Âé¶¹´«Ã½

Under fire

3 February 2001

Soldiers pinned down by sniper fire might one day be able to pinpoint where
their attacker is hiding, using a new detector invented by BBN Technologies in
Cambridge, Massachusetts. The “crack” as the shot leaves the muzzle can be
masked by background noise, so the detector’s helmet-mounted microphones instead
track the bullet’s supersonic shock wave. If two or more soldiers wearing the
equipment are either side of the shot, “the system gives a very good estimate of
the bullet’s trajectory”, says Gregory Duckworth of BBN Technologies. “From
there, it works back to where the sniper is likely to be,” he…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with Âé¶¹´«Ã½ events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, today with our introductory offers

or

Existing subscribers

Sign in to your account
Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop