Interpreting the Ribchester Helmet

In 1796 a 13-year-old boy playing on wasteland behind his father’s house in Ribchester, Lancashire discovered an assemblage of over 30 Roman artefacts, including a decorated brass helmet. Although partially corroded the Ribchester helmet is a fine example of a first-century AD cavalry sports helmet. This article considers how the interpretation of the helmet has evolved since its discovery. The multi-faceted iconography of the helmet with its mural crown diadem is that of an elite soldier and is paralleled in other examples of cavalry sports helmets of the Ribchester type. The long-neglected imagery on the helmet bowl is reinterpreted and seen not as a haphazard collection of randomly placed combatants but as a highly structured, symmetrical composition specifically designed to be viewed from different directions.     

The Production and Deposition of the Guisborough Helmet

In September 1878 the British Museum received a donation of a folded metal plate which had been embossed and gilded. Restoration of the object revealed that the folded plate was in fact the outer casing of a Roman copper alloy cavalry sports type helmet which dates to the late second or third century AD. The story of what became known as the Guisborough helmet began 14 years earlier in what was then the North Riding of Yorkshire when workers employed by the Cleveland Railway Company discovered a ‘very curious plate of metal’ during road construction. It appears that the helmet was deliberately prepared for deposition and buried at a depth of c30 cm close to a stream. Examination by the authors suggests that this was a high value item that had been repaired many times. Experimental evidence suggests that the decoration alone required approximately 16 h to fashion.     

某型头盔瞄准具建模仿真与实现

针对某型头盔瞄准具仿真的工程需求,使用头位跟踪传感器以四元数法测量头盔相对于飞机机体坐标系的角度,变换为欧拉角后通过共享内存传给计算机控制模块;使用光栅、半透半反棱镜等光学组件结合数字控制电路实现头盔瞄准具眼镜显示系统功能;利用计算机控制系统进行逻辑控制和仿真管理,成功实现了对头盔瞄准具的仿真.仿真系统性能达到实装以上水平,完全满足模拟训练需求.     

基于图像和惯性的头盔组合跟踪原理

不同体制的头盔跟踪定位技术单独使用时都存在一定的原理性性能制约,提高跟踪定位技术整体性能的有效途径是采用组合跟踪。目前综合性能较好的是图像式头盔跟踪,图像式跟踪技术精度高,输出数据平稳,稳定性好,但其缺点是头盔活动范围受制于CCD摄像机视场及头盔大角度转动时头盔本身对CCD摄像机视角的遮挡。惯性跟踪不需要任何外来信息也不向外辐射任何信息,可在任何介质和任何环境条件下实现360°全范围头部跟踪,但其定位精度随时间下降。提出的基于图像和惯性的头盔组合跟踪技术充分利用图像跟踪精度高、长期稳定性好及惯性定位跟踪范围广、跟踪系统简单的优点,达到单个跟踪定位体制不具备的综合性能。     

基于OMAPl510单兵通信系统中头盔子系统的实现

OMAPl510是德州仪器TI公司的双核架构处理器,整合了一个控制性能强的ARM925处理器、一个低功率消耗的高效能TMS320C55X数位信号处理器DSP。文中首先描述单兵通信系统的组成,并给出以头盔子系统为核心的基本工作原理图。然后介绍了0MAPl510的硬件架构和软件架构,并较为详尽地给出实现头盔子系统的蓝牙主控程序的主要代码。最后针对此头盔子系统蓝牙无线通信距离的局限性,提出与头盔共形的微带阵列天线的改进方案。     

The Blind Basinet: A New Interpretation of Royal Armouries IV.2

For many years a curiosity in the collection of the Royal Armouries, IV.2, or the ‘Blind Basinet’, is a fascinating example of an early 16th century great basinet not so much for what is present but for what is not. The lack of any means of seeing out of the helmet has led to a number of traditions regarding its provenance and purpose. A detailed examination of the helmet’s interior, as well as comparison with some other contemporary pieces, shows that it is an unfinished piece of armour. It was left at the stage where the sights and breaths would have been pierced, but they were left unfinished until some later modifications created a display piece, one which can still be seen at the Royal Armouries in Leeds.     

