U.s. Marines Show off Technology Used on The Battlefield

This week, the United States Marines invaded Boston Common to show off high tech military hardware. While crowds were noticeably impressed with the heavy machinery such as the Osprey helicopter and Abrams tank, the most cutting edge military equipment came in much smaller packages. The Marine Forces System Command is a branch dedicated to integrating new technology into the Marines' inventory. Consumer electronics actually play a very big role in the Marine's technological arsenal. Lavonne Robinson Representative, Product Group 10 - U.S. Marine Corps "We have the Toughbook, we have the ruggedized and the semi-ruggedized. The ruggedized is the one that can take the most beating because they can drop it, pick it up. We have a great warranty program that allows the Marine to repair or replace their computer out in the field. So, the Toughbook is the best one." Besides Panasonic Toughbooks, imaging equipment is pulled off the shelf. Here, a thermal scope that can be mounted to a rifle or handheld is connected to a Sony video deck. Despite the target's hand leaving the table's surface, a thermal image is left behind that can be seen for up to several minutes, Using the heat signature, Marine investigators can tell what tasks were being performed a few minutes earlier. The Marines also use night vision lenses that attach to standard SLR cameras and transmit wireless data. Capt. Michael Mok Rapid Prototyping, U.S. Marine Corps "We have over here some camera systems that are part of the MSIDS system, which stands for MAGTF Secondary Imagery Dissemination System. It consists of a bunch of cameras and radios that allows special operations users to take pictures out on a mission and send that back to the command post so we can analyze those photos for intelligence." Xbox 360 controllers have found their way onto the battlefield as well to help control the Mini-EOD, also known as the Devilpup. The Devilpup is a robot that helps to located and dispose of explosives. Vision is provided to a special pair of goggles, allowing the operator to see what the Devilpup sees. Developed in conjunction with iRobot, the same company responsible for the Roomba vacuum robot, the Mini-EOD is lightweight and portable. Maj. Chad Harris Robotic Systems Joint Project, U.S. Army "On the robot, what we're trying to provide is standoff from the Marine or solider from an explosive device. It's got a manipulator, two of the robots have manipulator arms and cameras, both low-light infrared cameras and visual cameras." Its bigger brother, the Talon, is controlled more traditionally with a laptop and joysticks. It is also designed to neutralize explosive devices, keeping soldiers at a safe distance. Another technology to keep soldier's safe is the SLD500 surveillance system, a device that detects snipers. Capt. Amanda Mowry U.S. Marine Corps "What you have is a laser, and it'll shoot out about a mile to a mile and a half. And it's a sniper detection system, so it detects the glint, the optical glint off of a scope, and it shoots it back into your Panasonic Toughbook, and there's an alarm. The user can evaluate if it is in fact a sniper out there or it's just some other data." To detect larger scale threats such as rockets, the Marines use counter-battery radar. The system detects ordinance fired in real time and relays that information so that people can be alerted to the threat, and countermeasures can be taken. Sgt. Paul Hendee U.S. Marine Corps "Before the enemy mortar rounds even land, there has been times when we have artillery already on its way, so while that enemy is waiting to see where their rounds go, we already have friendly artillery going on top of that enemy and taking care of that threat." Even Apple's iPod is making into the Marines' technological toolkit. Using developer kit iPod Touches, the Marines have created a pocket reference application, including local customs and sayings, videos showing pronunciation, and equipment schematics. They were quick to point out none of the information on the iPod is classified, so there's no threat if it's lost. Reporting from Boston, I'm Justin Meisinger, IDG News Service.