Adaptive Materials, a Pittsfield Township-based fuel cell manufacturer, will use a new $750,000 federal grant to continue developing software that would improve the military's renewable energy usage in the battlefield, the company said today.

The latest funding award means the firm has landed government awards worth more than $10.9 million this year.

The new grant, a 2-year Phase 2 funding award from the Small Business Innovation Research program, will help Adaptive Materials add features to a software program that can already assess the power requirements of battlefield equipment "to determine the optimal power source to meet those requirements," according to a news release.

The next phase of the project: Giving the software the ability to pick the most efficient renewable energy power sources based on specific battlefield conditions.

Adaptive Materials is partnering with Ann Arbor-based software firms SRT Solutions and The Whole Brain Group on the project.

“Being able to use a mix of fuel cells, batteries and other energy sources on the battlefield reduces logistical challenges and increases overall effectiveness," Adaptive Materials co-founder and chief business officer Michelle Crumm said in a statement.

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