agile, bmnt, business model, corporate innovation, customer development,dod,nsa, diux, h4d, hacking for defense, lean, lean launchpad, lean startup, stanford, steve blank

1. aquaLink
Navy divers perform challenging tasks under difficult conditions that have long-lasting health impacts.
How might we protect both the short- and long-term physical health of our nation’s divers?
aquaLink is a system of wearable devices that records data critical to diver health and safety,
and makes it actionable through real-time alerts and post-dive analytics.
TEAM
Dave Ahern: International Policy/Defense Acquisition
Hong En Chew: Hardware Engineering
Rachel Olney: Product Design
Samir Patel: Mechatronics/Finance
SPONSOR
Jordan Spector & U.S. Navy Special Warfare Group 3
U.S. Special Operations Command
aquaLink
This Week Previously Total
Users 2 22 24
Buyers 4 3 7
Experts 3 16 19
Interview Breakdown

2. Beneficiaries by Time
Time
ResearcherMedical OfficerOperators

3. Customer Archetype: SEAL
Male, age 21-32
Competitive, driven, physically fit, mentally resilient
Volunteers to join the Navy; spends 2-4 years training
Volunteers to become a Navy SEAL; spends 1.5-2 years
training
Volunteers to join SDV; spends an additional 3-6 months
training
Driven by problem solving and technical mastery
Not naturally focused on the long-term health impacts
Highly specialized; constant pursuit of optimization
Friction: time spent lost, short-term/acute health problems

4. Gaps
Vital Sense pill
? ?
Navy Rebreather Navy Dive Computer
Need Air
Vitals
Sensing
Vitals
Monitoring
Decomp
Mgmt
Geo-
Location

5. Pivot or Proceed?
Geolocation Vitals Monitoring
Type of Need This is the most immediate and active need
the most often mentioned pain point.
This is a latent need that the divers are
unaware of; and a passive need of the
Medical Dive Officers; and an active
need of Researchers
Beneficiary Divers, Dive Officers Researchers, Dive Officers, Divers, Dep
of Navy, VA
Realistic Goal A work around that will function within
specific limitations
A working minimal viable product that
ruggedization of off the shelf products
and aggregation of sensors
Mission
Achievement
Wholesale adoption within SDV,
employment throughout broader NSW
community; limited commercial opportunities
for recreational divers
Adoption within SDV, application
throughout NSW, DoD SOF elements,
limited application within commercial
dive sectors, athletes, etc

6. Organizational Structure
NSWG 3NSWG 1/2 NSWG 4 NSWG 10 DEVGRU NSWC
NSW
SOCOM US Navy
Staff Staff
S&TL
J8
HPRC
N8
NEDU
UHPI
SDVT-1
Troop
N1 N2 N3 N4 N8
J6 NAVSEAN1-6N1-6N1-6N1/2/3/4/6
J4
OT&E
J4J4J1/2/3
N6
PEO-M

7. DEPLOYMENT FLOWCHART
NSW
N4
N8
S&T
PEO-M
PEO-SW
J8-R
J4 N8
NSWG-3
SDVT-1
SDVT-1
NSWG 3
Generate
Operational
Deficiency Report
(ODR)
N8: Preliminary Test
DOD Lab: Lab Test
*NAVSEA for Diving
SDVT-1: Field Test
S&T:
Nothing Exists → Develop
PEO-M/SW:
Tech Exists → Modify or
Fund Development
Generate Capability
Development
Document (CDD)
Generate
Capability
Requirements
Document
Approve and
Provide
Funding for
Necessary
Technology
DOD Lab

