USF engineers develop radio-frequency training tech for U.S. Army under expansive partnership

By Tina Meketa, University Communications and Marketing

Thousands of miles from any battlefield, a team of engineers at the University of South Florida is working to prepare soldiers for the increasingly complex electronic environment of modern warfare.

They're developing an experimental electromagnetic training device that allows soldiers to identify adversaries through electromagnetic signals. It's the first project to emerge from a broader collaboration between USF and the U.S. Army, which signed a five-year research agreement last year.

About the size of a small toolbox, the device can be deployed for testing and positioned in various ways, including by drone. Once activated, it emits a signal that soldiers can detect and analyze from a distance.

"We're bringing together expertise from academia, industry and government to turn cutting-edge science into real capability for the soldier," said Cristian Dutescu, lead design engineer for the USF Institute of Applied Engineering and a USF alum. "That's what makes this work so exciting. It's the core of what the IAE is all about: delivering solutions right into the hands of soldiers."

The experimental device enables soldiers to enhance their proficiency in their military occupational specialty through a cost-effective solution that provides realistic training at their home station. Typically, this experience would only occur at a national training center.

One of the engineers contributing to the project is Ryan Cartagena, an Air Force ROTC cadet and intern with the IAE. Cartagena is a third-year electrical engineering major who intends to join the Air Force upon graduation.

"Working on the engineering side gives me a different perspective," Cartagena said. "In the military, you're usually operating systems, not designing them. This helps me understand the technology behind them."

USF has a longstanding relationship with the U.S. Department of War - recently extending its contract with U.S. Special Operations Command - and has led more than 100 projects for agencies such as U.S. Central Command, the U.S. Air Force and NASA.

Sean Pascoli, a retired lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps, is now a program manager for the U.S. Army Combat Capabilities Development Command, or DEVCOM, Army Research Laboratory. He said USF's research expertise, resources and proximity to MacDill Air Force Base make the university a valuable partner.

"DEVCOM ARL is the Army's sole fundamental research laboratory serving as the nexus between the military, academia and industry," Pascoli said. "We execute globally recognized research to accelerate delivery of war-winning, disruptive technologies for tomorrow's Army. Working with agile partners in academia gives us access to brilliant minds and cutting-edge research."

USF engineers expect the device to be ready for experimentation with soldiers this summer. In the meantime, they'll continue to develop the device, eventually shrinking it to be no larger than a tablet.