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Saturday, November 25, 2006

 

Smart Truck

Brings to mind James Bond, but pretty cool nevertheless.  Idea


http://www.metacafe.com/watch/239587/the_smart_truck/


Comments:
Very funny satire piece.
Imagine a large MM or PB winnner could get something like that customized. Brings to mind some of the vehicles used by civilians in hostile areas which have flame throwers installed along the running board area.
Hah! James Bond wishes he could have a truck like this. Here's an excerpt from National Defense Magazine:

"Some of the technologies in the Smart Truck include:

A remote-control weapon station, operated in the cabin of the vehicle by one of the rear passengers.

Each of the two rear bucket seats can be moved to the center of the vehicle enabling the passenger to operate the weapon station. The weapon is raised from the cap of the vehicle through sliding doors. Enemy targets are spotted by the four cameras located on the roof of the vehicle and by a fifth camera mounted on top of the weapon and are viewed simultaneously on the monitor station in the center console of the vehicle.

A biometric/fingerprint identification system that works hand in hand with a PanelMate touch-screen display. Passengers do not have access to the PanelMates unless their fingerprints are recognized as registered users.

A DriverTech truck PC�a Windows CE touch-screen computer�supports both satellite and terrestrial wireless communications and has an optional GPS unit capable of uploading government maps from the National Imagery Mapping Agency.

A so-called Eclipse voice-activated commander unit works with most controls, such as GPS navigation and cell phone integration. It also is possible to control other on-board vehicle electronics such as power windows and stereo controls by voice. It replaces the existing radio on the dashboard and plays DVD briefings on the mobile video system.

Dazzling lights�one pair on the front grill, the second, on the rear bumper. The lights are so bright that the enemy cannot look directly at the vehicle or pursue it any further.

Bomb detection equipment notices disturbances in the magnetic field of the vehicle. If someone were to place an item such as a bomb under the truck, a light in the dash will blink, warning the driver of the disturbance.

Bulletproof glass, which is designed to survive the impact of a .44 magnum round.

High voltage door handles�one on each of the four doors. When activated, the door handles maintain a voltage high enough to temporarily stun an intruder.

Lightweight armor (Kevlar) covers the entire vehicle except for the floorboards. It protects from bullets as large as .44 magnum.

A night-vision camera rises out of the cab of the truck through a sliding door. The camera is controlled by the PanelMates. It can pan and tilt a full 360 degrees, capturing images to display on the mobile video system.

Oil slicks�When activated, the oil from the reservoir is sent through dispensing pipes located at the rear of the vehicle, which disperse the oil through several holes. This creates a slippery surface for pursuers.

Pepper spray dispensers are located in each corner of the cab. They can propel the spray a distance of up to 12 feet.

A smoke screen can be pumped out of the exhaust pipe.

A tack dispenser is located near the rear axle of the vehicle. The tacks are designed to always hit the ground with one sharp point in the upright position."

I was lucky enough to win a contract to write a section of the weapons manual for this project, and another for a related project called "Combatts." These platforms have been in the works for years, but the conflicts in Iraq and Afghanistan have helped to better define the role they'll play in urban combat situations. The floors in these vehicles are not armor-free; they use tempered steel plates backed by overlapping titanium plates as a marked defense against IED's. The truck is designed to roll over onto its wheels in the event of a significant blast. There are three Smart Truck platforms that I'm aware of; the Ford F-350, the Chevy Silverado and the Dodge Ram 3500, which is the prototype I was shown.

I'm going to blow my own horn here and state that I recieved the Navy Achievement Medal in 1993 for designing a magnetically-tuned anti-personnel trigger. My design was modified for the bomb detection circuits on these vehicles, so I couldn't be more proud.
Kudos, Jim on your award!!! WTG!!

My son sent me the video link which I found fascinating. I thought it would take at the very least a 250 body to support that much armament. My book a very cool concept which may be one day toned down for civilian purchase.
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