8. Mission Model Canvas
Who: SDV/SEAL Divers
How: Master Diver approves usage
Commodore of NSWG-3 approves
long-term/external funding is not
needed, otherwise Commander of
NSW needs to approve
KEY PARTNERS KEY ACTIVITIES
KEY RESOURCES
VALUE PROPOSITION BUY-IN / SUPPORT
DEPLOYMENT
BENEFICIARIES
MISSION BUDGET MISSION ACHIEVEMENT FACTORS
- Problem sponsors: Navy
Special Warfare Group 3
(NSWG-3), U.S. Special
Operations Command (SOCOM)
- Commercial partners: mil-
spec dive equipment
manufacturers
- Fundamental cycle:
hypotheses -> MVP (rapid
prototyping of hardware/
software) -> stakeholder
interviews to evaluate MVP ->
pivot and repeat
- Defence procurement
expertise: course staff,
sponsors, DIUX, liaisons
- User expertise: military divers,
scientific divers
- Hardware/software prototyping costs (RDT&E from NEDU or SOCOM)
- Purchase of existing products on the market for evaluation (NSWG3 or
NAVSOC N-8).
1. Feasibility: At the end of the quarter, SDVT-1/NSWG-3 decide that our
proposal merits further development and initiates their internal processes for
funding/pilot testing/field deployment i.e. creating the ODR
2. Performance: Our prototype should demonstrate that all critical features can
be integrated within given size/weight/cost specs
3. User satisfaction: Seamless integration into current SOP, increased
situational awareness
FOLLOW THE PROCESS
● SDVT-1/NSWG-3/NSW
CDR create ODR
● N8 drafts CDD
● J4 will select office to lead
the charge
● N8/Ops field test, third-
party labs certify
● J8 creates official
requirements
● N4 approves funding
End Users (Divers):
LT Scott Terry, SDVT-1
LT Derick Shima, SDVT-1
Other SEALs
Influencers
LT Jordan Spector, SDVT-1
Master Diver, SDVT-1
Decision Makers
CAPT Travis Schweizer, NSWG-
3
REAR ADM Brian Losey, NSW
Option 1:
Provide a more accurate
mechanism for divers to locate
the SDV and/or locate deployed
objects more efficiently and
reduce lost time
Option 2:
Record diver location history and
make it available for post-dive
analytics to aid intelligence
generation
Provide information on
teammates’ locations to prevent
‘diver missing’ situations

9. Tech Overview
Type Company Equipment Distance Lifetime Pros Cons
Comms Ocean Technology
Systems
http://ots.mwrc.net/en/pr
oduct.php?product_id=
45648
100m-1000m 4-8 hours ? ?
Comms Ocean Technology
Systems
http://ots.mwrc.net/en/pr
oduct.php?product_id=
45663
200m-3000m 6-8 hours ? ?
Combined Nautilus http://www.nautiluslifelin
e.com/nautilus_lifeline
2-6 mi/34 mi uhf 24 hours Stores waypoints ?
Comms Casio http://logosease.yamag
ata-casio.co.jp/en/
Not Listed Not Listed Bone conduction 55m max/2-way
Combined UDI-UTC http://www.utc-
digital.com/
<= 500m 8 hrs Pre-formatted
Messages
No audio
Comms Ocean Reef http://www.oceanreefgr
oup.com/pdf/docs/doc_
comm_system_specs.p
df
<= 500m 25 hrs ? ?
Location Desert Star Systems http://desertstar.com/div
er-technology/
4000ft 6hrs Point-and-shoot to
transmitter
Not Covert?
Location Navimate http://www.navimate.co
m/
100 yds Not Listed Provides location data
underwater
Requires pinger on boat

10. MVP Relative
Ultra-Low
frequency RF
signal or high
frequency sonar

11. MVP Absolute
Buoy is
deployed
when a new
location fix is
needed
Map updates
each time buoy
is deployed

12. AquaLink Value Proposition SDVT-1 Diver
Value Proposition Canvas
Create a gps-buoy or beacon system for
divers to locate objects or the SDV Find the SDV or an object more quickly and
with more accurate tools
Time spent lost
Difficulty of finding things in the dark
underwater
Missions incompleted due to being lost or not
being able to find an object or location through
dead reckoning.
Complete missions
Within time
constraints
Faster time to find location or object (SDV or
other).
A set of
beacons that
will allow divers
to hone in on
something.
A deployable
GPS chip on a
buoy.

13. Questions

16. Approval Process?
NSWG 3
NSW
SOCOM
CDR
SDVT-1
N4 N8
J6
N6
VICE CDR
S&T PEO-M PEO-SW J8-O J8-R
Generate Operational Deficiency
Report (ODR)
Generate Capability
Development Document (CDD)
J4 J8

17. Who Matters?
NSWG 3
NSW
SOCOM
CDR
SDVT-1
N4 N8
J6
N6
VICE CDR
S&T PEO-M PEO-SW J8-O J8-R
Generate Operational Deficiency
Report (ODR)
Generate Capability
Development Document (CDD)
• Technology Readiness Level 1-6
• Step 1: No Current Solution = Develop
• Step 2: Sync, Collaborate, Leverage Resources
• Step 3: Enhance via existing COTS Tech
• Quarterly Testing and Evaluation
• TRL 7 or 3+ (needs “ruggedization”/enhancement)
• Runs through program manager
J4 J8
BOB FOLEY/SOPHIE HILL/MIKE IOVINO
JORDAN SPECTOR
REAR ADM. LOSEY