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CONTACT SCBJ John Wolcott, Editor jwolcott@scbj.com Dave Clark, Assistant Editor dclark@scbj.com

New inventions changing ways of life, warfare

By John Wolcott
SCBJ Editor

Technology continues to change the way we live, particularly in the entertainment world. At the same time, technology is changing the way we fight wars, hopefully giving our armed forces new advantages over their enemies.

Three technological developments caught my attention in my email this month.

First, in Taiwan, ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute) has come out with FleXpeakers, paper-thin speakers. Literally as thin as a piece of paper, its expected the new technology will revolutionize the use of electronic sound in many industries around the world.

It will enable allow future consumer electronic products to become even lighter and slimmer.

ITRI, Taiwan’s largest and one of the world’s leading high-tech research companies, found HSINCHU, Taiwan, Oct. 13, 2009 – ITRI (Industrial Technology Research Institute), Taiwan’s largest and one of the world’s leading high-tech research and development institutions, found a way to create arrays of tiny, bendable speakers that can be combined to produce high-fidelity speaker systems of almost any size using standard printing methods. Even more amazing, the paper speakers can be cut with scissors into any size or shape and sound continues to flow from these snippets of the original “paper” speaker.

Already, the invention has earned the Wall Street Journal’s 2009 Innovation Award in Consumer Electronics.

The new technology can be adapted to wired and wireless products alike. Also, the energy used by the speakers is 90 percent less than with regular speakers, enabling it to be used in car audio systems, flat-screen televisions, thin-sheet MP3 innovative applications, billboard or shopping center advertising and public announcement systems in bus or train stations.

It also can be integrated into energy-saving buildings, electric vehicles, entertainment and medical applications, wearable clothing, wallpaper and a variety of consumer packaging. Soon, sound will be available in previously unimaginable places.

And, from the Boeing Co. comes word that warfare is changing dramatically, too.

On Sept. 19, Boeing and the U.S. Air Force damaged a moving ground vehicle from the air using an Advanced Tactical Laser (ATL) aircraft, completing ATL’s first air-to-ground, high-power laser engagement of a mobile target.

In the test, a C-130H took off from Kirtland AFB near Albuquerque and fired a high-power chemical laser through its beam control system while flying over White Sands Missile Range. The beam control system guided the laser beam’s energy to the unoccupied, remotely controlled target, striking the vehicle and putting a hole in a fender, demonstrating a space-age demonstrated of the ability to aim and fire a high-energy laser beam at a moving target.

Gary Fitzmire, vice president and program director of Boeing Missile Defense Systems’ Directed Energy Systems unit, said, “ATL has now precisely targeted and engaged both stationary and moving targets, demonstrating the transformational versatility of this speed-of-light, ultra-precision engagement capability.”

Boeing leads the way in developing and integrating laser systems for a variety of customers, including the U.S. Air Force, Army and Navy.

Another Boeing development report announced that the company’s A160T Hummingbird, an unmanned helicopter, has conducted successful operations with the new, high-tech Foliage Penetration Reconnaissance, Surveillance, Tracking and Engagement Radar (FORESTER).

The new radar sensor penetrates foliage, providing warfighters with all-weather, day-night target detection of troops or vehicles moving under foliage. Such a development can change the entire scope of warfare.

Mounting this sensor beneath an unmanned helicopter would enable identification of possible ambush sites. This small radar also denies concealment and sanctuary to enemy units hiding in wooded areas.
What amazing products mankind’s creativity can generate.