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Cubic's COMBATREDI combat simulator takes augmented reality to new, awesome levels
Cubic Corporation is a defense contractor that's been kicking around in some form or another since the early days of the Cold War, although you're more likely to know them as the operator of the New York City MetroCard system. What brings 'em to our space, you ask? Another cutting edge wargadget, of course! Indeed, the company has just been contracted to supply 27 of its COMBATREDI training systems to the Florida Army National Guard (to the tune of $4.8 million). The combat simulator features a hi-def, helmet mounted OLED video display for a 60 x 45-degree field of view, an integrated 3D stereo headset for sound, and a wireless "surrogate" rifle that performs like a real one, right down to the need for fresh magazines and various firing modes. The user's movements are tracked by way of a REDITAC tactical computer worn on the back, with a suite of sensors that can also determine where he's looking, and whether he's standing, kneeling, or lying on the ground. Of course, the company is selling this as the most realistic way to train our troops yet, although we can see it for what it really is: possibly the most bad-ass first-person shooter ever. PR after the break.
15 Minutes of Fame: Deployed soldier games from Iraq
15 Minutes of Fame is WoW.com's look at World of Warcraft personalities of all shapes and sizes -- from the renowned to the relatively anonymous, from the remarkable to the player next door. Tip us off to players you'd like to hear more about. Ahh, the life of an Iraqi farmer. According to WoW player FallenWolf, currently deployed in Iraq with the U.S. Army (FSC, 7th Engineer Battalion), farming is about all most U.S. military WoW players there can reliably expect to accomplish. Desert sand and insta-cast DoTs have not proven to be particularly compatible for this former (and soon-to-be returning) raiding warlock. We visited with FallenWolf about how he's managed to adapt to being halfway across the world from his guild and his wife (a frequent WoW partner), plus how he copes with an awkward schedule and ugly latency.
The future of US Army helicopters: pilots optional
Five years ago, the Sikorsky UH-60 Black Hawk helicopter got a digital cockpit and fly-by-wire controls. Starting in 2011, the US Army would like it to perform missions without a pilot at the helm. In a 140-page "Unmanned Aircraft Systems Roadmap" released earlier this month, the Armed Forces reveal that the UH-60, AH-64, CH-47 and OH-58D whirlybirds will all be part of a new aircraft category called Optionally Piloted Vehicles (OPV) -- meaning in future, the flick of a switch will turn them into giant UAVs. If an unmanned Apache gunship makes your boots quake, you're not alone, but you won't truly have reason to fear until 2025. That's when the government estimates half of all Army aircraft will be OPV, and those bots will learn the more deadly behaviors, like swarming. Sikorsky says the unmanned UH-60M will fly later this year; read the full roadmap PDF at our more coverage link.
Socle Technology's ARM-powered, 1080p tablet platform due later this year
Socle Technology, a system-on-a-chip manufacturer based in Taiwan, has just announced its sPad A11 design and development platform. Consisting of the GlobalFoundries 65nm chipset, the ARM 1176 CPU and FPU core, Mali 3D Graphic Core, and a full HD 1080p Video CODEC application processor, this bad boy supports multitasking, 3D graphics, and sports a camera, Bluetooth, and Wi-Fi. This is a device for those of you who believe there aren't enough Android tablets in the world -- or at least for those of you who realize that the Intel Atom and the Apple A4 aren't the only games in town. Are you an enterprising young businessman or woman hoping to get into the slate game, and in a hurry? We thought so (you do have that "look" about you). The company promises that this thing'll be available sometime in the second half of this year. For more info, peep the PR after the break.
US Army meets with Apple, discusses tech for soldiers
Earlier this month, Major General Nick Justice and several members of his staff traveled to Apple's Cupertino campus to discuss soldiers using Apple's products and technology in the field. In addition to having the most awesome name ever, Maj. Gen. Justice also heads the US Army's Research, Development, and Engineering Command. He's reportedly interested in moving the Army away from the custom-built "big green box" electronics that the Army has used over the past decades; instead, Justice wants the Army to investigate existing solutions from the commercial sector, including Apple's portable lines. Rather than continuing to invest heaps of money to research its own devices, Maj. Gen. Justice wants to take a different approach: leveraging the knowledge and research of the commercial sector into the Army's portable equipment. This approach makes perfect sense for a number of reasons. Companies like Apple have already laid a lot of the groundwork for developing durable and easily portable devices, and their devices provide multiple functions with an extremely easy-to-use interface. Thanks to TUAW reader Ryan for the tip.
