FTL develops innovative sensing devices using cameras, lasers, ultrasonic transceivers, inertial measurement units, electrochemical sensors, and other approaches. We then apply that sensor data to automating systems to improve effectiveness and accuracy to systems.
FTL develops and builds sensors and automates systems for everyday use aboard ships, in medical clinics, and out in the field. These systems incorporate hardware, including elements for probing a target to gain information without disrupting it, and software, including systems for acquiring, processing, implementing operations, and presenting the results to aid the user and keep them in the loop. Automation, as implemented by FTL, focuses on streamlining processes, reducing manual labor, and improving efficiency and accuracy by using systems to execute actions that would otherwise be done by people.
The links below provide an introduction to the many sensor and automation projects FTL has worked on. Each one represents an unsolved sensing and/or automation challenge that FTL developed an approach, prototype, and deployable system to address.
While additive manufacturing systems, especially metal, bring revolutionary capabilities and have the potential to reduce supply chain issues and enable new designs through unique layer-by-layer fabrication capabilities, defects such as porosity, inclusions, large-scale voids, and chemical inconsistencies can inhibit the functional performance of a part and reduce confidence in designing parts for AM.
Unmanned Surface Vessels (USV’s) are anticipated to play an important role in future Naval systems. These vary from very small systems deployed by hand from boats, to very large vessels, as large as a manned battleship, but operated entirely remotely.
FTL has extensive experience developing payload systems for Unmanned Underwater Vehicles (UUVs) including extensive fluid modeling of the flow and mixed-phase environment surrounding a moving submarine.
FTL developed “DADTMA”, Distributed Acquisition Digital Twin Maintenance Architecture, is a software solution for accelerating data acquisition and management of maintenance data in the field and for analyzing maintenance and inspection data for a specific aircraft or fleet over time in a Digital Twin framework.
DroneDraft is a mission planning tool developed for the U.S. Army to streamline drone deployment in complex environments. It offers geospatial visualization, flight path optimization, and real-time coordination features to enhance operational efficiency and situational awareness.
Electroseptic is a remote monitoring system developed for wastewater management in Department of Defense facilities. It uses sensor-based telemetry and real-time data analytics to detect septic system failures early, improving environmental safety and reducing maintenance costs.
FODHAT was developed in collaboration with Northrop Grumman, and uses neural network-enhanced 2D and 3D imaging for autonomous inspection guidance during manufacturing.
FTL’s “FRAMER” (Fast Reconstruction of Architectural Models from Existing Resources) system has been developed for the Chemical and Biological Defense (CBD) program of the DoD. It combines specially trained neural networks with advanced 3D processing algorithms and intelligent data exports to enable high quality building model generation from both blueprints and photographs, and parameter exports for accurate transport and dispersion simulation.
OilEye is a real-time fuel monitoring system developed to detect contamination and performance issues in military aircraft. It combines sensor data with predictive analytics to enhance maintenance efficiency and reduce the risk of in-flight engine failures.
This project focused on the fabrication of piezoelectric sensors for aerospace applications requiring high sensitivity and durability. The sensors enable precise vibration and pressure monitoring, supporting advanced diagnostics in extreme operational environments.
SDARIT (Structural Damage and Repair Inferencing Tool), is an automated inventory, inspection, and repair planning software tool for condition monitoring of assets such as piers, bridges, roads, tunnels, dams, and other structures. SDARIT employs custom AI algorithms for detecting and identifying structural elements and damage caused by wear, seismic effects, fatigue, battle damage, and other environmental factors.
FTL’s SharpScan is a radar and high speed data acquisition system utilizing a Field Programmable Gate Array (FPGA) for advanced beam-sharpening.
FTL Labs’ SHR3DR (Sub-Seafloor High Resolution 3D Reconstruction) is a
hardware and software solution for the automatic detection of problems such as voids forming in the subterranean environments beneath Navy waterfront facilities.
Approximately 1.3 million active duty troops are regularly tested for hearing loss. FTL’s SonoLoop technology allows medical providers to easily and inexpensively provide this testing in mixed-use clinical settings with repeatable results.
SoundFit is an ultrasound tool that assists technicians fitting persons with amputation with prosthetic limbs by assessing fit quality. This tool measures relative bone motion to quantify the performance of mechanical energy transfer between the prosthetic limb and the user’s skeletal structure, guiding adjustments to the prosthetic socket geometry.
Sponsored by the Defense Health Agency, FTL’s SPARO (Sensorized Prosthetic Alignment Read-Out) provides clinicians and researchers a tool that enables quantitative measurements of prosthetic alignment and the effects it has on the rest of the body’s motions and dynamics through whole body gait and movement analysis.
FTL’s SpearFish system leverages JPL’s CARACaS autonomy architecture in a new enabling technology for Patrol boat sensing, perception, and Command-and-Control (C2). SpearFish applies advanced high-bandwidth sensor fusion to enable unmanned patrol boats that will reduce risks and enable new operational capabilities within the Maritime Expeditionary Security Force (MESF).
VAME (Virtual Assessment and Modeling Environment) is a simulation platform designed to support digital twin development for defense systems. It enables virtual prototyping, behavioral analysis, and performance optimization across a range of operational scenarios.
