this process must be followed for each proposal submitted.

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MAXIMUM FUNDING AND PERFORMANCE PERIOD

Multiple contracts could result from this Challenge.

The individual maximum contract funding available under Component 1a is up to $200,000 CAD (excluding applicable taxes) for a maximum performance period of up to 6 months.

This disclosure is made in good faith and does not commit Canada to contract for the total approximate funding.

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CHALLENGE DETAILS

Challenge Title

Better than Meets the Eye: Reliable Object Detection Amongst the Waves

Challenge Statement

The Department of National Defence and the Canadian Armed Forces (DND/CAF) are seeking innovative solutions to assist Maritime lookouts to quickly and reliably detect, characterize, and track objects of interest in order to improve the efficiency and safety of maritime operations.

Background and Context

A lookout is a person responsible for observing everything –both sights and sounds—within an assigned sector on a ship in order to alert the Officers of the Watch (OOW) of potential issues. They are often the first person to observe danger and the safety of the ship depends on their training, alertness, and constant vigilance. The role of a lookout is to spot and quickly classify contacts during their watch, which includes navigational hazards (e.g. small boats, logs, semi-submerged containers, fishing equipment, ice, etc.) that can tear into a ship’s hull, as well as threats (e.g. small unmanned surface or aircraft systems, etc.). It can be exceedingly difficult to spot a wisp of smoke of an approaching vessel, a small flash of sunlight on the wing tip of an aircraft, etc. Despite its critical importance, the task can be monotonous and after long hours, lookouts are prone to complacency and fatigue. Fog and other low visibility conditions also greatly increase the difficulty of the task.

The Navy is expected to continue to rely on human lookouts to meet Rule 5 of The International Maritime Organization’s Convention on the International Regulations for Preventing Collisions at Sea, 1972 (COLREGs). Innovative solutions are being sought to augment and support a lookout’s ability to see, accurately characterize and track everything within range of vision, especially in conditions of low visibility, to mitigate the risks of fatigue and complacency.

Essential Outcomes

The Royal Canadian Navy is looking for innovative solutions to assist lookouts by alerting them to possible contacts for further investigation; characterizing; and tracking objects. At a minimum, proposed solutions must be capable of achieving the following essential outcomes:

• Rapidly detect visible objects on the water’s surface and in the sky within line of sight;
• Estimate the relative bearing, range, position angle, and target angle of sighted objects;
• Ability to characterize common navigational hazards (e.g. logs, containers, small boats) or other objects of interest (e.g. vessels, small aerial systems and aircraft);
• Reliably detect objects at night.

Desired Outcomes

Innovative solutions are also being sought that achieve the following additional outcomes:

• Acoustic detection, localization, and classification of above-surface objects and aircraft;
• Ability to detect and classify particular threats (e.g. presence of guns and missiles);
• In the case of multiple sightings, ability to prioritize and track objects by distance and type;
• Ability to detect objects in all weather conditions and conditions of low visibility.

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ENQUIRIES

All Challenge-related enquiries must be submitted in writing to:

TPSGC.PAIDEES-APIDEAS.PWGSC@tpsgc-pwgsc.gc.ca

Enquiries must be submitted no later than 10 calendar days before the Challenge notice closing date. Enquiries received after that time may not be answered.

For more information about the IDEaS program, Bidders can visit the IDEaS website.