The Cognitive Technology Threat Warning System, otherwise known as (CT2WS), is a brain-computer interface designed to analyze

sensory data Sensory may refer to: Biology * Sensory ecology, how organisms obtain information about their environment * Sensory neuron, nerve cell responsible for transmitting information about external stimuli * Sensory perception, the process of acquiri ...

and then alert foot-soldiers to any possible threats, passive or direct. CT2WS is part of U.S. Department of Defense's effort to produce an efficient and working Network-centric

infantryman Infantry is a military specialization which engages in ground combat on foot. Infantry generally consists of light infantry, mountain infantry, motorized infantry & mechanized infantry, airborne infantry, air assault infantry, and marin ...

Project

Proposal

Proposed in early 2007,

DARPA The Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) is a research and development agency of the United States Department of Defense responsible for the development of emerging technologies for use by the military. Originally known as the Ad ...

came to believe that a visual warning system could be produced and developed via an integration of technology and

artificial intelligence Artificial intelligence (AI) is intelligence—perceiving, synthesizing, and inferring information—demonstrated by machines, as opposed to intelligence displayed by animals and humans. Example tasks in which this is done include speech r ...

. By combining discoveries in flat-field, wide-angle optics, large pixel-count digital imagers, ultra-low power analog-digital hybrid

signal processing Signal processing is an electrical engineering subfield that focuses on analyzing, modifying and synthesizing ''signals'', such as sound, images, and scientific measurements. Signal processing techniques are used to optimize transmissions, ...

electronics with cognitive

visual processing Visual processing is a term that is used to refer to the brain's ability to use and interpret visual information from the world around us. The process of converting light energy into a meaningful image is a complex process that is facilitated by ...

algorithms, and neural network-based

target detection Automatic target recognition (ATR) is the ability for an algorithm or device to recognize targets or other objects based on data obtained from sensors. Target recognition was initially done by using an audible representation of the received signal ...

signatures,

felt a breakthrough was possible, but not likely to be achieved by independent researchers. CT2WS further requires that human brain activity must be integrated with the technology. Selection of research partners is currently open to potential researchers, including: non-traditional

defense contractor The arms industry, also known as the arms trade, is a global industry which manufactures and sells weapons and military technology. It consists of a commercial industry involved in the research and development, engineering, production, and se ...

s, nonprofit organizations, educational institutions, small businesses, etc. It was anticipated that funding for CT2WS will continue until 2011.

Funding

Budget for the project will be determined based upon the scope of the independent proposals. There have been many research and technology contributors to the project includin
HRL
an
Advanced Brain Monitoring
which contributed th
B-Alert wireless-EEG headsets

Technical details

Criteria for project includes: soldier portable, sensory-data collect for a 120 degree field of view (FOV), artificial analysis of data, threat analysis and prioritizing "brain-in-the-loop" integration, and real-time processing of neural and artificial cognitive data.

Related projects

The

DARPA Grand Challenge The DARPA Grand Challenge is a prize competition for American autonomous vehicles, funded by the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency, the most prominent research organization of the United States Department of Defense. Congress has authoriz ...

is another project designed to attract independent researchers to study AI for application to network-centric warfare. The Grand Challenge has tested autonomous driving ability in both

urban Urban means "related to a city". In that sense, the term may refer to: * Urban area, geographical area distinct from rural areas * Urban culture, the culture of towns and cities Urban may also refer to: General * Urban (name), a list of people ...

and rough terrain settings.

References