Editor's Perspective
Written by Harrison Donnelly
The recent opening of a research and technology application facility near the Army Combined Arms Center and Fort Leavenworth, Kan., is highlighting the growth of an important new model for bringing industry, academia and government together to speed delivery of new capabilities to warfighters through intense collaboration.
Sponsored by General Dynamics C4 Systems, the Leavenworth Edge Innovation Center is part of the Edge Innovation Network, which comprises more than 85 members representing a wide range of industries, colleges and universities worldwide. Its goal is to provide a collaborative, open environment that enables members from industry, academia and the government to work together in quickly developing new technologies to meet requirements identified through customers’ direct field experiences.
Edge Innovation Centers are also located in Scottsdale, Ariz.; Orlando, Fla.; and Oakdale, U.K. In September, the Vehicle C4ISR Edge Innovation Center is slated to open in Taunton, Mass.
Product and technology developments resulting from collaboration at other Edge facilities have included the Soldier Intelligence, Surveillance and Reconnaissance Receiver, which delivers real-time streaming video directly from multiple unmanned assets into the hands of soldiers on the ground; the Primordial Route Planning Application, a route planning application that automatically determines the fastest or most concealed route; and the Boomerang Shooter Detection and Location System, which enables soldiers to identify and respond to a sniper’s shot within seconds.
When Edge members find a gap between a user requirement and members’ products and capabilities, the network issues a call for innovation (CFI). The most recent CFI, for example, seeks high-accuracy keyword speech recognition of approximately 20 different keywords, or combination of keywords, received in broadcasts from commercial and military grade VHF and UHF radios.
Harrison Donnelly, Editor
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