[Homeland Security, Science and Technology]
 [Darren Wilson] The Augmented Reality Sandtable
or (ARES) is the tool that
mimics the terrain in a mission space. Showing
peaks, valleys, ridges, mountains, trails and
allows groups or small units to get situational
awareness, visualize that mission space and better
prepare for whatever the mission is. [Thomas
 Madrid] The early ideas of the Sandtable from
our points was a phone static table that was as
 best as we could
develop to the terrain features. Thee typography
of the training area that we used, but we have
probably five or six different areas that we are able
 to train and have different types of terrain.
We would technically have to make a phone
 table for every area that we've trained
in and the Augmented Reality Sandtable
 now allows us to change the terrain
to fit the training area that we are training in at
that time. The foam Sandtable we just
 weren't able to do that.
[Darren]The U.S. Border Patrol Training Academy,
 approached us with a need to improve their
sign-cutting and tracking capabilities.
 Specifically with respect to
their ability to do mission pre-brief,
mission planning and after action review.
 [Thomas]You're able to upload maps various
areas of operation. Whether it be on the border in
a sector area or station responsibility or a training
area such as our academy. You can overlay that
picture onto the sand and it mold and move based
on the typography lines that are overlaid
 on the sand. After the U.S.
Border Patrol Training Academy conveyed
 their needs. S&T tapped it's
network of federal partners, industry, academia
 and other
national laboratories to see what was out there.
 What we call "Text Scout".
S&T decided to go with the Augmented Reality
Sandtable, because it was the perfect
 combination of low cost, commercial
off the shelf components. Government owned
software and the reliability that could benefit or
 patrol agents in the field
and at the training academy. [Thomas] Because
 we are able to bring the students in and have them
observe the terrain that they will be working in.
 We could have them come up with a
terrain analyses prior to them even running
 through a scenario. We could
record the scenario that they went through
 play it back and they could
discuss pros and cons of the type of interdiction
 that they used. [Darren] The Augmented
Reality Sandtable also has all sorts of
 enhancements and capabilities that are
coming along, including a floor projected option
 for briefing larger groups
or training classes. That also includes
things like the HALO Lens 2, which gives you the
 mixed reality capabilities where
you can actually see from any point
of view on the 3D map, what you would be
 looking at from that point on the
on the terrain. [Jesse Azua] Recently we've
really become engaged with Science
 and Technology specific and Mr. Wilson
on my part and I fee personally that we've grown
and created a great partnership, even more
 so here recently within
the last couple of months and I hope that continues
and were here to help each other out and
 it's been nothing but positive 100%.
[For more information: First.Responder@hq.dhs.gov]
[Homeland Security, Science and Technology]
Instrumental Music playing in background]
