483results about "Defensive equipment" patented technology

A system for a vehicle is provided for allowing a user of the vehicle or installation to obtain advanced and up-to-date information about the surroundings of the vehicle or installation and the vehicle or installation itself. The system may be located on a marine vessel and it integrates information from a number of different information sources, located both on and off the vessel, en including information from advanced radar and sonar subsystems on the ship, information from conventional instruments and sensors and information from onshore and offshore installations and EO satellites accessed via a control centre onshore. The system may communicate with the control centre via a communication satellite and/or wireless Internet, if available. A data processing apparatus for processing and presenting the data is also provided. The data is received, processed and presented in three dimensions in space and updated in real time or near real time such that time provides a fourth dimension to the data. A graphical user interface for presenting the data is also provided. The graphical user interface provides functionality for reporting an error in the system if the end user's own observations do not match the presented data. Additionally, a system for collecting data comprising more than one ship, the control centre and means for the ships and the control centre to communicate is provided. The system comprises a catalogue and storage network for storing collected data. All data is stored with an associated quality measure of the data.

A method of controlling a streamer positioning device (18) configured to be attached to a marine seismic streamer (12) and towed by seismic survey vessel (10) and having a wing and a wing motor for changing the orientation of the wing. The method includes the steps of: obtaining an estimated velocity of the streamer positioning device, calculating a desired change in the orientation of the wing using the estimated velocity of the streamer positioning device, and actuating the wing motor to produce the desired change in the orientation of the wing. The invention also involves an apparatus for controlling a streamer positioning device including means for obtaining an estimated velocity of the streamer positioning device, means for calculating a desired change in the orientation of the wing using the estimated velocity of the streamer positioning device, and means for actuating the wing motor to produce the desired change in the orientation of the wing.

A protection system features a flexible packaged net with perimeter weighting housed in a deployment box releasably attached to a vehicle. One deployment subsystem includes an airbag packaged in the deployment box behind the net. A sensor subsystem detects an incoming threat and a fire control subsystem is responsive to the sensor subsystem and is configured to activate the deployment subsystem to inflate the airbag and deploy the net in the trajectory path of the incoming threat.

A marine barrier system comprising first and second barrier sections and a coupler system. The first and second barrier sections comprise first and second main flotation members, respectively, and each main flotation member contains buoyant material. The coupler system is arranged at the juncture of the first and second barrier sections. The coupler system is arranged such that the first and second main flotation members may be placed in a storage configuration and in a deployed configuration. In the storage configuration, the first and second main flotation members are arranged in a parallel, side by side arrangement. In the deployed configuration, the first and second main flotation members are arranged end to end to define a barrier line in a body of water across which movement is limited.

A method of deactivating land mines buried in ground comprises projecting high-pressure water jets into ground, cutting through ground with the high-pressure water jets, and making at least one cut through a land mine or cutting through at least one land mine that had been under the ground, the cutting of the land mine reducing the performance of the land mine. The method may reduce the performance of the land mine by rendering the land mine inactive to normal detonation procedures for the land mine. To reach as many surface areas on the buried landmines, it is preferable that at least two high-pressure water jets are spaced apart are used to cut through the ground. The method may be practiced with the high-pressure water jet being carried on a vehicle and cutting is done in a line that is formed at least in part by movement of the vehicle over the ground while the high-pressure water jet is cutting ground. An apparatus for the reduction in effectiveness of land mines buried in ground may comprise a self-contained push-cart unit or a unit attached or attachable to a vehicle. A complete system could comprise a vehicle having a source of liquid, a high-pressure pump to move the liquid under high pressure, a nozzle directing a liquid jet path for the liquid, a support for the nozzle, abrasive delivery system, and nozzle being controllable to direct the liquid towards the ground while the nozzle is fixed relative to the vehicle.

One or more docking cages releasably attached to a tow line extending from the stern of a retrieval ship, emit tracking beacon beams picked up by sensors in unmanned underwater sea craft vehicles being approached, for steered propulsion thereof into rammed hook attachment to the cages. A sea craft vehicle thereby releasably attached to a cage, is towed onboard the retrieval ship by storage reel-in of the tow line, which is then disconnected from the cage and the retrieved vehicle for subsequent use in retrieval of other unmanned sea craft vehicles.

