Alum Andrew Newman wins Hart Prize for Development

Alumnus Andrew Newman has won the Hart Prize for Excellence in Development from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory. He received the prize for his role as principal investigator on the project, "Development: Tactically Responsive Intelligence, Surveillance, and Reconnaissance Management" (TRIM).

Newman graduated with a Ph.D. in Electrical and Computer Engineering in 1999. His advisor was Professor P.S. Krishnaprasad (ECE/ISR). Upon graduation he joined Alphatech, Inc., Arlington, Va. In 2003 he began work for the JHU/APL, where he is a member of the APL Principal Professional Staff and Section Supervisor of the Data Fusion Analysis Section of the Weapon and Targeting Systems Group in the Global Engagement Department. He has worked on projects in sensor and data fusion, ground target tracking, and intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance resource management.

Newman's TRIM project developed a prototype for automated collaborative dynamic retasking of a heterogeneous ensemble of intelligence, surveillance, and reconnaissance (ISR) platforms and sensors. These operate in a closed feedback loop with a data fusion process that combines information to produce an accurate real-time tactical picture. The new management capability was initially applied to the problem of detecting, tracking, and identifying mobile ground threats using a mix of theater and national ISR assets. Subsequent work has focused on applying the concept to employment of multiple unmanned platforms to track and engage ground targets performing unpredictable maneuvers and operating in cluttered environments, such as urban areas. Newman's team also included J.T. DeSena, C.K. Peterson and G.A.Harrison.

The Hart Prize honors the Applied Physics Lab's Dr. R.W. Hart. Two annual prizes are granted, one each for the best research project and the best development project. | More information at the JHU/APL Colloquium web site |

Published December 7, 2007