Two Fitchburg companies, Headwall Photonics and mZeal Communications will share $3 million from the U.S. Department of Defense.
The funding is part of the U.S. House of Representatives Department of Defense appropriations bill, which was passed earlier this month.
Headwall will receive $2 million per the bill, and will use the money to develop miniature high performance imaging sensors for unmanned ground vehicles and aircraft. The sensors can be made to target nearly anything from chemicals, to enemy uniforms to specific species of trees.
Defense contractor mZeal will use its $1 million to develop an automated communication system that could warn combat troops of impending ambushes and other dangers.
