"Personal digital assistants are not just for storing contacts or scheduling meetings anymore," the author writes.
(
Click for larger image)
One example cited is a
ruggedized PDA (from Talla-Tech; pictured at right) running Windows CE that integrates GPS, laser range-finding binoculars, and radio or satellite transmission to facilitate rapid target acquisition. Dubbed the "joint pocket-sized forward entry device" (PFED), it promises to "substantially enhance the capabilities of light and early-entry troops." The device combines laser measurements of direction and distance to a target with its own GPS coordinates to compute the coordinates of the target.
Another military application of CE-based rugged PDAs is the "Commander's Digital Assistant" (CDA). Among the capabilities of the CDA is "Blue Force Tracking", the ability to locate and track friendly forces. Traditionally, Blue Force Tracking has been limited to ground vehicles via on-board terminals. The CDA allows the tracking of individual soldiers. The devices are capable of automatically forming peer-to-peer networks and can also participate as either a client or server as required.
To learn more about military applications for ruggedized PDAs, read the article at
Military Information Technology.
[Photo credit: the GI photo at the top of this story is from the US Army's
PFED program flyer.]
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