The iPod touch Continues to Gain Military Acceptance

Late last year, I wrote about the military's use of the iPod touch as a translation device. And it seems that the device has become very popular among soldiers and the military as well, and use has expanded into a number of other areas.

The versatility of the device is a major plus, but one would think the military's propensity for ruggedized devices would put a damper on its adoption. But no, as Newsweek notes, most of the time iPod touches are "sheathed in protective casing" (translation: it's in a case) and has proved tough enough for military use.

Pricing is another plus, with the military able to buy an 8GB model for $229 at retail, compared to what you would expect for a custom implementation of hardware from say, Raytheon or some other military contractor.

Naturally, the device is popular among the grunts as well, who might own their own iPod touch or even iPhone, and be used to the UI. I'm sure they don't mind the ability to install a few games now and again, either.

Some of the new applications that the military is either planning or has implemented for the iPod touch include:

• Snipers in Iraq and Afghanistan now use a "ballistics calculator" called BulletFlight, made by the Florida firm Knight's Armament for the iPod Touch and iPhone.
  

• Army researchers are developing applications to turn an iPod into a remote control for a bomb-disposal robot (tilting the iPod steers the robot).
  

• In Sudan, American military observers are using iPods to learn the appropriate etiquette for interacting with tribal leaders.
  

• Next Wave Systems in Indiana, is expected to release iPhone software that would enable a soldier to snap a picture of a street sign and, in a few moments, receive intelligence uploaded by other soldiers (the information would be linked by the words on the street sign). This could include information about local water quality or the name and photograph of a local insurgent sympathizer.
  

• The U.S. Marine Corps is funding an application for Apple devices that would allow soldiers to upload photographs of detained suspects, along with written reports, into a biometric database. The software could match faces, making it easier to track suspects after they're released.

Let's not forget the translation software, Vcommunicator (at the time I wrote my original piece, the device and software together were called a VCOM). You can watch a clip on VCOM from the Pentagon News Channel (yes, they have one) from last year, below.