DSIAC collects and publishes articles related to our technical focus areas on the web to share with the DoD community.
The Army is transforming its fleet of transportable robots to a common set of standards to expedite modernization, interoperability, autonomy and mission flexibility. During the last decade and a half of ground wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, the Army acquired and fast-tracked as many as 7,000 unique robotic systems in an effort to keep pace
A team of researchers at the U.S. Army Research Laboratory recently addressed a need for safer “wash primers” at Army depots, installations and repair facilities. As a result of their solution, the wash primer replacement team at ARL won the fiscal 2016 Secretary of the Army Award for Environmental Excellence in Weapon System Acquisition (small
Marines who recently completed a deployment to U.S. Central Command in support of Operation Inherent Resolve brought with them 3D printers to make their own small quadcopters, learning lessons both on hybrid logistics models and counter-unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) operations. Marines built an initial batch of 25 Nibbler UAVs – quadcopters with a dwell time
A simple method for manufacturing extremely low-density palladium nanofoams could help advance hydrogen storage technologies, reports a new study from the University of California, Davis. Traditional metallic foam manufacturing techniques may require high temperature, high pressure and controlled chemical environments. The UC Davis-led team instead relies on a wet chemistry approach that is well-suited for
Using flexible conducting polymers and novel circuitry patterns printed on paper, researchers have demonstrated proof-of-concept wearable thermoelectric generators that can harvest energy from body heat to power simple biosensors for measuring heart rate, respiration or other factors. Because of their symmetrical fractal wiring patterns, the devices can be cut to the size needed to provide
Reliability, Maintainability and Risk: Practical Methods for Engineers, Ninth Edition, has taught reliability and safety engineers techniques to minimize process design, operation defects, and failures for 35 years. For beginners, the book provides tactics on how to avoid pitfalls in this complex and wide field. For experts in the field, well-described, realistic, and illustrative examples
Here are some updates on just a few of the soldier-centric projects being developed and fielded by Program Executive Officer Soldier from the unit commander, Brig. Gen. Brian P. Cummings, and his staff. Leaner, better fitting body armor – the Modular Scalable Vest (MSV). The Soldier Protection System (SPS) is the Army’s next generation Personal
The Army plans to have a blueprint for its successor to the M1A2 Abrams Main Battle Tank and Bradley Fighting Vehicle by 2022. But for now, leaders have only a wish list. The Next Generation Combat Vehicle (NGCV) needs to be smarter and leaner than its predecessors — and completely reimagined, said Maj. Gen. Eric
The Joint Improvised-Threat Defeat Organization, also known as JIDO, is looking far and wide to find better ways of thwarting enemy unmanned aerial systems and other improvised weapons, its director said Oct. 17. Militant groups such as ISIS have employed numerous types of improvised explosive devices to attack U.S. troops and allied forces. They include
U.S. Army munitions experts are asking engineers at Northrop Grumman Corp. to begin producing an improved remote-control unit for a network of soldier-controlled anti-personnel grenades that can sense enemy intrusions and enable warfighters to fire the explosives remotely. Officials of the Army Contracting Command New Jersey at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., announced a $13.4 million order
Manned firing trials of the prototype/demonstrator of BAE Systems Hagglunds’ CV90 twin 120 mm Mjolner mortar system are now underway and it is expected that the Critical Design Review (CDR) will take place by the end of 2017, which will lead to the design freeze and allow production to commence. When completed, the Mjolner system
U.S. Army munitions experts are asking engineers at Northrop Grumman Corp. to begin producing an improved remote-control unit for a network of soldier-controlled anti-personnel grenades that can sense enemy intrusions and enable warfighters to fire the explosives remotely. Officials of the Army Contracting Command New Jersey at Picatinny Arsenal, N.J., announced a $13.4 million order