Next Generation of Data Processing Faces Challenge in Sensors, Instrumentation

摘要

While we now successfully develop complex environments to stimulate the Army's21st century weapons and equipment, we face the more formidable challenge of gathering and processing the data from the test. For example, we will need sensors which are not compromised by the high-intensity electromagnetic fields to which the test article is exposed. These must be hardened devices which can pick up small, subtle changes, operating at microvolt levels. We will need optical and infrared instruments which can resolve on small submunitions telling us when and where they deployed. Test technology then must provide us with the broadband, secure, multimedia transmission of data streams in the electronic environments. Once received, our processors must correlate, screen, format, and display information in near realtime. Yes, 1996 technology at our test centers provides this data processing now, but the next generation must be faster. Why. Because we must be able to determine the proper functioning of high-speed weapon computers, and the loop on the remote control of drones and robotic systems participating in the test. The tester rule of thumb still says the measuring stick should be 10 times more accurate than the measured item.