Like a classic car being restored, the research vessel (R/V) Roger Revelle is undergoing a year-long makeover to extend its working life, enhance its operating systems, and strengthen its research capabilities for the Navy and scientific organizations. The Scripps Institution of Oceanography, at the University of California San Diego, has operated and maintained the U.S. Navy-owned Revelle since…
Special Delivery: New Autonomous Flight Technology Means Rapid Resupply For Marines
Autonomy options for the Marine Corps have taken a major step forward, as officials at the Office of Naval Research (ONR) announced today a successful final helicopter flight demonstration with autonomous capability at Marine Corps Base Quantico, Va., part of the Autonomous Aerial Cargo/Utility System (AACUS) program. AACUS is a partnership between ONR and technology…
Wanted: A New Way To Find Pilots For U.S. Navy Unmanned Aircraft
Before acceptance to flight school, aspiring naval pilots must pass the Aviation Selection Test Battery (ASTB)—a rigorous intellectual exercise that evaluates things like aviation and nautical knowledge, math and engineering skills, and personality traits. Since training a single pilot costs the U.S. Navy over $1 million, the ASTB is a critical tool for finding the…
Text Tech: Can Navy Vessels Use Shipboard Signal Lamps For Text Messaging?
The signal lamp aboard the guided-missile destroyer USS Stout flashed fast light bursts to the USS Monterey, located pierside 250 feet away. Aboard the Monterey, a guided-missile cruiser, its own signal lamp used a mounted GoPro camera to receive the incoming Morse code—which then was converted into text appearing on an accompanying handheld device. Peering…
Flying Metal Detectors? Navy Tests New Unmanned Mine-Detection System
During a recent technology demonstration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Dr. Rosemarie Oelrich and Dr. Cory Stephanson unveiled a new way to detect buried and submerged mines. Oelrich, a scientist at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock’s Combatant Craft Division, and Stephanson, president and chief executive officer of Broadband Discovery Systems (BDS), stared at…
Flying Metal Detectors? Navy Tests New Unmanned Mine-Detection System
During a recent technology demonstration at Marine Corps Base Camp Pendleton, Dr. Rosemarie Oelrich and Dr. Cory Stephanson unveiled a new way to detect buried and submerged mines. Oelrich, a scientist at Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC) Carderock’s Combatant Craft Division, and Stephanson, president and chief executive officer of Broadband Discovery Systems (BDS), stared at…
More Than Play: Can Video Games Train Sailors And Marines?
Blasting video game zombies, aliens and gangsters might not seem intellectually stimulating, but current research shows these computerized conflicts actually sharpen a range of cognitive skills—including better multitasking, increased attention span, faster reaction time and greater visual acuity. An important unanswered question, however, is what specific components of first-person-shooter and other action video games—e.g., “Call…
Cool Capabilities: Sea Hunter, Tern on Display at Sea-Air-Space
Advanced software that can transform existing medium-sized vessels into unmanned ships able to autonomously complete naval missions. A four-legged, bio-inspired robot that can perform reconnaissance or dispose of explosives safely. A drone that merges the flying capabilities of a helicopter and airplane. These are just a few of the technologies the Office of Naval Research…
The Mind as a Weapon: Helping Marines Make Faster, Better Combat Decisions
Battlefield commanders face many scenarios requiring fast decisions—attacking an enemy position, evacuating injured warfighters, navigating unfamiliar terrain. Each situation pushes leaders to make quick yet informed choices. To enhance these decision-making capabilities, especially for small-unit leaders, the 2nd Battalion, 6th Marines (2/6) —“The Spartans”— recently held a weeklong exercise called Spartan Emerging Technology and Innovation…
Shedding the Fat: ONR Explores Ways to Trim Software Bloat, Improve Security
Have you ever upgraded your software program or app, only to find it didn’t seem to perform as well as the older version? The problem most likely was caused by software bloat, a condition where updated software runs slower because of repetitive code, requiring more memory—and becoming more vulnerable to cyber attacks. “Software bloat isn’t…
Story Time: ONR Researchers Create ‘Human User Manual’ for Robots
With support from the Office of Naval Research (ONR), researchers at the Georgia Institute of Technology have created an artificial intelligence software program named Quixote to teach robots to read stories, learn acceptable behavior and understand successful ways to conduct themselves in diverse social situations. “For years, researchers have debated how to teach robots to…