DoD eases ban on thumb drive use for US military, our enemies rejoice
Betcha didn't know that USB flash drives weren't allowed in the US military. Or maybe you did -- you know, considering that one with Japan-US troop deployment maps went missing in mid-2008. Oops. At any rate, the Department of Defense has reportedly lifted said ban, but as with anything related to The Man, gobs of red tape will be involved. For starters, they won't be reintroduced "wholesale," instead being reserved for "mission essential applications." We're also told that the drives themselves must contain specific security features, and administrators will be able to track the use of 'em from the outset. For those unaware, the ban was originally put into place just over a year ago after virus-laden USB keys disrupted military networks, presumably flashing Blingee'd faces of Kim Jong-il onto CIA surveillance screens. Or not, but that'd be pretty hilarious.
Report: Microsoft turned down US Army's order of Xbox 360 systems
The US Army once considered purchasing a large number of Xbox 360 systems from Microsoft. Computers of equal caliber can cost around $1000 each, but an Xbox 360 starts at only $200 -- quite a considerable cost saving. The consoles could be used as virtual training tools, with games like America's Army and Full Spectrum Warrior placed in army "classrooms" stockpiled with Xbox consoles. The more cynically inclined can imagine the system as an effective tool for recruitment: join the Army, get a free Xbox. However, Microsoft turned down the Army's offer, according to the Army's Roger Smith. He told Wired that Microsoft was concerned about the cost associated with the sale. The Army would be unlikely to buy more than one or two games for each system, thereby reducing Microsoft's chances of recouping the costs of subsidized Xbox hardware. In addition, Microsoft was afraid of a PR backlash. Smith recounts a Microsoft rep's worries: "Do we want the Xbox 360 to be seen as having the flavor of a weapon? Do we want Mom and Dad knowing that their kid is buying the same game console as the military trains the SEALs and Rangers on?" With games remaining an easy target for mainstream media, their concerns seem warranted. Since then, the Army has lost interest in pursuing a deal with Microsoft. "Our initial enthusiasm when Xbox and XNA were new products has cooled. At this time we have no active or anticipated projects or R&D that are looking at using either of those products for military simulations," Smith told Wired. Perhaps the Army is pursuing a different option: buying PS3s en masse ... or maybe they're simply waiting for Halo Reach? [Via Eurogamer]
US Navy: Gamers '10 to 20%' better at fighting terror
[Image Source] The Office of Naval Research is currently conducting research in video game training that it says has "surprising" results in regards to military personnel reaction time and adaptability in the fight against terror. According to an article available on the Department of Defense's official website, doctor of educational psychology and program officer Ray Perez said the research has discovered that video game players perform "10 to 20 percent higher in terms of perceptual and cognitive ability" than non-gamers. Citing a need for soldiers to be "agile problem solvers" and "agile thinkers," Perez notes that video game training can help field adaptability and the "cognitive advances" derived from the training can last up to two and a half years. "We know that video games can increase perceptual abilities and short-term memory," Perez said, adding games allow players to focus longer and expand the field of vision compared to non-gamers. If it means the brave men and women serving have a better chance of coming home, we're all for it. [Via GamePolitics]
Protonex fuel-cell batteries to power HULC exoskeleton for three solid days
We're selfishly daydreaming of how we could use something like this at the next CES, but chances are that Lockheed Martin is really only fixated on boosting its bottom line by assisting the US military. The company's HULC exoskeleton, which was originally introduced by Berkeley Bionics in 2008, is seeing a significant upgrade this week courtesy of a fuel-cell power pack from Protonex. The goal? To strap a new, more potent battery onto the Human Universal Load Carrier that will support 72+ hour extended missions. Soldiers tend to carry around a lot more gadgetry now, all of which requires more and more power; with this pack, the men and women in the field could carry fewer conventional batteries while seeing an overall boost in available juice. There's no mention of when exactly this stuff will be rolled out en masse, but that's a detail you'll probably never know, anyway.
Cisco successfully tests orbital IP router, Pirate Bay 'very interested'
It's been almost three years since Cisco and the DoD announced the IRIS project. Short for Internet Routing in Space, the idea is to route IP traffic between satellites instead of bouncing it on and off ground stations. The whole thing has moved forward steadily since we first caught wind of it, culminating with the launch of the first Cisco Space Router aboard an Atlas V rocket last November. According to The Register, the company has just finished its first in-orbit test of the thing, and -- lo' and behold -- it's a success! After some more testing by the DoD (which will go down between now and April), Cisco plans on running yet more trials. And after that? With any luck, IRIS will extend "constant and pervasive" Internet access to areas not served by traditional ground or 3G networks. And never again will a single person have to live their life without having seen the Bill O'Reilly "F**k It, We'll Do It Live!" rant.
