General Dynamics C4 Systems (Taunton, MA), a business unit of General Dynamics Corp. (Falls Church, VA), reported that it has won a $1.3 million US Air Force contract to develop 10 prototype tablet computers powered by direct liquid fuel cells that could be used by special operations forces to set up portable air traffic control computers.
The General Dynamics unit in Scottsdale, AZ, is functioning as a systems integrator in the contract to meld different features into prototype systems. A key component of the portable system is the fuel cell technology developed by Medis Technologies. The fuel cell liquid can be injected into a cartridge that can be snapped into the system. The system's requirements call for its components to be rugged, easy-to-use, reliable and small. The fuel cell reservoirs being developed can vary in size, although they typically are likely to be the size of a computer mouse.
