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Boston Dynamics shows a quieter, more thoroughbred AlphaDog to DARPA and the Marines (video)
When we last saw Boston Dynamics' AlphaDog (aka LS3), it was strutting through outdoor trials with the subtlety of a nuclear missile: for all that noise, it might as well have been holding a "shoot here please" sign broadcasting American soldiers' positions to everyone in the forest. Several months later, the company is showing both DARPA and the Marine Corps a refined version of its load-carrying robot that has clearly been through a few rounds of obedience school. While we still wouldn't call the four-legged hauler stealthy, it's quiet enough to avoid the role of bullet magnet and lets nearby troops chat at reasonable volumes. And yes, there's new tricks as well. AlphaDog can speed up its travel over difficult surfaces and move at up to a 5MPH jog, all while it's following a human squad. DARPA and the Marines recently began testing and improving the robot over a two-year period that should culminate in an Advanced Warfighting Experiment with the Marines to test viability under stress. If AlphaDog passes that bar, there's a good chance many on-foot soldiers will have a mechanical companion -- and quite a weight lifted off of their shoulders.
Singapore to hand out iPads to its soldiers
The Defence Ministry of Singapore said on Monday that it will be issuing 8,000 iPads to new recruits this year. Armed with the iPad, new soldiers will be able to snap photos and videos of the battlefield, which can be uploaded to a central database. They can also communicate with officers and other soldiers via messaging. The Singapore Armed Forces wants to expand the iPad's capabilities and is working with private contractors to create secure apps for military use. The iPad program begins this year with new recruits and will extend to other soldiers next year. This is not the first example of military units using the iPad and other iOS devices. US Marine Corp aviators recently replaced their paper-based navigation system with one driven by the iPad, and the Army is working on its own secure App Store. In the UK, soldiers are using the iPad to train for combat before their deployment for Afghanistan. The Army App Store is work in progress, while the USMC and UK programs are considered an early success by their respective military leaders.
Marine Corps aviators depend on iPad
Aviators for the United States Marine Corps (USMC) in Afghanistan have ejected heavy stacks of paper charts and grid reference graphics from their cockpits and replaced them with the iPad according to a report by Tony Osborne for The Shephard Group. The popularity of the iPad among marine flight crews took off last November when one Cobra pilot figured out how to load digital maps onto the device. In Afghanistan, identifying compounds and landmarks from the air can be difficult. To eliminate guesswork and better coordinate missions with international ground forces, USMC pilots arm themselves with a plethora of maps of the region. Prior to digitization, paper charts and grids would fill cramped cockpits and require additional training and attention to read correctly. The iPad saves space and allows pilots to search for locations with a few quick taps of their fingers, making it significantly easier for aviators to identify compounds and quickly offer air support. "It's a game changer," Capt. John Belsha told The Shephard Group. "It's all about sharing situational awareness and using the iPad is much better than using a paper chart." Work is reportedly underway to integrate the iPad into aircraft in the US to allow Marine aviators to receive flight training with digital maps. USMC pilots aren't the only group embracing iPads in the cockpit. Earlier this month, Alaska Airlines announced plans to replace various flight, systems, and performance manuals (and eventually paper aeronautical charts) with digital copies on the iPad. Apple's tablet would eliminate up to 50 pounds of paper that its pilots must lug onto every flight.
