Prototyping System Solutions

Draper excels in prototyping mission-critical, first-of-a-kind systems. Our emphasis on innovation through research and development, highly skilled staff, and supporting infrastructure ensures an ideal environment for combining the latest research in physics, electronics, micromechanical devices, computer and packaging technologies, and software engineering to provide system solutions in diverse domains for both military and commercial applications.


These include strategic guidance systems with state-of-the-art inertial sensors, radiation-hardened processors, and modular system and software architectures; miniature, high-g precision guidance systems that integrate microelectromechanical systems (MEMS) inertial sensors and Global Positioning System receivers to realize enhanced anti-jam performance; a very low-weight, -volume, and -power attitude determination system using MEMS gyros, active pixel sensor imagers, and innovative star identification algorithms and navigational software; and portable robots for projecting the war-fighter’s eyes and ears into the battle-space using state-of-the-art wireless communication, image processing, and advanced video compression techniques.

Key to Draper’s system development is our close working relationship with our sponsors. Draper staff use advanced modeling and simulation (M&S) techniques to propose achievable, innovative concepts for complex systems. Systems are developed by multidisciplinary teams and managed by careful planning and tracking, and risk, requirements, and configuration management.

For our most challenging programs, we use a specially developed review process that involves the entire senior management team to identify problems early and to ensure that critical staff resources are allocated as required for program success. Product assurance staff provide an independent check to ensure quality standards are met.

Draper’s iterative systems engineering process starts with refining the proposed concepts, followed by systems analysis and design, subsystems development and test, system integration and test, and deployment. During systems analysis and design, we develop top-level models and simulations of the objective system to analyze requirements, perform trade studies, and develop the system architecture. Engineering design principles, such as minimal coupling and maximum cohesion, are used as guidelines so that the system is adaptable to evolving needs.

We establish our test philosophy early and refine it as the design progresses. Traceability is maintained to ensure all requirements are satisfied. M&S tools that supported the initial trade studies, refined as the design matures, are used routinely for quick feedback on the final design. We test subsystems individually before integration. Draper’s comprehensive M&S environment, including our high fidelity, real-time, hardware-in-the-loop capability, is used extensively during system test and is in large part responsible for the high reliability, accuracy, precision, and robustness of delivered systems.

Draper’s unique facilities, notably the Environmental Test Facility and Special Test Facility, help reduce test costs by allowing testing under severe environmental conditions prior to flight testing.

Draper offers an extensive laboratory environment with a wide spectrum of facilities, using both mature and emerging tools, technologies, and equipment. To meet quality and reliability needs of its sponsors, Draper uses best engineering practices. The Laboratory is ISO 9001:2000 certified, assessed at Software Engineering Institute (SEI) Capability Maturity Model-SW Level 3, and follows the systems engineering processes outlined in SEI CMMI.

Facilities

• Modeling and Simulation Laboratory
• Global Positioning System (GPS)Integration Laboratory
• Environmental Test Facility
• Space Systems Assembly Facility
• Fault-tolerant Systems Laboratory
• Quality assurance facilities

Applications

• Strategic missile guidance systems
• Guided munitions
• Spacecraft systems
• GPS ground systems
• Fault-tolerant systems
• Avionics systems

Technologies / Capabilities

• Virtual system simulation
• Hardware-in-the-loop simulation
• System integration
• Technology transfer support
• Low-rate production
• System analysis and architecture development