Iraqi insurgents using $26 software to monitor Predator video feeds
We can't say we've ever heard of a $26 Russian program called SkyGrabber before, but it's about to get famous real fast -- according to the Wall Street Journal, Iraqi insurgents have been regularly using the satellite-snooping software to monitor live Predator video feeds. Apparently the Predator transmits video over an unencrypted link, so there's no major hacking or security breach going on here, but it's obviously a huge issue -- and we'd say the bigger problem is that Pentagon officials have known about this flaw since the 1990s, but they didn't think insurgents would figure out how to exploit it. Way to underestimate, guys. The WSJ says the military is working to encrypt all Predator feeds from Iraq, Afghanistan, and Pakistan, but it's slow going because the Predator network is more than a decade old and based on proprietary tech -- too bad it's not proprietary enough to keep prying eyes out of it. [Thanks to everyone who sent this in]
Serve in the military and get a discount on Fallen Earth
It's a hard time to be serving in the military, even if you're not stationed overseas at the moment. After all, the armed forces don't always get the luxury of having Christmas off. So it's nice to know that the gamers among the armed forces get a little bit extra if they're inspired to pick up Fallen Earth. The company has just announced that the military will receive a 20% discount on the price of the game, plus a free t-shirt with their purchase. And not one of the in-game items the game has been fond of giving out lately -- a real one. The offer is open to members in any one of the US armed branches -- the Coast Guard, Marines, Army, Air Force, or Navy are all eligible. All that's required is a .mil e-mail address to verify that the person ordering is in the military. The one catch is that it's only applied to orders through the official Fallen Earth store, so Steam and similar venues aren't available. But it's an excellent way of compensating the men and women serving their country, so if you are eligible and haven't grabbed the game yet, head on over to pick yourself up a copy.
US Army developing body armor to protect against 'X-threats'
This one's unsurprisingly been in the works for a little while now, but it looks like the US Army is getting a bit closer to actually deploying a new type of body armor that it hopes will protect soldiers against both known threats and so-called "X-threats." While no one's saying exactly what those threats might be, the key to guarding against them, it seems, is an "advanced generation" of X-Sapi armor plating, which is apparently built from the same materials as current E-Sapi plates but built differently for "additional capabilities." That armor has been the subject of some criticism, however, since it actually adds some additional weight to the soldier's already heavy load, but Lt. Col. Jon Rickey of the Army's Soldier Protective Equipment program says there's still plenty of room for improvement in that respect. It's also, of course, still looking at plenty of other alternatives, including BAE's Ultra Lightweight Warrior program, which promises to cut the weight of helmets, vests and other equipment by twenty to thirty percent.
Report: Video games create drone pilot 'naturals'
A column in the Washington Examiner explores the continuing intersection of the military and gaming -- actually, can we call it a long-standing rotary, with concepts and people coming in from all different directions and popping out randomly? Anyway, one of the more interesting parts is the reference to a 2008 MIT study, which apparently found that 30 percent of Americans aged 16 to 24 had a more "positive impression" of the Army due to the America's Army video game. The game also impacted recruitment more than all other forms of Army advertising combined. Later in the piece, an Air Force colonel is quoted as saying that young recruits are "naturals" when it comes to flying the Predator drones, but that he had concerns about the video game generation "distorting the reality of [war] from the virtual nature." In other words, while video games granted the pilots their skills, it also made it harder for them to weigh the consequences of their actions. But considering it's real life and a job, wouldn't it be the boss's role to tell them "game over" (er, discharged!) if they were inclined to take the drone on a joyride to blast buildings willy-nilly? [Via GamePolitics]
Army, Lockheed Martin team up for DisOPS 'battlefield PDAs'
Remember the Land Warrior program, which only took 15 years and half a billion dollars outfit our troops with high-tech battlefield uniforms? With DisOPS ("distributed operations") Lockheed Martin is taking a different tack. Deployed to Special Forces in Afghanistan, the system is comprised of the Connect software which runs on ruggedized laptop computers, allowing squad leaders to plan missions on a map, and View PDAs that receive info over tactical radio, cellphone, or even WiFi networks. The PDAs provide "friendly force tracking of other team and squad leaders, land navigation tools, photo capture and transmission, and the ability to annotate and share maps in real time with other leaders." In addition to all that, the handhelds include a sniper detection system for locating the origin of enemy fire and distributing it to other units in the area. Reportedly the system is working quite well -- which means that, barring any further obstacles, DisOPS might see widespread use before 2030.
