E-Smart Threat Agent System

Abstract

The Environmental Systems Management, Analysis and Reporting neTwork (E-SMART) was developed as a system of smart sensors; active controls; and data acquisition, data reduction, and adaptive decision software to sample, analyze, and report on environmental contamination and cleanup activities on an installation. The prototype system was installed and demonstrated and is operating at Tinker Air Force Base (AFB), Oklahoma. The system is based on ANSI/EIA-709.1-A networking protocol originally developed for building environmental systems automation and process control. Sensor interfaces have been developed that allow E-SMART to network commercial off-the-shelf “smart” or “dumb” environmental sensors, new innovative sensors, or both. The network architecture can support communications media connections via wire, radio frequency, fiber optics, and so on. The system has been on line at Tinker AFB since 1998 and originally consisted of about 100 sensors and has a present array of 30 sensors, measuring up to six variables each. Most recently, development has begun to expand the E-SMART sensor suite to include threat-agent sensors: E-SMART → E-SMART Threat Agent (E-SMART TA). This effort is integrating online chemical and biological sensors and monitoring systems to demonstrate an E-SMART TA system to enhance protection, warning, and response. The emphasis is on maximizing adaptability and flexibility by accepting the widest possible variety of toxic industrial chemical and material and chemical and biological agent sensors (current, emerging, and future), responding to a wide range of deployment and employment requirements, having the capability to incorporate existing and future analysis models, and providing data sharing and interoperability across all users, U.S. Department of Defense and civilian.