Media Advisory: See Live Demos of a Remote-Operated Patrol Boat, Language Translator & Virtual Reality Gear Aboard the Afloat Lab During NYC Fleet Week Visit

WHAT: Meet the researchers behind some of the latest technology supported by the Office of Naval Research
WHEN: Private Media Availability Thursday, May 27 & Friday, May 28, 10 a.m. to noon
(And other times and days through Monday, May 31 by appointment)
Open to the public May 27 through May 31, noon to 5 p.m. Free Admission.
WHERE: Office of Naval Research Afloat Lab (YP 679), adjacent to the Intrepid Museum, North of Pier 86, 46th St. & 12th Ave., New York City

See working demonstrations of some of the newest research developed during peacetime for results at wartime to benefit Sailors and Marines aboard the Office of Naval Research´s Afloat Lab during its New York City Fleet Week visit. For more information about the boat and the technologies, go to http://www.onr.navy.mil/events/afloat.

• SeaFox , an unmanned 16-foot vessel will be in the water, zipping around the Afloat Lab to demonstrate its force-protection capability. Master Chief James Blessé will be on hand to explain how this vessel, originally developed to train helicopter gunners, is being adapted to patrol ships or portside installations.
• Intérprete ™, a hand-held language translator from SpeechGear Inc., is contained in a personal digital assistant or a pocket personal computer. Meet Robert Palmquist of SpeechGear who will show how the translator combines speech recognition, voice synthesis and phrase-building technology and can switch between multiple languages with a single click.
• Mobile Augmented Reality system in development by Columbia University researchers and the Naval Research Laboratory adds layers of virtual information to the real world by offering maps and background information to the user without impeding their vision. Researchers from Columbia will be on hand Thursday and Friday to demonstrate how information updates as the user moves.
• Advanced Materials: Lightweight Composites and Blast-Resistant Coatings offer cost savings and added protection to our Sailors and Marines. The composites can be used to build strong yet lightweight structures, while a spray-on coating can be applied to a vehicle´s floors and doors for increased protection against landmines and other explosives.
• Silver Fox , developed by Advanced Ceramics Research using off-the-shelf components, was originally created to track migrating whales, and Tony Mulligan of Advanced Ceramics will be available to answer questions. The plane, which is small enough to fold into a golf bag, has been modified with an "eyes in the sky" camera to provide forward information for the troops in Operation Iraqi Freedom, where it has been used successfully. The gas-powered Silver Fox has a 5-foot long fuselage, detachable 7-foot wings and weighs 22 pounds.
• REMUS , Bluefin & SeaGlider autonomous underwater vehicles are used for both oceanographic research and dangerous mine countermeasure missions. REMUS has been used in Operation Iraqi Freedom to help clear mines from ports. Bluefin uses sonar to search the seafloor for mines, while Seaglider can glide quietly without a traditional engine.
• Imaging Systems including a laser diode night-vision system that uses infrared light to illuminate dark scenes significantly better than existing technology and an ultra-high resolution electronic imaging system for airborne surveillance.
• Sound Devices developed at the Naval Research Laboratory allow Marines in the field to hear radio transmissions through a receiver worn like a sweatband under their helmet, but offers the added advantage of not blocking ambient sounds. Brian McClimens from the Naval Research Laboratory will be on hand to demonstrate this and other sound technologies developed at the lab.
• And Much More!

The Afloat Lab is a former Naval Academy Yard Patrol craft that now serves as a test platform for the Office of Naval Research. Installed on the boat is an innovative self-healing communications network that can route around breaks while remaining on-line, allowing multiple critical shipboard systems to function with damaged communications links.