3D Holograms Selected for the U.S. Army’s Network Integration Evaluation 13.1
Posted on Tue, Jul 31, 2012 @ 03:29 PM
(Austin, Texas) The US Army has selected Zebra Imaging’s Tactical Digital Holograms (TDH) for evaluation in the Army Network Integration Evaluation (NIE) 13.1. NIE is a series of semi-annual, Soldier-led evaluations designed to further integrate, mature and rapidly progress the Army’s tactical network. Planning and preparation for NIE 13.1 is underway with the evaluations to take place at Fort Bliss, Texas, and White Sands Missile Range, New Mexico in October/November 2012. Proven with over 12,000 holograms in support of Soldiers operations in OND/OEF, TDH provide sophisticated three-dimensional geospatial intelligence of the battlespace.
TDH have proven effective at improving understanding, retention, and situational awareness of Soldiers; facilitating better analysis, mission planning, and decision making. They provide depth, height, and feature details that 2D maps do not or cannot convey because of terrain intervals and other limitations of 2D representation of the 3D world. 3D imagery levels the playing field between natives and non-natives because it conveys imagery as it is seen by the human eye. TDH communicate large amounts of information quickly without special map training; reducing Soldiers’ cognitive load and allowing leaders to allocate additional time and resources to conduct Military Decision Making Process (MDMP) and Troop Leading Procedures (TLP).
Since being introduced to the United States Army in support of Operation Iraqi Freedom (OIF) in 2006, TDH have been employed effectively throughout the spectrum of MDMP at the command level and all phases of TLPs at the small unit level. To date, the Tactical Battlefield Visualization Program (TBV) has supported mission command and improved situational awareness for units across the Army’s skill spectrum including combat operations, and non-kinetic applications such as field and infrastructure engineering and civil affairs.
According to Zebra’s Defense and Intelligence Vice President, Dr. Jim Gardner “NIE is exactly the marriage tactical users, the doctrinal and training community and the Army combat developers need.” Dr. Gardner continues, “NIE is designed to put emerging technologies, which may address current capability gaps, in the hands of Soldiers in order to gain honest insight into their employment and effectiveness. TDH are a perfect fit given their intuitive but advanced display of complicated geospatial data.”
For more information regarding NIE, please visit NIE’s website at http://www.bctmod.army.mil/nie_focus/index.html.
About Zebra Imaging
Zebra Imaging, Inc. designs, develops and manufactures state-of-the-art 3D holographic imagers and displays for a variety of 3D visualization applications in civil, military and commercial markets which dramatically improve situational awareness, collaboration and decision-making. Zebra Imaging holograms and dynamic displays are portable, scalable, intuitively-understood and easily viewable to help customers turn a wide range of 3D data into reality. Customers include Federal and Department of Defense agencies; leading architecture, design and planning firms; civilian agencies and others who need to display and understand sophisticated 3D data in a comprehensive, durable and portable medium.2013