A fuel depot and method autonomously and clandestinely provide fuel for transiting ships. An elongate streamlined flexible bladder member has flexible hull walls and divider walls separated by uniform spaces to form fuel compartments having a fuel valve and fuel pump. The bladder member can transit submerged to a remote destination. A fuel and water tight composition in and along the spaces prevent fuel and water leaks to ambient water and between the compartments. A submersible propulsion system has propulsive machinery and steering gear for towing the bladder member. A command/control system on the submersible propulsion system generated and couples driving signals to the propulsion system to tow and steer the bladder member to the remote destination using the preprogrammed computer, inertial navigation system (INS), global positioning system (GPS), and RF transceiver of the command/control system.

An ordinance, such as a rocket propelled grenade, shield includes a net with hard points at select nodes of the net and cable guides on the side of the net. Cables under tension extend through the cable guides supporting the net typically in conjunction with a top cross bar, spaced top struts, and spaced bottom struts. This framis design facilitates entering and exiting the vehicle or structure.

A wake absorber, wherein an aquatic vehicle with a propulsor mounted on the vehicle and operative to propel the vehicle through a water medium, has a wake absorber mounted on the vehicle aft of the propulsor. The wake absorber includes an artificial muscle surface adapted to be impinged upon by a wake created by the propulsor. The wake absorber further includes electrodes mounted on the artificial muscle surface. Pressure of the wake upon the muscle surface exercises a bending force on the surface, which creates energy that is recovered by the electrodes as electrical power that can be digitized. Energy removed from the muscle surface by the electrodes weakens the wake and renders the wake less pronounced visually and acoustically.

Systems and methods for marine seismic cable deployment and retrieval are described. One system comprises a plurality of portable containers, each container temporarily storing a marine seismic component, at least some of the containers able to be removably fastened to a deck of a vessel of opportunity, and at least one of the portable containers storing a main cable winch on which is wound a marine seismic cable. It is emphasized that this abstract is provided to comply with the rules requiring an abstract, which will allow a searcher or other reader to quickly ascertain the subject matter of the technical disclosure. It is submitted with the understanding that it will not be used to interpret or limit the scope or meaning of the claims.

A submersible vehicle for use in a body of liquid includes a vehicle body, a pair of fins coupled to the vehicle body on opposed sides thereof, and a dihedral angle control system. The dihedral angle control is system operative to vary a fin dihedral angle of each of the fins.

Variation in the contours of first and second compliant surfaces is produced by a compliant frame having a first resiliently variable frame element (120) having a corresponding first outer surface (122) and a first inner surface (124), and a second resiliently variable frame element (130) having a corresponding second outer surface (132) and a second inner surface (134). The first and second outer surfaces (122, 132) communicate with respective ones of the first and second compliant surfaces. A linkage element (141-144) having a predetermined resilience characteristic is coupled at a first end thereof to the first inner surface (124) and at a second end thereof to the second inner surface (134). A frame coupler (151) couples the first resiliently variable frame element (120) to a support element (150). An actuator (106) applies a force to the second resiliently variable frame element (130) with respect to the support element (150), resulting in a corresponding variation in the contour of the first and second compliant surfaces.

A landmine detection and neutralization apparatus and method is disclosed. The apparatus to determine the location of landmines, comprises at least two detection modules utilizing different infrared, sound, and/or optical detection and a remotely operated miniature airborne vehicle, that may carry the detection modules at an optimum altitude over a surface that may contain landmines. The neutralization device may be a microwave, acoustic and/or infrared wave generator. The method for determining the location of land comprises using at least two different landmine detection techniques where the techniques are infrared, sound, and optical detection, operating the detection techniques in a close proximity to a surface that may contain landmines and maintaining this close proximity by operating a remotely operated miniature airborne vehicle. Neutralization may be achieved by directing microwaves or infrared waves at detected landmines.

Systems are described herein for remotely aligning and placing disruptive devices at or near suspicious targets such as suspected improvised explosive devices (IEDs). In particular, tools connected to remotely controllable robots include disruptor guns for firing disruptive materials at the targets and disruptive devices filled with explosive materials, e.g., water, for controllably detonating or disrupting the detonation of the targets when placed in close proximity thereto.