Just something I thought You'd be intrested in: This comes straight from DoD "Small business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program , Program soliciation 92.2 , Closing Date 1JULY 1992" Journal.. I'm going to assume that it's a sort of virtual "want list" for the military. If anything, the concepts here are VERY intresting... These are just excerpts. The book is approx. 200-300 pages long with Army, Navy, and DARPA contributing ideas... --------------- PAGE ARMY 68 TOPIC A92-098 TITLE: Application of Virtual Reality to Weapon System Concept Evaluation in a Distributed Simulation Environment CATEGORY: Exploratory Development OBJECTIVE: Develop an innovative approach to analyze and expand the applications of virtual reality to weapon system concept evaluations in the Battle Field Distributed Simulation environment. DESCRIPTION: Currently, weapon system concept evaluations in a Battlefield Distributed Simulation environment require physical mock-ups of the controls and displays of the crew stations. Construction and modification to these mock-ups is both expensive and time consuming. Innovative solutions to the man-in-the-loop simulator-based weapon system concept evaluation such as creating virtual mock-ups of crew station controls and displays, are needed to reduce the time and cost of performing such evaluations. PHASE I: Develop cost effective man-machine interface concepts/designs based upon virtual reality technological principles. [Ed: Didn't know there were ANY VR principles] PHASE II: Implement the man-machine concept in sufficient detail to demonstrate the feasibility of concept. ----------- PAGE ARMY 74 TOPIC A92-111 TITLE: Miniature Display Device Technology CATEGORY: Exploratory Development OBJECTIVE: Identify, develop and demonstrate display techniques potentially applicatble to head mounted displays. Goals are for high performance display technology capable of providing more than 1000 lines of image in a very compact, lightweight, low power device. DESCRIPTION: NEw concepts of providing visual information directly to the individual soldier including thermal images, video, maps, drawings, and text messages are limited by the lack of miniature displays that are acceptable in terms of performance, reliability, size, weight and power consumption. This program should concentrate on alternative electro-optic mechanisims for producing a miniature virtual image display. PHASE I: Phase I should result in an alaysis of one ore more approaches to miniature image generating device technology and identifying specific techniques with potential application to video displays. Simple proof-of-concept demonstrations of these techniques is a requirement and may take the form of static displays. However, translation of the demonstrated approach must rbe reasonably shown to be applicaable to high resolution displays. SElection of prototypes will be made and approaches will be determined which satisfy objectives that are representatives of Army tactial situations. PHASE II: Phase II, a prototype display device having at least one million pixels will be demonstated. The approach will be evaluated for further refinement and development of full color capability. The end products should be capable of demonstration which video camera and computer inputs. Appproaches should be documented towards several Army needs and how the application of these techniques will be applied to Army Systems. Potential Commercial Market: Identified applications include the thermal weapons sight, Soldier's Integrated Protective Ensemble (SIPE) , maintenance and logistics applications, and telepresence displays for robotices applications. Commercial applications would include those areas where display technology requirements dictate small, lightweight and portable displays such as in inventory control and robotics. -------------- TOPIC A92-173 PAGE ARMY 105 TITLE : Satellite Kill Mechanisms CATEGORY: Basic Research OBJECTIVE: Innovative concepts, designs and devices for ASAT appliaction to negate the functional capabilites of target satellites while minimizing the creation of space debris. DESCRIPTION: A challenging techincal problem for the Kinetic Energy Anti-Satellite Program is to provide a high kill (target negation) probability that can be confirmed by the kill vehicle or the Space Surveillance Network, and not create unnecessary space debris in the process. For this purpose a kinetic energy kill device will be activated by the kill vehicle at close range to the target satellite. Alternative concepts and designs for kinetic energy kill mechanisms, devices to be used in conjunction with a kinetic energy kill mechanism in order to enhance kill effectiveness , and devices to determine kill effectivemness are being sought. Desirable qualities are large kill diameter, rapid fuzing, low size/weight, low power requirements, long term storage reliability , and low cost. PHASE I: A phase I effort will provide proof of concept by means of preliminary design, simulation, and/or laboratory experimentation. PHASE II: A phase II effort will include detailed design, fabrication, and evaluation of a working, but not necessarily optimized , breadboard , or brassboard model. Phase II proposals will also include an assessment of commercial markets for the devices developed during Phase II Potentional Commercial Market: A Phase II effort will include hardware prototype developed to a state where it can be demonstated in an actual or simulated flight environment. ---------- DARPA 92-176 TITLE: Head and Hand Position Sensors for use with head mounted augmented reality systems PAGE DARPA 25 CATEGORY: Exploratory Development OBJECTIVE: To investigate, develop and demonstate innovetive technology/techniques for head and/or hand positioning sensors that could be used in conjunction with head mounted displays in augmented reality systems. DESCRIPTION: Head mounted display systems require accurate and timely position information to coordinate movements of the head and ahnd with information displayed to the eye. Current approaches are bulky, heavy, and inconvient to use. The frequently require an operator to remain in a stationary position and therefore limit mobility. Siginificant improvments are needed in sensor position accuracy, update rates, weight, size and cost. PHASE I: Review applicable technologies and specify an effective development path for a prototype sensor which addresses the above reuquirements. PHASE II: build and test a prototype sensor(s). -------- DARPA 92-177 TITLE: Eye Tracker Technology for Use with Head Mounted Displays CATEGORY: Exploratory Development OBJECTIVE: To investigate, develop, and demonstate , innovate technology/techinques for using eye trackers to remotely access computer databases. DESCRIPTION: Field operatives of all kinds frequenctly need to review, consult, or search larege bodies of data (manuals, record, files) while conducting their missions. Efficient data access requires a method of computer interfacing which is rugged enoughn to be used in the field, is relatively unaffected by head an mody movement, is pleasant and comfortable to use, and uses the eye as an input device for a head mounted display. PHASE I: REview applicable technologies and specify an effective development path for a prototype system meeting these requirements. Show the feasibility of this approach. PHASE II: Build and test a prototype system. ----------------------- Seems like Uncle Sam's going to be hitting some VR, huh? :) -- Cybernetik