Army

WASHINGTON--The controversial surge in U.S. bodies to Iraq has dominated headlines in recent months, but the "unsung, unknown hero" isn't even human.

Or at least that's the assessment of Col. Donald Hazelwood, who runs the U.S. Army's unmanned aerial systems project office.

Speaking Friday at a confab here hosted by the Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International, Hazelwood said daily use of drones has "forever changed" the way soldiers see what's around corners, detect improvised explosive devices, and fend off enemies in Baghdad and beyond.

"It doesn't get … Read more

The budget ax has not been kind to the U.S. Army's long-running, tech-focused Land Warrior system, but last year backers did manage to get a small test deployment into the field in Iraq with one infantry battalion. Soldiers involved in the test have had some good things to say about the system, which among other things is built to deliver real-time location information via digital maps in helmet-mounted eyepieces. But they also say many features go unused, or don't always work as they're intended to, and that just means a lot of useless extra weight to … Read more

For Army researchers looking to give robot operators new ways to "see" via unmanned ground vehicles on the battlefield one thing is clear, legacy video doesn't cut it anymore.

It's not just broadcast quality or resolution that needs improvement, but the level of "telepresence": the sense of increased situational awareness that allows a robot driver to shoot and move and make fast decisions.

One possible upgrade is the three-axis Head-Aimed Remote Viewer (HARV), a dome enclosed, three-axel gimbal-mounted camera that slews around to match operator head movement. Wherever the soldier/operator looks, the unit … Read more

Soldiers have been warned to not use official computers to forward a chain email that purports to out presidential candidate Barack Obama as a Muslim who attended a madrassa, the Boston Globe reported.

Using government equipment to distribute this type of missive constitutes unlawful political activity and is against federal law and Army regulations.

"Currently there is a chain email floating around with the subject line: 'Who is Barack Obama,'" according to the official memorandum sent to all soldiers of the Army Medical Command in Fort Sam Houston, Texas. "Like virtually all chain emails this one is … Read more

Despite the pickup truck and cow catcher styling, the prototype of the military's new Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV) from Oshkosh Truck and Northrop Grumman promises better maneuverability, survivability, and payload capacity over the HMMWV it's designed to replace.

The U.S. Army and Marine Corps want something that comes armor-equipped, fuel-efficient, and air-droppable. It also wants a vehicle that can run on two flats and endure sustained small-arms fire. But most of all, performance must "exceed" that of the HMMWV, better known as the Humvee--which means it has to be more mine-resistant and ambush-proof than … Read more

Established defense contractor iRobot has prevailed in courtroom battles against Robotic FX, effectively gaining an unconditional surrender from the upstart military-industrial wannabe.

Late on Friday, Burlington, Mass.-based iRobot said that two federal courts had ruled in its favor. The U.S. District Court in Massachusetts determined that Robotic FX and founder Jameel Ahed--a former iRobot employee--had misused trade secrets belonging to iRobot, while the U.S. District Court in Northern Alabama determined that Robotic FX had deliberately infringed on patents.

As if that weren't enough, a related settlement requires the disbanding of Robotic FX, with certain assets to … Read more

If you're a Second Life user and you're feeling charitable in these last days before Christmas, I've got something you may want to look into.

And that is the appropriately named Second Life Christmas initiative (free Second Life account required to connect). It's an island in the virtual world full of opportunities to donate to various causes, as well as to bid in a silent auction on a number of different items.

Money collected through the program will be donated to the Province Empty Stocking Fund, a charity that helps various organizations in the Canadian province … Read more

In the world of robot makers--specifically, those making small, versatile, ground-hugging bots--for quite some time there were just two main contenders for Pentagon dollars: Foster-Miller and iRobot. Then along came an upstart named Robotic FX, which a few months back up-ended things by winning a $286 million deal from the Army to supply some 3,000 robots. And then, wouldn't you know it, iRobot took Robotic FX to court. The upshot? Today, that $286 million is headed iRobot's way.

Read about it on Wired's Danger Room blog: "'Unmanned Surge' Deal Reversed"

A simple and inexpensive analytical technique has made it possible to detect explosives from up to 60 feet away, a desirable commodity in an age of IEDs and suicide bombers and one that may become commercially available in the near future.

The U.S. Army Research Laboratory in Maryland has developed a system that detects explosive residues, using laser induced breakdown spectroscopy (LIBS) to identify the elemental composition of molecules. Refinement and standardization of this technique would fill a growing security and military need, researchers say.

"Currently there are no proven technologies that can accomplish residue explosives detection at … Read more