Boomerang (countermeasure)
Boomerang is a
Development
Boomerang grew out of a program conceived by the
The
The new requirements included:
- Shooter localization to plus or minus 15-degree accuracy, and within one second of the shot
- Reliability for shot miss distances of one to 30 meters
- Ability to detect and localize fire from AK-47s and other small arms at ranges from 50 to 150 meters
- Reliable performance in urban environments with low buildings
- Operable when mounted on a vehicle moving up to 60 miles per hour (100 km/h) on either rough terrain or highways
- Ability to withstand sand, pebbles, rain, and light foliage impacts
- Ability to deliver alert information in both a voice announcement and on an LED display
- Microphone array and electronics box must be replaceable in the field[4]
The first prototype was developed in 65 days. Challenges that it faced were filtering out noise from the vehicle on which it is mounted (such as loud engines and static sounds from the radio), ignoring sounds similar to that of a gunshot (such as
In 2005 Boomerang won both the DARPA "Significant Technical Achievement Award" and the Massachusetts Innovation and Technology Exchange (MITX) "Technology Influencer of the Year Award."
Boomerang does not claim to be able to detect shots fired from firearms with sound suppressors.
Operation
The Boomerang unit attaches on a mast to the rear of a vehicle and uses an array of seven small microphone sensors. The sensors detect and measure both the muzzle blast and the supersonic shock wave from a supersonic bullet traveling through the air (and so is less effective against subsonic ammunition). Each microphone detects the sound at slightly different times. Boomerang then computes the direction a bullet is coming from, distance above the ground and range to the shooter in less than one second. Users receive simultaneous visual and auditory information on the point of fire from an LED 12-hour clock image display panel and speaker mounted inside the vehicle. For example, if someone is firing from the rear, the system announces "Shot, 6 o'clock", an LED illuminates at the 6 o'clock position, and the computer tells the user the shooter's range, elevation and azimuth.
Boomerang works in extreme weather, in open field and in urban environments, whether static or moving. BBN states that false shot detections are less than one per thousand hours of system operation at vehicle speeds under 50 miles per hour (80 km/h).
Related development
Starting in 2011, the
The 118th Boston Marathon (2014)
Stationary Boomerang III units were utilized in the "Athletes' Village", at the starting line, and finish line areas of the 118th running of The Boston Marathon as a result of the 2013 bombings that took place at the finish line. The Boomerang units were mounted to telephone poles and setup on tripods and networked together so all could be monitored from any of the mobile command units. Some were also deployed on mobile vehicles.
See also
- Sound ranging
References
- ^ Hsu, Jeremy (29 January 2007). "Tracing a Bullet Back to Its Gun". Scienceline. Archived from the original on 5 March 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ Moniz, Dave (27 March 2005). "Electronic ears on alert for enemy gunshots". USA Today. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ "Bullet Ears". CNN. 3 November 1997. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ Crane, David (15 March 2011). ""Newsweek" Attempts to Rebrand Gun Control Scheme as "Gun Safety" Cause: Tina Brown Gets Cute, Right Out of the Gate". Defense Review. Archived from the original on 27 October 2007. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ "Sniping at US Forces Beginning to Boomerang". Defense Industry Daily. 14 February 2011. Retrieved 27 May 2011.
- ^ "PEO Soldier | Equipment Portfolio". Archived from the original on 31 July 2013. Retrieved 5 November 2011.