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"I think we're still on that topic, still trying to figure out what computers are, how they change us, why we use them."
- Neal Stephenson
 |
| Weapon Sound Tracker | ||
| Locate an enemy by the sound of gunfire. |
U.S. soldiers still in Iraq a decade into the future have more advanced weapons systems.
| Sound trackers on the roof could zero in on weapons action and coordinate return fire through UAVs and their only other air support, the Superhawk. |
| From Quantico,
by Greg Bear. Published by Vanguard in 2007 Additional resources -
|
In an interview with Technovelgy.com, Greg Bear had this to say about the weapon sound tracker:
Greg Bear:"Yes, something that could filter through all the echoes and ... work its way back to where the sound originates."
T: So this is an idea, or you've seen it?
GB:" I haven't seen it, but I'm sure they're working on it."
T: You might be interested to know that there is a technology called WeaponWatch which actually looks for infrared signatures of fired weapons.
GB: "Yes, that make sense."
T: I actually saw it demonstrated at NextFest 2006 in New York. Supposedly, this is better than listening for sound, because obviously light travels faster than sound and the company claims that it would be possible in some cases to return fire in some cases before the rounds actually got to you.
GB: "Interesting... but they would have to have direct line-of-sight for the weapon?"
T: That's mostly correct, but apparently they can look at reflected light...
GB: "Very cool..."
T: ...So to some extent, in an urban environment, you could 'see around corners'...
(Read the rest of Greg Bear's interview on Quantico.)
One real-world technology that is similar to a Weapon Sound Tracker is ShotSpotter, a gunshot location system used both by police departments and the military. However, ShotSpotter requires a network of sensors (as opposed to a single unit) to identify, triangulate and then give a visual image of the location of a gunshot event, typically in seconds.
Also, WeaponWatch already uses an automated weapon system as a peripheral device, to coordinate return fire, sometimes before the enemy round has even reached its target.
Technovelgy: You also wrote about a Weapon Sound Tracker.
Take a look at how WeaponWatch Detects, Locates Enemy Fire Infrared Signature.
Comment/Join this discussion ( 2 ) | RSS/XML | Blog This |
Additional
resources:
More Ideas
and Technology from Quantico
More Ideas
and Technology by Greg Bear
Tech news articles related to Quantico
Tech news articles related to works by Greg Bear
Weapon Sound Tracker-related
news articles:
- Helmet-Based Sniper Location System
- Smartphone Sensor System Tracks Gunfire
- Cities Detect Gunfire Acoustics With ShotSpotter
- ShotSpotter Gunshot Location Tech Expands Coverage
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I can't resist science-fictional elements. Especially when they're real.
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