New technology 'could keep UK soldiers safer'

A newly-developed computer framework could help to keep UK soldiers safer while in war zones, it has been suggested.

Developed by scientists at Cranfield University, which is based at the UK's Defence Academy, the autonomous computer network will allow one operator to control a number of army vehicles from a safe location.

The system will be used in multiple unmanned aerial vehicles, meaning that there will be more eyes on the ground, more accurate results and hopefully, safer missions.

Principal researcher Professor Antonios Tsourdos says that the technology will also allow pilotless vehicles to operate in challenging situations and bad weather conditions, increasing the chances of a mission being conducted safely and successfully.

It will also allow clouds to be tracked and their movement patterns to be predicted, which could help to revolutionise the way that explosions are dealt with by the emergency services.

Blinded soldier Craig Lundberg recently worked alongside scientists in the US to help develop BrainPort, a sensory device that is placed on the tongue in order to help blind people to have an idea of what is in front of them.

Posted by Samantha Thompson

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