APL helps flying cops prevent attacks
A new technology developed by the Hopkins Applied Physics Laboratory will make it easier for police to perform routine surveillance of possible terrorism targets.
Maryland state police conduct routine inspections of high-profile locations, such as bridges and dams, by helicopter. However, there is no systematic way for officers to keep track of what they observe.
APL worked with police to design a portable computer with detailed information on each of the targets. The computer stores data and photographs collected over time to help officers spot unusual activity.
The device also features an interactive checklist intended to systematically guide the inspection of each site. State police officials hope that the routine recording of information with this system will allow for better detection of suspicious activities.
The Critical Infrastructure Inspection Management System was developed with funding from the federal Department of Homeland Security, and could eventually find widespread use across the United States.
Planned space telescope gets cable
The James Webb Space Telescope, the planned successor to the Hubble Space Telescope, has just gotten broadband.
A proprietary technology called SpaceWire will allow the four major instruments on the telescope to communicate more efficiently by improving on standard broadband capabilities.
SpaceWire, developed by the European Space Agency, runs about 10 times faster than traditional Earth-bound cables. The enhanced speed will allow cameras on the telescope to take larger and more detailed photographs as they communicate with each other in real time.
The technology was adapted for use on the James Webb Space Telescope by scientists at NASA's Goddard Space Flight Center in Greenbelt, Md. SpaceWire will soon be standard on a wide range of commercial, defense, and scientific satellites.
The James Webb Space Telescope is expected to launch in 2013. It will be operated by the Space Telescope Science Institute, located on the Hopkins Homewood campus, which also operates the Hubble telescope.
