NSWC Crane Partners with Academia to Develop Software
Navy NewsStand
Story Number: NNS090512-18
Release Date: 5/12/2009 10:34:00 PM
By Naval Surface Warfare Center Crane Corporate Communications
CRANE, Ind. (NNS) -- A team of Rose-Hulman Institute of Technology (RHIT) presented a state-of-the-art software program developed in collaboration with Naval Surface Warfare Center (NSWC), Crane Division May 4 that measures various accuracy attributes of small arms impacts on a target.
With the warfighter in mind, the practical and user-friendly Small Arms Naval Target Analyzer (SANTA) will take the place of a system currently used.
"Rose-Hulman needed a senior project for their engineering students, and we needed a better way of giving our customers what they need, cheaper and faster," said Chuck Zeller, senior engineer and small arms and weapons technical warrant holder for NSWC Crane.
"With this quality solution in place, the elite warrior will have better weapons and ammunition with proven testing."
Typically, small arms accuracy test data is compiled using modern acoustical targeting systems to automatically collect shot placement data and generate the needed statistical data for analysis. When a targeting system is not available or firing is done on a range where it is impractical to use an automated system, firing is done on paper targets and data is measured and entered into spreadsheets by hand, a time consuming and laborious process.
SANTA is intended to replace the traditional method of measuring targets by hand with a fast and efficient means of collecting data on used targets.
Starting out as a senior project for RHIT, SANTA was produced through a teaming effort to allow technical experts at NSWC Crane Special Missions Center to analyze small arms targets, perform image recognition of bullet holes, calculate group sizes and generate statistical data on the targets.
According to Zeller, "The old system is MS DOS-based and is very time-consuming."
The process consisted of testing on a paper target and physically plotting and analyzing the bullet holes. Data was entered into a spreadsheet on a computer with the target eventually thrown away. Re-analyzing the testing at a later date was not an option.
With SANTA, digital photos are taken of the tested target and uploaded to the software. Information is entered into data fields from which testers can easily select data, such as type of gun, quantity of bullet holes, distance from the target, type of weather and any other field need to provide accurate testing data. Other administrative data also is entered into the software, such as the name of the tester.
Once the basic testing data is entered into SANTA, reports can be generated based on the specific analysis needed. The information will also be housed in a complete database for testing comparisons, something not available to NSWC Crane Special Missions Center prior to SANTA.
RHIT and NSWC Crane have been working on the project since early fall of 2008 and have completed many versions. Technical experts at the warfare center have continuously tested the software and requested enhancements with RHIT for better efficiency of the product. Now that the software is complete both parties are elated.
"RHIT and NSWC Crane have been working together towards a final project everyone is happy with," Zeller said.
With the success of this project complete, NSWC Crane Special Missions Center is already generating ideas for other senior projects in partnership with RHIT next year.
Located in Terre Haute, Ind., RHIT is a 1,900-student private college that specializes in undergraduate engineering, science and math education. It has been ranked for 10 consecutive years as the number one undergraduate engineering college. The ranking is based on a national survey of deans and senior faculty conducted by U.S. News & World Report.
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