Wearable Programming Unit for Air Burst Munition Aiming
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Solution Overview
Problem
Existing systems for deploying air burst munitions are cumbersome and do not allow for rapid or intuitive aiming and firing, particularly due to weight and complexity issues in current mobile ballistic processing and targeting systems.
Innovation Solution
A wearable programming unit with a ballistic processor, display, two-channel wireless communication, and a vibrator that computes and displays the required barrel angle and time of burst, allowing users to intuitively align the rifle with a target marker and trigger the munition with vibration feedback.
Engineering Contradictions & Design Principles
Engineering Contradiction Analysis
1Measurement precision
If a mobile ballistic processing and targeting display system is used, then targeting accuracy is improved, but the rifle becomes too heavy to move during fine aiming
Solution Approach 1:
The system is divided into separate components: a lightweight wearable programming unit worn by the user and a separate sighting unit mounted on the rifle. This segmentation allows the computational functions to be separated from the rifle system, reducing rifle weight while maintaining targeting accuracy through the wearable unit's processing capabilities.
Solution Approach 2:
The wearable programming unit acts as an intermediary between the user and the rifle system. It receives input from the sighting unit, performs ballistic computations, and provides guidance back to the user, eliminating the need for heavy integrated processing equipment on the rifle itself.
2Measurement precision
If a three-stage aiming process is used, then targeting accuracy is improved, but the time required to aim and fire is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable programming unit performs preliminary ballistic computations and determines the target marker position in advance, before the user begins the aiming process. This allows the system to provide real-time guidance during aiming, reducing the time required compared to traditional multi-stage processes where computations are performed sequentially during each aiming stage.
Solution Approach 2:
The system provides continuous feedback through the sighting unit, displaying the target marker position and guiding the user during the aiming process. This real-time feedback mechanism allows for faster adjustment and acquisition compared to traditional methods that require multiple discrete adjustment stages.
3Speed
If a wearable programming unit with real-time computation is used, then aiming speed is improved, but device complexity is increased
Solution Approach 1:
The wearable programming unit is designed to perform multiple functions: storing ballistic characteristics, receiving deployment distance input, computing time of burst and barrel angle, and communicating with both the sighting unit and munition. This multi-functionality consolidates what would otherwise require multiple separate devices into a single integrated unit, managing complexity while enabling real-time computation.
Solution Approach 2:
The system automatically detects the loaded munition type and retrieves its characteristics from stored data without requiring manual configuration. The wearable unit self-manages the ballistic computation process based on automatically acquired parameters, reducing the operational complexity for the user while maintaining fast response times.
Data Source
AI summary
A wearable programming unit (WPU) (1 10, 1 10a-1 10b) for assisting a user deploy air burst munition (ABM, 10) from a rifle (20) in an intuitive manner is described. The WPU has a ballistic processor (112), wireless communication channels (120), a vibrator (130), a display (130), a mode button (150) and up/down select buttons (160, 161). After an ABM is selected and loaded into the rifle, and a deployment distance entered in the WPU, the ballistic processor calculates and outputs a time of burst T and barrel angle alpha. The barrel angle alpha is received by a sighting unit (104) and appears as a target marker. Once the rifle is tilted and/or moved so that a centre of the sighting unit coincides with the target marker, the WPU vibrates as a signal to the user to trigger the rifle.