US Soldiers Using Sniper Detecting Microphones - SWATS

Man, where has this device been? Seems like we should have had this years ago.
Looks like the technology has been around via Boomerang from Raytheon, but not with this precision ability. Pinpointing the direction of incoming fire is crucial, and the speed at which this device detects the direction is pretty impressive and will surely save lives. I can't imagine many horrors beyond being shot at and not knowing where it came from!

Small lightweight microphones are saving the lives of US soldiers fighting in Afghanistan and Iraq. Shoulder Worn Acoustic Targeting Systems (SWATS), developed by defense company QinetiQ, use shockwave and muzzle blast noise to locate enemy gunfire . A single shot is all it takes to give the soldier the bearing and distance to the sniper trying to take his life. A tactical display or audio alert from the device tells the soldier where to look so they can return fire or take cover. With SWATS, you go from sitting duck to well-informed angry defender in less than a second.

In urban environments, echoes and architecture and conspire to hide the location of enemy gunfire. Human ears, even well trained ones, can get confused trying to pick out where a shot is coming from. In open fields, bearing is easier to judge, but distance is still difficult. Devices like SWATS help with both scenarios. In urban settings they can pinpoint snipers even in complex acoustic environments out to several hundred meters, and in open fields they have an even greater range. Best of all they provide visual and/or audio feedback less than one second after detection of gunfire, and weigh less than a pound so anyone can wear them.

One second, nice!
Eventually this device could become part of an artificial soldier, according to the author, which will assure a more expedient response to incoming gunfire. There are other acoustic and light weaponry being developed too.

In fact, we’re likely to see many more such augmenting technologies. Acoustics are just the low hanging fruit. There are laser systems which could detect reflections off sniper scopes to pinpoint enemy shooters more precisely. IR/thermal scanning devices are also available. All sensors could be tied in to heads up displays to give augmented reality targeting assistance to soldiers. As we’ve discussed before, the human soldier of the future could be fitted with many such devices to turn them into super sensing, super accurate fighters.

singularityhub.com...

Vids of Demonstrations:



spec

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


This is really good stuff!

It should definitely save some lives.

Thanks for posting this!

thats top class tech,
but would it tell you after you had already been hit just have to hope they miss first time but sniper usually don't

Not available to public yet probably, but may save lives and bruises on the links even....I imagine golfing could be made much safer for the hard of hearing or the just pain stunned.
Considering that there is a need for police, and even civilians to know where gunfire is commingfrom,and at what range,i hope they are cheap and plentiful for everyonein future.
Hunting could be made a whole lot more popular with the addition of this device......
Of course there are other crossover uses i could imagine as well.
S&F fer u

Man these things dont work worth a damn. We have been playing with this technology in the field since about 2005. I had a "Boomerang" system on my humvee back in 06-07 in Iraq and it was garbage. The microphones were constantly getting clogged with dust and even when they weren't the thing registered false positives all the time. It became so much of a distraction it was better to keep it off. The smaller personal units are notorious for false positives. The clanking of your own gear will set the thing off. They should really field test these things more before sending them out to the troops. But hey somebody's buddy got a contract for a piece of crap and needs to get paid right? That's what it's all about!

reply to post by tsawyer2

Thanks tsawyer2

spec
reply to post by majestic3

True true, but hopefully it could save the next person being shot at!

spec
reply to post by stirling

Golf swings? Funny but true, unless you've been hit by one! I had a friend who was moving the fairways on a tractor and got hit by a drive on his leg. It knocked him OFF of the tractor and made him limp for 3 days, leaving one hell of a bruise!
Thanks for commenting.

spec

reply to post by LastStand

Sorry to hear of this, but I appreciate a frank and honest perspective too. I hope they have improved on these, and made them more durable for actual use in the field.
The "paid" part you mention is so true, and is insult to injury in reality. With today's tech, they should have this thing dialed in and effective! Maybe these new ones are...

Thanks for the reply,
spec

reply to post by speculativeoptimist


I dont know...- If this sniper is any good at all, your dead bevor you had time to fondle your little gadget. I see our boys out in the field, busy with trying to figure out how the newest technical crap works, studying manuals while getting their asses shot off...

We had a similiar system on our HMMVs when I was downrange, a MUST on today's battlefield.

Yeah, it'll be great when every soldier, I mean 'artificial' soldier has these. Either that, or the side with the most awesome technology wins every time, right or wrong.

Originally posted by LastStand
Man these things dont work worth a damn. We have been playing with this technology in the field since about 2005. I had a "Boomerang" system on my humvee back in 06-07 in Iraq and it was garbage. The microphones were constantly getting clogged with dust and even when they weren't the thing registered false positives all the time. It became so much of a distraction it was better to keep it off. The smaller personal units are notorious for false positives. The clanking of your own gear will set the thing off. They should really field test these things more before sending them out to the troops. But hey somebody's buddy got a contract for a piece of crap and needs to get paid right? That's what it's all about!

edit on 2/27/2011 by LastStand because: I before E except after C

If this is the second generation, they will have one that works like a dream before the big event.

This one might work very well in a clean quiet police cruiser.