Techaeris.com has a story about DHS technology investments and how they were leveraged at the Super Bowl. Here’s the TAK relevant part, though there’s several other related topics in the article:
The Science and Technology Directorate is also responsible for developing the Android Team Awareness Kit (ATAK). The technology in the platform represents a potent combination of human senses and intuition plus technological augmentation. It doesn’t quite turn humans into cyborgs as the name suggests — it runs on the Android platform. But it does augment human responsiveness considerably.
ATAK is a good fit for a variety of situations where proactively detecting or quickly responding to threats means the difference between life and death. DHS deployed ATAK in the wake of Hurricane Harvey in 2017. Now, it’s an integral part of Super Bowl security. It brings together the following technologies:
- Mobile and airborne sensors to study traffic flow and identify potential security incidents
- Advanced tactical radios and integrated video and voice communications
- The use of cameras and other “situational awareness” technology to keep teams in contact with home base and with each other
The ATAK system gives security personnel the ability to gather more data from their surroundings than they could unassisted. The sophisticated cameras, heads-up displays, and geolocation tech even let individuals or teams see through each other’s eyes so they can better focus, organize, and prioritize their responses to emerging threats.
