The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) will hold a Proposers Day on March 18 for a program that seeks to develop artificial intelligence-enabled assistants that could help human users carry out complex tasks, minimize errors and expand their skillsets.

The Perceptually-enabled Task Guidance program intends to explore advances in augmented reality for human-computer interfaces and deep learning for speech and video analysis to develop virtual “task guidance” assistants that can provide users with audio and visual feedback, DARPA said Wednesday.

“Increasingly we seek to develop technologies that make AI a true, collaborative partner with humans,” said Bruce Draper, a program manager at DARPA’s information innovation office. “Developing virtual assistants that can provide substantial aid to human users as they complete tasks will require advances across a number of machine learning and AI technology focus areas, including knowledge acquisition and reasoning.”

PTG has two research areas and the first seeks to address a group of interconnected problems, including knowledge transfer, perceptual attention, user modeling and perceptual grounding. The second research area centers on integrated demonstrations of basic research outputs on use case scenarios that are relevant to the military.

DARPA said the program seeks to determine how task guidance assistants could be used in battlefield medicine, pilot guidance and mechanical repair.

The Potomac Officers Club will host its 3rd Annual Artificial Intelligence Summit on March 30 to foster discussions on how to advance AI technology at speed and how private-public partnerships are key to maintaining the competitive advantage within the tech race. To register for this virtual summit and view other upcoming events, visit the Potomac Officers Club Events page.

Morcom International has received a $153,000 award to develop a sea pollution tracking technology for the Department of Homeland Security's Science and Technology Directorate. DHS said Wednesday it issued the award under phase one of the Silicon Valley Innovation Program's Maritime Object Tracking Technology solicitation.

The Virginia-based small business will further develop its Tracking Unit for Navigational Aid or TUNA technology to help the U.S. Coast Guard track oil spills, debris and various hazardous materials floating on seas and other bodies of water.

"We are looking forward to evaluating Morcom’s augmented design of TUNA and how it will benefit USCG missions,” said Wendy Chaves, manager of the Coast Guard's Research, Development, Test and Evaluation and Innovation program.

The existing TUNA technology offers reusable batteries, GPS-based tracking and automatic identification, and is designed to function in saltwater environments. Morcom will use awarded funds to make TUNA capable of airdropping, as per USGC's requirements.

The U.S. Navy found through inspections that its fleet of surface ships is experiencing degradation across multiple aspects, Defense News reported Wednesday.

The Board of Inspection and Survey (INSURV) discovered that ships are degrading in areas including electrical, damage-control, anti-submarine warfare and propulsion systems. The study covered a total of 21 assessment areas, with degradation found in 11 of them.

Inspectors looked at 24 ships so far this year, including a Freedom-class littoral combat ship and 16 destroyers. They also observed signs of degradation in the Aegis system, which facilitates a ship's weapon operation and missile defense.

INSURV also found that the Navy's submarines exhibited more signs of degradation in 2020 compared to the past five years. These findings were present in combat systems and auxiliary engineering systems of the underwater vessels.

Dounreay Site Restoration Ltd (DSRL) has awarded Jacobs a six and a half year, $10.4 million contract to lead the integrated design management team for one of the world’s deepest nuclear clean-up operations, the company reported on Thursday. 

"By deploying our design engineering and program management capabilities alongside DSRL, we will weave together several complex and challenging projects to ensure safe and efficient delivery," said Jacobs Critical Mission Solutions International Senior Vice President Clive White.

Under the contract, the Jacobs’ led team will play a crucial role in coordinating the operation to clear and treat radioactive waste in a former fast-reactor research and development center at Dounreay, United Kingdom (U.K.).

Jacobs has also been tasked with leading design integration to enable construction activities at Dounreay to begin. The contract has required Jacobs to assist with building work projects, managing design and design support during all commissioning and construction. 

The project will work to safely and efficiently clear radioactive waste in Dounreay’s shaft and silo. The intermediate-level waste has been stored at Dounreay since the 1960s and requires modern techniques to store hazardous material more effectively. 

The shaft is 214.5 feet underground and is 15 feet wide in some places. The silo is essentially a large underground vault secured with a concrete roof. Berkshire Engineering, a local civil engineering firm, will assist with test and trial work.

Jacobs has previous experience dealing with the UK nuclear sector. In May 2020, the U.K.’s Government Nuclear Decommissioning Authority selected Jacobs to study radioactivity released from irradiated graphite sampled from reactor cores at the U.K.'s nuclear power stations.

"The shaft and silo contain legacy wastes that must be emptied and repackaged for long-term storage before the site can be closed. These contracts are one step closer to the clean-up of these historical waste stores," said DSRL's Program Delivery Director, David Hubbard.

AECOM-Graham Construction joint venture (JV) has completed the design-build work on the first wastewater treatment plant in Victoria, British Columbia, AECOM reported on Thursday. The McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant will deliver tertiary treatment for wastewater from the core area municipalities. 

“We’re honored to support the Capital Regional District in delivering this world-class wastewater treatment plant by bringing forward our industry leading resume of water and environmental solutions,” said Marc Devlin, AECOM’s regional chief executive, Canada. “AECOM is committed to leading environmental, social, and governance best practices and making a positive impact on the communities we serve.”

Work at the facility began in 2017 by Harbour Resource Partners, a joint venture between AECOM and Graham. The plant is the main component of a $590 million wastewater program undertaken by the Capital Regional District.

The design-build partnership leveraged AECOM’s wastewater design and environmental expertise and Graham’s well-established competence in this sector of construction in Canada. Despite logistical challenges due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the project was successfully delivered on time, meeting federal and provincial regulations.

The JV delivered environmental work, including acquisition of all permits and approvals required for construction. The plant has incorporated elements that promote sustainability and energy efficiency, such as the construction of an operations and maintenance building.

In addition, an education and interpretive space is featured on the second floor of the building to engage the community with the plant’s water cycle, local natural environment, and the overall importance of stormwater management.

“The successful construction of the McLoughlin Point Wastewater Treatment Plant marks the completion of the most complex wastewater project ever built in Western Canada,” said Ian Dickinson, Graham’s executive vice president overseeing the project.