application environment, but for the battlefield user,” McBeth said. “One example is our new TacMed application, which streamlines the collection of information during traumatic medical evacuation events. TacMed utilizes the RF-3590’s embedded ‘hands-free’ audio capability for automated completion of forms crucial to patient care and other benefits. The app delivers the information over the network to medical personnel waiting anxiously to treat the incoming patient.” To run the TacMed application—as well as the others, including those developed by either the military or third parties—the tablet utilizes an open-source Android operating system. This also means the RF-3590 is upgradeable as future technology becomes available.
The Future Is Now A quick glance at Rockwell Collins’ selection of helmet-mounted eyepieces might make it seem as though a good bit of that future technology already exists. “Situational awareness is critical,” noted Chris Lawler, sales manager for Rockwell Collins Optronics. “We provide the Situational awareness intelligence is available at the soldier level with the ruggedized Harris RF-3590 tablet. [Photo courtesy tools that soldiers need to be effective in every of Harris Corporation] mission and continually evolve our display techthem to make decisions faster, which is critical to mission sucnologies to meet mission requirements. The display solutions we cess,” Lawler said. provide for both mounted and dismounted soldiers deliver critical information and a bird’s-eye view of the battlefield, while enhancing the warfighter’s ability to avoid detection by keeping their All-Around View heads up and hands free.” The MicroView 35 helmet mounted display (MV35) provides Also critical to mission success is an understanding of the that bird’s-eye outlook on the battlefield via a 35-degree field-offull picture of what’s happening all around you at all times. That view arrangement of mapping, targeting, GPS, sensors and more was the impetus behind the development of SRI International’s situational awareness data. In fact, it allows for remote vision View 360 panoramic situational awareness system, an instrument access to information supplied by any NTSC/RS170 or RGB device, that makes it possible for vehicle-based operators to keep tabs including various video sights and computers. And the dashboardon what’s happening in the space that encircles them on a single style display means operators can maintain their attention on monitor. what’s happening around them, but quickly check crucial bits of “It can mount on basically any vehicle with a hatch,” said information whenever needed, much like driving a car. Mark A. Clifton, vice president, products and services at SRI The bottom line is that “our highly ruggedized display soluInternational. “There’s a long-wave IR camera up top that rotates tions improve your understanding of the battlefield,” said Lawler. at about 1 hertz. That image then feeds down to a display where What might be a little difficult to understand, though, is how the camera’s 360-degree view is displayed in a cylindrical strip all of that information can be delivered by such an undersized and around the image of your vehicle. Imagine that the vehicle is surlightweight piece of equipment. The full-color or monochrome rounded by a strip of movie film video; that’s what it looks like green display module weighs only about 50 grams and can easily on the screen.” be mounted to eyewear or a helmet. The idea behind that particular type of display was to make it “By combining the miniaturization of the display and elecmore intuitive; it feels almost 3-D, as opposed to flat video bars, tronics along with manufacturing techniques that have made and while feedback to the presentation has been positive, what the product lighter and more rugged,” Lawler explained, “we’ve soldiers seem to truly appreciate is the touchscreen capabilities. designed innovative situational awareness and network technolo“If you see something of interest, or if an alert goes off, you gies that are intended for the tactical edge of the battlefield and simply touch that position on the video cylinder,” explained covert operations.” Clifton. “It will then zoom in and you can see more detail about Innovations aside, the Rockwell Collins helmet-mounted disthat specific location on the screen. Additionally, the simulated plays do what every piece of equipment should: help warfighters vehicle will actually turn on the screen so you understand your do their jobs more effectively and efficiently. “Our displays give spatial relation to the scene that you’re zooming in on. So you get vital, easy-to-read information and alerts to soldiers, allowing detailed situational awareness, but it’s in context.” 8 | TISR 3.1
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