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BBN Technologies’ Boomerang Shooter-Detection System Saving Lives, Makes Enemy Snipers Think Twice

Troops driving through Iraq and Afghanistan in noisy military vehicles face a lethal threat beyond roadside bombs and rocket-propelled grenades. They are being targeted by snipers and rogue shooters, who have become the second greatest cause of fatalities in Operation Iraqi Freedom. For Troops encountering these snipers and shooters while in vehicles, noise is the real enemy. Because the noise inside military vehicles is so loud, often times, Troops sitting across from each other have to shout to be heard and are unaware they are being shot at until something – or someone – is hit. Even if they realize they are under attack, sometimes, they have a hard time figuring out where the attack is coming from.

To solve this problem, BBN Technologies (www.bbn.com) has developed the Boomerang shooter-detection system. Boomerang is capable of quickly and accurately identifying a shooter’s location while stationary or on the move at over 60 MPH. The system is the least expensive shooter-detection system available, easiest to deploy, and has consistently proven itself more effective than others. In addition to protecting Troops in military vehicles, Boomerang is also being used to guard fixed positions — such as buildings or roadside checkpoints.

BBN’s Boomerang uses passive acoustic detection, computer-based signal processing, and both aural and visual indications to help U.S. troops locate the shooter in urban or open terrain. The supersonic shockwave of a passing bullet is captured by seven small microphones, arranged like the spine of a sea urchin, attached to the end of a mast fastened to either a vehicle or fixed stand.

In less than one second, the system’s computer-generated voice shouts out the origin of the enemy fire and displays the information on a visual monitor. The system uses the positions of a clock to give troops an initial direction to look and a more detailed azimuth location on the LCD display.

BBN’s next challenge is to develop a man-wearable Boomerang. According to Mark Sherman, vice president, BBN Technologies, BBN is already working on such a device and expects to unveil it within the next 12 months.

Web: www.bbn.com

 

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