Naval Special Warfare Concept Assessment

The goal of this effort was to conduct concept assessments of technologies having the potential to enhance Naval Special Warfare (NSW) mission capabilities. Numerous advanced imaging devices such as multispectral, passive millimeter wave, and laser imagers are currently under development. Each imaging device will require image processing and a display so the operator can view the processed image. Since the military is projecting that wearable computers outfitted with a head-mounted display (HMD) will become a common item on the battlefield, it was determined that it would be prudent to evaluate the state-of-the-art of wearable computers. The objective was to determine whether they will be able to handle the processing required by the imaging devices mentioned above. HMDs also were evaluated to determine whether the HMD technology is capable of displaying the fine details of a processed image. In April, 1998, the Coastal Systems Station (CSS), Nichols Research Corporation (NRC), and Sandia National Laboratory (SNL) evaluated a scannerless range imaging system developed by SNL to ascertain the potential use of this type of device for imaging proud and volume targets in the underwater environment. This approach uses an imaging system that forms an image on the basis of a range map rather than an intensity map. The technique is also capable of revealing other hazards, such as concertina wire, in the water volume that might be obscured in an intensity image. See also ADM002252.