DARPA: Enhanced Night Vision in eyeglass form factors (ENVision)

March 5, 2021

Category	Opportunity
DoD Communities of Interest	Advanced Electronics
Subject	Enhanced Night Vision in eyeglass form factors (ENVision)
Due Date	23 March 2021
Government Organization	DEFENSE ADVANCED RESEARCH PROJECTS AGENCY (DARPA)
Description The Defense Sciences Office (DSO) at the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is soliciting innovative research proposals in the area of direct-view night vision (NV) systems in eyeglass form factors. Proposed research should investigate innovative approaches that enable revolutionary advances in science, devices, or systems. Specifically excluded is research that primarily results in evolutionary improvements to the existing state of practice. 1. DESCRIPTION Technical Area (TA) 1 of ENVision will develop advanced night vision (NV) systems with the following characteristics: a. Lightweight systems in near-eyeglass form factors b. Extended visual access beyond near-infrared (NIR) to short-wave (SWIR), mid-wave (MWIR), or long-wave infrared (LWIR) through a common aperture c. Expanded field of view (FOV) to near natural eyesight (100°) ENVision TA 2 will also enable a longer-term technical leap forward by identifying novel methods for direct photon upconversion of ambient IR illumination without the need for any electronic amplification. This research could allow for future simpler, all-optical NV systems. Given the basic research nature of this Technical Area, results and efforts will not lead to any CUI elements. Proposers are encouraged to submit concise, but descriptive, proposals. Specific examples of problems, approaches, or goals are preferred to qualitative generalities. The Government will not consider pages in excess of the page count limitations, as described herein. Proposals with fewer than the maximum number of pages will not be penalized. Additional information not explicitly called for in the Technical and Management Volume must not be submitted with the proposal, but may be included as links in the bibliography. Such materials will be considered for the reviewers’ convenience only and not evaluated as part of the proposal. For additional information, please review the Attachments at beta.SAM.gov
Website	https://beta.sam.gov/opp/0669882789e04feeb7810d0ada49f882/view