Military Invention Day 2018

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On 19 May 2018, the Smithsonian’s Lemelson Center for the Study of Invention and Innovation will showcase examples of today’s leading-edge military inventions alongside historical technologies from the Museum’s world-class collections. This daylong festival celebrates the crucial role of invention for the United States, explores the changing relationship between military research and commerce, and gives visitors an opportunity to envision how advances in military technology will impact their daily lives in the future.

Armed Forces Tech at Military Invention Day

Air Force



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        ISAAC Ground Robot. Clear communication is critical for future human–robotic joint missions. The Infrared and Sonar Autonomous Avoidance Comrade (ISAAC) is a ground robot with sonar and infrared sensors that help it navigate through a novel environment while providing feedback to humans via text communications. Courtesy of US Air Force

Automatic Integrated Collision Avoidance Technology
Battlefield Trauma Observation Kit (BATDOK)
Flexible Hybrid Electronics
Hypersonic Flight Boundary Layer Transition (BOLT)
Insect-controlled Robots
ISAAC Ground Robot
Open Architecture Navigation
BendiGlass
TEC Torch

Army

Augmented Reality
Department of Defense Combat Feeding Research and Engineering
Evolution of Night Vision Technology
History of the Conquest of Darkness
Imaging with PUMA Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
Immersive Conquest of Darkness Experience
Intelligent Aquatic BioMonitoring System
SHRAIL Flexible Field Litter
Silent Utility Rover Universal Superstructure (SURUS)
Thermal Weapon Sights & Image Intensifier Technology

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A man points to a mannequin simulating a medical patient lying on a stretcher. A rail, called the SHRAIL, is attached to the side of the stretcher and holds an IV bag. Several more unattached SHRAILs fill the foreground.

SHRAIL. Conceived by two US Army surgeons, Capt. Maxwell Sirkin and Col. Jason Hiles, the lightweight Sirkin-Hiles Rail System (SHRAIL) mounts to a standard NATO litter to transform it into a highly-functional operating table or intensive-care-unit bed. The rails provide a standardized means of attaching a broad range of medical devices, monitors, and products. Courtesy of US Army

Coast Guard



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        Hammer Hook. Petty Officer First Class Kevin Spratt of the Coast Guard Cutter Spar welded a hook to the head of a maul, combining two tools frequently used on a buoy deck. The Hammer Hook reduces clutter on the deck and makes it easier for crewmembers to switch between tools. Courtesy of US Coast Guard

Hammer Hook
Helicopter Rescue Baskets
Unmanned Maritime System

Marine Corps

VR Enhanced Maintenance Operations

Navy—Naval Research Laboratory

Energy from Seawater
GelMan Surrogates for Armor Design and Injury Assessment
Lasers and Plasma Physics

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Three scientists posing with GelMan synthetic substitutes for live animals or clay materials used in testing new body armor, helmets, and flak jackets. A mold, partial skull, and 2 helmets are on the table in front of the scientists.

GelMan. Dr. Amit Bagchi, Dr. Peter Matic, and Dr. Thomas O'Shaughnessy (left to right) use GelMan surrogates, made of synthetic bones and soft tissue, to test helmets and armor for the military. "Our job is to provide some basic understanding of what's going on," says Matic. "Then we can contribute to the design and selection of the best protective equipment." Courtesy of US Naval Research Laboratory; photo by Jamie Hartman

DARPA (Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency)



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        The Mantis camera has better than 100-megapixel resolution, operates at 30 frames per second, and can achieve face recognition at 120 meters. Courtesy of Aqueti, Inc.

Aqueti, Inc.: Mantis Camera
Toyon Research Corporation: Spider AI Biohazard Identification

Draper

Skymark
Zero-Force Accelerometer

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A landscape scene, showing a curving road that winds from the foreground to the background, passing under low-lying clouds, and heading toward a mountain. City lights are at the right of the image and the sky is filled with circular star trails.

Skymark provides a location fix through a unique combination of advanced optics, sensors, and algorithms to triangulate from known positions of stars and satellites. The result is accuracy better than 15 meters and direction-finding in the absence of GPS. Courtesy of Draper

Dynamis

COBRA Drones and Virtual Reality

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An overhead view of the northwest section of the Lagoa de Jacarepaguá area in Rio de Janeiro. Some buildings are marked with grey or green nuclear symbols and head-and-shoulders outlines of people, simulating the tracking of sensors.

COBRA is a scalable suite of drones, cameras, and digital tools that supports military operations and also are used in managing security for special events and for emergencies and disasters. This photo shows an example of work with the Brazilian army on integrating chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) detection and identification technologies. Courtesy of Dynamis, Inc.

MIT Lincoln Laboratory

Detecting Infection Before Illness

10 am – 5:30 pm Free and open to the public