Roke Manor leads sensor development effort

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ROMSEY, England, March 14 (UPI) -- A research team led by Britain's Roke Manor Research Ltd. is to develop innovative sensor technology for dismounted infantry troops.

The work by Roke and partners from industry and academia will be conducted for the British Ministry of Defense's Dismounted Close Combat Sensors Research Program over a three-year period under a $7.4 million contract from the government's Defense Science and Technology Laboratory.

The program is to develop an open system architecture for the integration of multiple sensor-based sub-systems -- acoustic, thermal imaging and RF -- for better situational awareness and soldier collaboration.

"The DCCS research to be delivered by Roke is an important program for the Ministry of Defense," said David Massey, program lead for Dstl's C4ISR Domain. "The intent is to develop the U.K.'s dismounted soldier as an integrated sensor capability within the wider ISTAR enterprise, thus providing him with greater local and shared situational awareness while increasing his overall combat effectiveness.

"Over the next three years, Roke, along with its partners, will be developing the key low-power, low-weight sensor and processing technologies that will realize the benefits envisaged."