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AMREL’s New Rugged Laptops More Powerful

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Faster, more powerful, and more flexible than earlier models, AMREL’s new RT9, RK9, and RF9 laptops are perfect for the data-heavy applications used by the military and public safety sectors.

“Every single upgrade in the new laptops was made in response to the critical needs of end users,” explains Ron McMahan, AMREL’s VP, Engineering Solutions. “Video streaming, biometric file transmission, mapping software, and other large footprint applications need greater shared system memory.  So, AMREL has added options for up to 8GB memory as well as faster processors and a larger memory cache.” Read more

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The Incredibly Shrinking UGV

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In the early days of the Afghanistan and Iraqi wars, US forces had no effective countermeasures against Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), the single biggest cause of combat deaths. To fight the IED threat, our armed forces turned to Unmanned Ground Vehicles (UGV).

It’s hard to remember now, but UGVs barely existed 10 years ago. The Defense community abandoned the traditionally leisurely pace of decades-long weapons development and quickly flooded combat theaters with thousands of UGVs. In 2011, the world’s governments are projected to spend $702 million a year on UGVs.  Below is a chart comparing a few UGVs. Read more

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Micro UAVs do more than look cool

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Some of the big attractions at last month’s AUVSI North American conference were micro-UAVs.  The Samurai UAV was especially impressive, sporting an unusual asymmetric design.  You may have seen images of this amazing little device, but do yourself a favor and check out the video below of Engineering TV’s interview with Bill Borgia, Director of the Intelligent Robotics Laboratory at Lockheed Martin. Read more

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FedMil.com’s ROCKY DB6 Video

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Watch Ted Ventresca of www.fedmil.com interview Ron McMahan, VP Engineering Solutions at AMREL, about the ROCKY DB6, the world’s smallest rugged handheld that runs Windows 7/Linux.

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Battlefield Connectivity for Dismounted Forces-Free Whitepaper

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This short whitepaper discusses the problems facing front-line computing, including: data explosion, form factor, power, ruggedness, reliability, and interoperability. We review several approaches to overcoming these challenges, the potential of smartphones, and look at some of the Atom-based rugged computers currently on the market. To download this free whitepaper, click here.

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AMREL at AUVSI 2011

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See AMREL’s new interoperable Payload Controller Paylaod Controller, handheld OCU, as well as the the Rocky DB6, the world’s smallest rugged computer with full Windows 7/Linux. Stop by AMREL’s booth #3030, and get a good look at our line of fully rugged computers as wll as our suite of interoperable solutions.

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ROCKY DB6 at FOSE

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See the Rocky DB6, the world’s smallest rugged computer with full Windows 7/Linux, at FOSE 2011.  This powerful little handheld weighs only 1.5 pounds, but supports the same programs as a laptop at a fraction of the energy.  Come by AMREL’s booth 115 and ask about our FREE life-size die cuts!

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COTS – the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly

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One of the big changes for military vendors in recent years has been the greatercots-good-bad-ugly  emphasis placed on acquisition of Commercial Off The Shelf (COTS) products by the Department of Defense (DoD).  In the past, COTS constituted a few percent of all items purchased by the DoD.   While the overall amount is still low, some weapon systems are composed by as much as 50% of COTS.  What are the good, the bad and the ugly about COTS?

Good:

1)    Cost:  One of the main drivers for the acquisition of COTS has been the price. By definition, COTS products have no development cost, so, in theory, the DoD gets a cheaper item. Despite its behemoth budget, Defense still accounts for a minuscule part of the electronics market.  So, by buying from the much larger commercial sector, DoD also benefits from economy of scale. Read more

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Free ROCKY DB6 Life Size Cut-Out

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See for yourself just how compact the ROCKY DB6 handheld isDB6 DyeCut. Put it in a cargo pocket or hold it in your hand, the ROCKY DB6 handheld is the smallest rugged computer with full Windows/Linux in the world. To get a FREE life size cut-out, just click here.

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COTS Obsolescence & Total Cost of Ownership

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The initial purchase price of your rugged computer may only be aCOTS Obsolenense  small part of the Total Cost of Ownership (TCO). Platform support, customization, integration, connectivity, and inadequate durability may make your “bargain” very expensive.  Will your rugged computer be good for your ROI five or ten years from now or just for today?

Commercial Off the Shelf (COTS) products are attractive for the price and established supply chain. However, there is a fundamental problem buying mass-produced off-the-shelf items. New and upgraded products typically generate more profit than old ones. Corporations prioritize the overhead of product support for the greatest revenue earners, i.e. the new products. Support for older platforms is phased out. Read more

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