The sensor is an 8-foot-long pole that i be mounted onto small ships, shoots 16,000 sonar beams, 20 times per second, and immediately organizes the return soundings into a 3-D video image of the ocean floor.

Coast Guard researchers are currently testing the sensor, which they hope will enhance search-and-rescue missions and help provide tracking for the nearly 22,000 underwater objects that the service monitors. The Coast Guard debuted this as well as and other technologies at an annual conference in November at the Virginia Beach Convention Center. Most of the projects had a similar theme: seeing what the human eye cannot possibly see. "Reality is that the large majority of the waters we patrol, are high-current waters offering low visibility," said Lt. Joseph Kusek, who manages several of the technology projects. "We have to ensure that these products are transportable, intuitive and usable."

The sonar hangs alongside the boat and transfers its images to a computer monitor onboard. Operators can pause the video stream and also zoom in. "For example," Kusek said, "you could look at a sunken vessel and determine whether or not lifeboats had deployed." Another project that's nearly completed is the small-boat camera, which aims to provide a low-cost, 360-degree video stream of a vessels above-water surroundings. Operators would have zoom in capabilities - thus able to identify far-off ships. A third system, the electro-optical/infrared sensor, which the Coast Guard has already began utilizing and is currently being mounted on planes and helicopters. It uses it's thermal sensors to scan the surface for specific heat levels and can be used in search-and-rescue missions to locate victims floating in the ocean. The device also has a laser, a camera and other sensors that could be used to identify ships on the horizon.

To test this system, the Coast Guard developed a product known as Thermal Oscar, which is a gel pack that simulates the heat signature on a human. The 120-pound dummy can remain in water for up to six hours and maintain temperatures of 94 to 99 degrees Fahrenheit. Service members discussed a new cartridge hoping it will be used in automatic weapons worn by officers at small ports. The short-range bullet hits the ground after just 2,064 meters. "When you're working in a small port and required to shoot a round, there can be a multitude of collateral damage," said Brad Lacey, a chief warrant officer in the Coast Guard's Office of Specialized Capabilities. "The bullet is as accurate as our rounds are now."

The bullet carries striations on its tail that cause it to begin wobbling, and therefore hit the ground, after approximately 2,000 meters. Coast guard Lacey said the goal of the project, which has been in progress for five years, is to design a bullet that's resting on the ground at that exact distance.