27Jan/17Off
Augmented reality helps interpret gunnery commands
The Navy has successfully demonstrated a prototype for a new command communications system that could help sailors work more effectively amid the noise and confusion of combat.
The GunnAR system relies on augmented reality, generating visual cues from a ship’s gunnery liaison officer in an easy-to-interpret visual format for the gunner manning a naval gun system.
McClenning’s proposed solution augments that audio muddle with a clear visual signal conveyed via helmet. The sailor sees commands overlaid on the visual landscape — words like “fire” and “cease fire” — as well as images indicating the position and nature of targets.
Lt. Robert McClenning, a training officer aboard USS Gridley, proposed the idea to the Office of Naval Research and won $100,000 in prototyping funds during the March 2016 Innovation Jam. The Space and Naval Warfare Systems Center Pacific (SSC Pacific) Battlespace Exploitation of Mixed Reality (BEMR) Lab in San Diego undertook development work with contractor DAQRI, an AR technology company based in Los Angeles, and a mid-December demonstration put the system through its paces.