Ferranti Plc

James M Buick

Robert Arthur Morley

Apparatus (FIG. 1), for training in the rapid and accurate reaction to a situation confronting one or more trainees 12, 12' in an enclosed room 11, has one wall thereof formed by a screen portion 14 onto which an optical image is back-projected by projector 16. Each trainee's weapon 22 has a light emitter 24 responsive to firing the gun (containing blanks) at the screen to simulate the projectile impact point by spot 26. A television camera adjacent the projector and viewing the rear of the screen receives the spot and relates the position of this within the camera field to datum points of the projected image, the datum points 36' being visible to the camera and not the trainee. The scoring is analyzed by projecting onto the screen recorded video images including both the spot 26 and the reflected projected image and a store 29', containing the positional relationships between datum points and target areas, may be used with image processor 28 to determine quantitative relationships between simulated impact point 26 and the target area. A plurality of trainees may use the system together, each being allotted a light emission time window, synchronized with the camera scan to discriminate between them.

Projected imaged weapon training apparatus

A marine mine 10 (FIG. 4) is arranged to have a buoyancy state in which the force of gravity and/or buoyancy act on the mine in a vertical direction to move the mine through the water and includes control means operable to control guidance surfaces 16, 17, 18 projecting from the mine to impart a lateral gliding movement to the mine to steer it to intercept a target. The buoyancy state is determined by a buoyancy compartment forming part of the mine body which may be flooded to lay the mine at a submerged station. Sonar sensing means detecting a target causes air from a cartridge to displace water from the buoyancy compartment to provide an upward buoyancy force which is used to give lateral movement to the mine which is steered on a trajectory intercepting the target.

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Stockport, United Kingdom

James M Buick