Raytheon is developing technology that the company says will provide situational awareness to troops inside windowless armored vehicles, as part of the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA)’s Ground X-Vehicle Technologies (GXV-T) program.
Raytheon is creating a three-dimensional model of the environment in real time, that gives users views of their outside environment that would not normally be possible from inside the vehicle. The Raytheon BBN technology uses lidar data to create a 3D model of the environment, employing high-definition video to produce a detailed, natural rendering of the surroundings. Additional sensors provide the location of any incoming hostile fire, while blue-force position updates locate friendly forces.
The goal of GXV-T is to improve the mobility and survivability of armored vehicles, without adding more armor and weight. DARPA is funding advanced technology development in four related areas: mobility enhancement, agility for survivability, crew augmentation and signature management.
[Image courtesy: DARPA]