SAN DIEGO, Calif.: Cubic was a winner in the CONNECT “Most Innovative Product Awards 2012” competition for its system to help prevent friendly fire casualties and provide location and targeting information to ground troops.
CONNECT is a regional program that helps foster innovative technology and life science products by helping with the formation of new companies and by linking inventors and entrepreneurs with needed resources. Originally founded in the mid-1980s as part of the University of California San Diego, CONNECT has recognized innovative products in the region with its annual awards competition for 25 years.
Cubic Defense Applications’ DCID-TALON system, for Dismounted Combat ID with Target Location & Navigation, was named a 2012 winner in the category of Aerospace and Securities Technology. The laser-based systems, built into the equivalent of a standard rifle scope, uses reflective tags to instantly identify friendly forces. Readouts in the scope also show the distance to a target and its precise location based on a military grid system.
Just being in the competition with the very best companies in the region was an honor,” said Steve Sampson, Cubic’s vice president of advanced programs. “To win, and with a product that can save lives, was extraordinary.”
More than 100 products were entered in this year’s competition. The winners in nine categories were announced at a ceremony December 7 at the Hilton La Jolla Torrey Pines hotel in San Diego.