The U.S. Army is working on “Aim Control Enhancer” technology, aka ACE, that aids troops in firing their weapons more accurately, according to military site Task & Purpose.
Under development as part of the Next Generation Squad Weapon, that technology is geared toward “stabilizing a weapon’s barrel against unnecessary or unintended movement.”
It is said to be an offshoot of the U.S. Special Operations Command’s project to build an “Iron Man” suit, which has reportedly been scrapped.
Iron Man refers to the Marvel Comics superhero franchise, which was launched in 1963 and launched into the mass market mainstream by a series of films starring Oscar-nominated Robert Downey Jr. as a genius arms developer who doubles as an international crime fighter.
Wyoming-based engineer Matt Angle told Task & Purpose the concept behind his brainchild compares to that of a smart camera.
“Basically, you grab the device, and there’s a mechanical linkage system that keeps the barrel still in certain ways,” he said. “It doesn’t automatically aim, but the whole thing is closer to image stabilization in a camera lens — as your hand shakes, the system moves to keep the barrel still.”
Infantry troops are expected to be armed with rifles and an automatic rifles utilizing the new technology as early as next year.
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