Ultrasonic motion sensors to be used in Marine training

Experts at InterSense Inc. of Cambridge, Mass., are providing the ultrasonic motion sensors for a training system to begin operations later this year at the Marine Corps` Military Operations in Urban Terrain (MOUT) facilities in Camp LeJune, S.C. InterSense`s customer, Lockheed Martin Information Systems in San Diego, where experts manage the MOUT facilities, is conducting the proof-of-concept demonstration.

The use of inertial and wireless ultrasonic technologies, instead of magnetic technologies that can be affected by metals, has enabled Lockheed Martin experts to create what they call a "third-generation training technology that is faster, cheaper, and smarter." Company officials say they need to push the boundaries of motion-tracking technology, and the InterSense in-room positioning system will be used for close-quarter, indoor combat.

The sensors are mounted on ceilings, and transmitters on the Marines` helmets interact with a software program to track trainees as they move through "enemy" buildings. It is the first U.S. military training program of its kind, according to InterSense. - J.R.

For more information on the motion-tracking sensors, contact Ed Costello at InterSense by phone at 617-499-0020, by fax at 617-492-1635, by mail at 160 2nd St., Cambridge, Mass., 02142, or on the World Wide Web at http://www. insense.com.

The PPC2 single-board computer from Radstone Technology Corp. in Montvale, N.J., is being integrated into a torpedo program.