News

Micro Power Joins EDGE Innovation Network For Warfighter Systems

April 10, 2008 by Jeff Shepard

Micro Power Electronics Inc. announced that it has joined the EDGEInnovation Network, a collaborative, open-environment initiative that enables industry, academia and government entities to work together to enhance the delivery cycle of technology and innovation to the warfighter. The EDGE provides facilities and laboratories for developing and testing technologies, products and systems to equip a new breed of warfighter who is mobile, connected and informed.

"Micro Power is pleased to be a member of the EDGE Innovation Network and looks forward to collaborating with other members to foster technical innovations to ultimately enhance the effectiveness and mobility of today’s warfighter," said Jeffrey VanZwol, Marketing Manager for Micro Power. "As an existing supplier of battery packs and battery chargers to the military, the EDGE facilitates our direct access and feedback with our customer base, the dismounted soldiers deployed overseas."

Since the EDGE Network’s inception, more than 20 projects have either been fielded or positioned as a technology insertion into a military program of record. Projects underway for 2008 include Physiological Status Monitoring (PSM), a body-worn sensor that monitors a warfighter’s physical and psychological health; improved distribution of video and digital imagery sent between soldiers and their leaders; and improvements in power cells reducing weight and increasing battery life needed to power essential warrior communications and navigation systems. The EDGE Innovation Network is sponsored by General Dynamics C4 Systems, a business unit of General Dynamics.

Members recently joining the EDGE include: Cisco Systems, Inc., Hidalgo, Ltd., QinetiQ North America Operations LLC, and UltraCell Corp.. There are currently 58 EDGE members.