3D mapping drone fires lasers from a mile away (video)
The MIT Technology Review has unearthed a new laser-based 3D mapping robot that can produce results similar to those obtained from $100,000 systems at about a fifth of the cost. Funded by the US Army, researchers at the Stevens Institute of Technology have now demonstrated the Remotely Operated and Autonomous Mapping System (ROAMS, for short), which employs a mirror-based LIDAR system that bounces a laser off a rapidly rotating mirror and gleans environmental information from how long it takes for each pulse to bounce back. An array of video cameras and IR proximity sensors add to this recon bot's sentience, though you'll still need to be within a mile's range to operate it. So not quite yet ready for solo missions to Mars, but plenty useful for gathering data on our own planet. You'll find video and imagery of the results this machine kicks out after the break.
U.S. Army and EnerDel team up for electric-hybrid Humvee
EnerDel, who we last saw soaking up some of that Joe Biden stimulus money, is teaming up with the U.S. Army to develop a battery solution for a hybrid Humvee. Of course, your High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle is by its nature very large and very heavy -- great for dropping out of airplanes, perhaps, but not so great a candidate for electric power. Two of the company's battery chemistries will tested in the program, including lithium-manganese spinel (for extending electric vehicle range and electronic systems runtime) and lithium-titanate system (for the hard acceleration and braking required). In addition to "extreme performance simulations" that re-create battlefield conditions, a hybrid vehicle can also sport a "stealth" mode, which kills the diesel generator altogether, allowing the vehicle to run silently with a low thermal signature. And if that weren't enough, the vehicle is also being designed to perform as a highly portable, temporary power plant for field hospitals or command posts. The program is expected to last eighteen months. PR after the break.
U.S. Army ignores our advice, outfits troops with REDFLY terminals
Ah, the REDFLY Mobile Companion. We've had some laughs at its expense, sure, but never doubted that someone out there would find a use for the thing. And what do we have here? It looks like our favorite Foleo doppelgänger is among a number of portable gadgets providing the backbone of the U.S. Army's "Go Mobile" system. Based around a WinMo phone that soldiers can use to connect to the Army Knowledge Online (AKO) service for all their mission critical e-mail, calendar, contacts, tasks, and documents, the kit includes a wireless smart card reader for authenticating onto Army networks, a printer, a charging kit (including various solar options), a pico projector, VR goggles simulating a 50-inch display, and an unspecified "dumb terminal" which -- as the picture above suggest -- could only be our old friend from Celio. Which is fine, sure -- but what ever happened to those bad-ass exoskeletons we were promised all those years ago?
US Army wants 2.3 gigapixel camera for aerial surveillance
DARPA may have already gone to the trouble of building a 1.8 gigapixel camera as part of its ARGUS-IS project (pictured above), but it looks like the US Army is setting its sights a little higher, and it's now soliciting proposals for a 2.3 gigapixel camera that would be used for some super-wide aerial surveillance. While obviously still quite a ways from becoming reality, the Army hopes the system will be both smaller and lighter than previous systems, work in the infrared range to boot, and capture images at a rate of two frames per second. The key bit, however, is of course that 2.3 gigapixel sensor, which should let the camera provide continuous coverage of a range of about sixty-two square miles at a resolution of 0.3 meters, or just enough to make out the outline of your tinfoil hat.
Protesters planning second march against Army Experience Center
During this past May, a group of Philadelphians caught our attention when they led a protest march against the local "Army Experience Center," a location in the Franklin Mills Mall which uses video games (such as America's Army) to attract potential recruits. The march went off without a hitch -- tons of folks carried signs and slogans into the mall, caused a thought-provoking stir outside of the A.E.C., and seven people got arrested. Oh, wait. We guess that qualifies as a "hitch."It seems the group is rallying for round two against the recruitment center -- they've opened a website to garner support for another protest march, which is set to commence September 12. If you're interested, the site has a lengthy list of instructions for what you should do to get ready for the march. Sticking flowers in your hair, however, is not one of the recommended steps.
