02/12/96 AN ARMY MARCHES ON ITS DATA BANKS

AN ARMY MARCHES ON ITS DATA BANKS

INFORMATION WARRIORS ARE getting a new weapon. Truckers might like it, too. Dubbed the Tactical Automated Situation Receiver (TASR), the handheld device will let field soldiers call up a range of information--from where the enemy is located to when missiles are supposed to land. It's based on a technique called geodynamic filtering, which Mitre Corp. wants to patent. Truck drivers could use the system to learn about weather conditions or traffic snarls.
What's unusual is that the recipient of the data controls the flow. One prototype uses three off-the-shelf components: a pocket pager, a ruggedized Apple Newton personal digital assistant, and a global positioning system receiver. Gobs of constantly updated information are entered into a central database, but people in the field can program the TASR to filter out unwanted data.
Here's how the TASR would work: The soldier or driver sets it to receive information about what's happening within a 10-mile radius. But since the user is moving, what's within that radius will change. The GPS receiver will tell the TASR where it's located and will alter the data filtered out to reflect the new location.
The Air Force, which is developing the system, could order thousands--at less than $5,000 a pop. The gizmo could be ready for use in Bosnia in three months for such things as minefield avoidance. If it's not rushed into production, the bidding may be a year off.
EDITED BY IRA SAGER