MAXWELL AIR FORCE BASE, Ala. -- Continuing the Futures Laboratory Roundtable, Auburn University of Montgomery hosted military, government and other academic institutions at their campus, Friday, March 24, 2017.
This month’s roundtable was the beginning of the series Futures Gazing Innovation Showcase – Academic Technology.
Dr. Robert Norton, Auburn University professor and Futures Laboratory coordinator of national security initiatives, said the goal of the series is to showcase cutting edge research that may have military applications, and also give the researchers new ideas on how to take the technologies in different directions.
The technologies presented included: antimicrobial N-halamine, which can be used to instantly disinfect water and air, Open-Architecture Composite Structures, Tactical Rope Insertion Assist Device, and past innovations from the Air Force Research Laboratory’s Student Challenge capstone project were discussed. Student projects discussed included the heavy lift rescue/ recovery, heat stress, fast rope device, controlled resupply device and ballistic impact testing.
After each presentation, participants asked questions and discussed possible applications for the technologies within a military capacity.
“The things that we are promoting in these future events are cutting edge technologies, new ideas, new innovations and its things that the military may not be aware of,” Norton said. “We are trying to make these things available to the military, so they can see these technologies and also comment on the technologies, and we saw some of that today.”