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When designing the Oculus sensor platform, many safety issues such as designing fail safes, adapting to flying situations, and examining situations produced by exposure to real-world conditions were taken into consideration. When predicting maintenance issues, environmental conditions that the platform will have to encounter were assessed. A material that was lightweight and strong enough to withstand the harsh environmental conditions experienced outside the C-130 aircraft was needed. In addition to the material used, another issue addressed was the ability to repair the platform easily and efficiently. Normal operations expose the components to significant wear and tear, which requires the replacement of parts to maintain safe operations. Oculus was constructed to allow for component replacement without deconstruction of the entire platform. While environmental factors were a concern, mechanical design and functionality, along with safety, was vital to the project.

Project Oculus, an experimental configurable sensor platform for deploying airborne sensors on a C-130 aircraft, is currently in its pre-flight testing phase. The electronics driving the platform are available commercially off the shelf (COTS) and as such are not automatically rated to comply with stringent military electromagnetic standards as defined in MIL-STD-461. These COTS electronics include efficient switching power converters, variable frequency motor drives (VFD), and microprocessor based equipment, all of which can present electromagnetic interference (EMI) issues. Even in a design where EMI issues were not considered up front, it is often possible to bring the overall configuration into compliance. Switching and digital clock signals produce both conducted and radiated noise emissions. Long cable runs and enclosure apertures become noise transmitting antennas. Large switching currents place noise on the power lines causing interference with other equipment.