The QinetiQ NA IWS displayed at AUSA, showing clockwise from front centre: a five-port hub with male and female connecting leads; the shoulder-worn EARS gunshot detection system with wrist display; a radio hub interface; the EUD in a chest-mounted configuration; and the conformal battery. In the centre are two further connectors, a USB 2.0, and a male-male lead. (Giles Ebbutt)
The core of the system is a power and data management hub with a number of USB 2.0 ports for connection to external devices using standard Glenair connectors, which are the same as those specified for the Nett Warrior programme. Connecting leads then offer a range of external connection options, including USB 2.0, Ethernet, and RS232. There are five- and seven-port variants of the hub.
The hub, which weighs about 198 g (7oz), is connected to a single 'upstream' end-user device (EUD), such as a smart phone, and then to up to six (depending on hub size) 'downstream' peripherals, including a radio. One of these peripherals is a central conformal battery weighing just under 1 kg that provides power to all the devices in the system, thus preserving their own individual power supplies. The radio battery can be removed and replaced with an interface directly to the hub. Power management is provided by the hub.
Brian Farrell, director integrated human systems for QinetiQ NA's Technology Solutions Group, told IHS Jane's that "several hundred" IWS sets had been supplied to the US Army for evaluation in the Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) events 13.1 (late 2012) and 14.1 (late 2013).
The IWS was shown integrated with the manwearable version of QinetiQ's EARS gunshot detection system. This is an acoustic-based, two-dimensional phased array of four microphones with integrated GPS and timing. It weighs 427g and is worn on the non-firing shoulder. It provides a direction and distance of the origin of hostile fire in less than one second, which is shown on a wrist-mounted display and as an audible alert. The direction is maintained even when the wearer changes position.
QinetiQ NA claims a 95% detection rate with +/-7.5° accuracy and a detection range of greater than 400 m with a 10% range accuracy. When EARS is integrated in the IWS, the result is also displayed on the EUD and can be networked with other IWSs to provide more accurate locational data.
There are also vehicle-mounted and static versions of EARS. The system is widely used by the US Army, which has acquired more than 17,000 systems, and also by the German Army.
The core of the system is a power and data management hub with a number of USB 2.0 ports for connection to external devices using standard Glenair connectors, which are the same as those specified for the Nett Warrior programme. Connecting leads then offer a range of external connection options, including USB 2.0, Ethernet, and RS232. There are five- and seven-port variants of the hub.
The hub, which weighs about 198 g (7oz), is connected to a single 'upstream' end-user device (EUD), such as a smart phone, and then to up to six (depending on hub size) 'downstream' peripherals, including a radio. One of these peripherals is a central conformal battery weighing just under 1 kg that provides power to all the devices in the system, thus preserving their own individual power supplies. The radio battery can be removed and replaced with an interface directly to the hub. Power management is provided by the hub.
Brian Farrell, director integrated human systems for QinetiQ NA's Technology Solutions Group, told IHS Jane's that "several hundred" IWS sets had been supplied to the US Army for evaluation in the Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) events 13.1 (late 2012) and 14.1 (late 2013).
The IWS was shown integrated with the manwearable version of QinetiQ's EARS gunshot detection system. This is an acoustic-based, two-dimensional phased array of four microphones with integrated GPS and timing. It weighs 427g and is worn on the non-firing shoulder. It provides a direction and distance of the origin of hostile fire in less than one second, which is shown on a wrist-mounted display and as an audible alert. The direction is maintained even when the wearer changes position.
QinetiQ NA claims a 95% detection rate with +/-7.5° accuracy and a detection range of greater than 400 m with a 10% range accuracy. When EARS is integrated in the IWS, the result is also displayed on the EUD and can be networked with other IWSs to provide more accurate locational data.
There are also vehicle-mounted and static versions of EARS. The system is widely used by the US Army, which has acquired more than 17,000 systems, and also by the German Army.
Comments
Post a Comment