Tactical Optical Information System

Inside armored personnel carriers, APC’s, such as e.g. Hägglunds CV90 or Mowag Piranha, the possibilities for looking out are rather limited. That is especially true for the soldiers being transported inside the personnel compartment. Because of this, the soldiers are in effect expected to put themselves into harms way with very limited knowledge of what is happening outside the vehicle. One possible way to improve the situational awareness inside an APC is to have screens showing live images of the outside environment. The current investigation utilizes a set of carefully placed cameras connected to screens streaming live images inside the vehicle. It is found that this will significantly improve the situational awareness of the soldiers inside the APC. Field trials conducted in a realistic environment show that a careful placement of the cameras and the screens will increase the safety, and the efficiency, of the soldiers when they dismount the vehicle.