Gill — A Family of Sword Cutlers

Abstract

Amongst the armour in the collection of the British Museum is a kettle-hat (Object Number: P&;E 1856,0701·2243) that was found in London during the second quarter of the nineteenth century. In January 2010, the kettle-hat was conserved before its loan to the Royal Armouries Museum for display at the Tower of London. New findings that occurred during conservation led to the most in-depth technical examination and analysis of this relatively unknown helmet since its discovery.

This paper aims to interpret the British Museum’s kettle-hat from art historical perspectives in order to place it in a wider context. The development of the kettle-hat during the 14th and 15th centuries is described along with the subsequent derivatives of transitional or progressive forms of helmet. Through stylistic comparison and consideration of related evidence it is suggested that the British Museum kettle-hat dates to the late 14th century and is of western European, possibly English, workmanship. Furthermore, although the British Museum helmet has much in common with typical forms of kettle-hat, it also has features, such as a short tail-piece, that suggest it may be closely related to some early forms of sallet.     

Lessons learned: The Dutch ‘Stay-Behind’ organization 1945–1992

Right after World War II, two separate initiatives were taken in the Netherlands to establish a stay-behind organization – or, rather, two stay-behind organizations. Both initiatives were purely Dutch, and both groups, remnants from wartime Dutch intelligence and sabotage organizations, wanted to liaise exclusively with the British. Only later did the Americans become members of what then came to be known as the Tripartite Committee. After a period of about 15 years, during which the Chief of the General Staff loosely coordinated both organizations, known as O (for Operations) and I (for Intelligence), a crisis broke out. The question was whether the two organizations should be amalgamated or not. After much discussion it was decided to keep them separate, but more closely coordinated. The first coordinator of this new type, a non-military man, was appointed in 1967. From that moment on the Dutch stay-behind organization, under supervision of highly respected civilian authorities, was able to perfect its organizational structure. The introduction, during the 1980s, of new specially designed radio equipment made special wireless operators superfluous. This development made for a leaner and more efficient organization.

After the Berlin Wall had come down, and in the wake of the ‘Gladio’ affair in Italy, the Dutch stay-behind organization was dissolved.     

A platform for initial testing of multiple camouflage patterns

The human visual system is still an important factor in military warfare; military personnel receive training on effective search strategies, and camouflage that can effectively conceal objects and personnel is a key component of a successful integrated survivability strategy. Previous methods of camouflage assessment have, amongst others, used psychophysics to generate distinctiveness metrics. However, the population from which the human observers are drawn is often not well defined, or necessarily appropriate. In this experiment we designed a new platform for testing multiple patterns based on a camouflaged object detection task, and investigate whether trained military observers perform better than civilians. We use a two-alternative forced choice paradigm, with participants searching images of woodland for a replica military helmet displaying Olive Green, Multi Terrain Pattern, US Marine Pattern or, as a conspicuous control, UN Peacekeeper Blue. Our data show that there is no difference in detection performance between the two observer groups but that there are clear differences in the effectiveness of the different helmet colour patterns in a temperate woodland environment. We conclude that when tasks involve very short stimulus presentation times, task-specific training has little effect on the success of target detection and thus this paradigm is particularly suitable for robust estimates of camouflage efficacy.     

某型光电头盔瞄准具原理误差的校正

就某型光电头盔瞄准具扫描部件光学系统具体结构 ,分析研究了其头位测量中十棱镜反射面非共面定轴转动所致原理误差 ,导出了基线校正、测角校正两种校正公式。前者与原技术资料所给出的结果完全吻合 ,后者已成功应用在改型的光电头盔瞄准具中。     

A reply to Larry cable

Recent counterinsurgency experiences in Iraq and Afghanistan have demonstrated that the local operating environment often is dominated by indigenous power-holders. As counterinsurgents seek to establish control over the local population, collaboration with these agents has become an essential aspect of contemporary counterinsurgency. Although the practice of constructing collaborative relationships with indigenous power-holders might be perceived as unconventional by today's counterinsurgents, the approach itself goes back to the colonial era in which modern counterinsurgency has its roots. This article explores the dynamics, benefits, and dangers of collaborative relationships with indigenous power-holders by analysing an infamous episode in Dutch colonial history, the case of the collaboration between Dutch colonial authorities and warlord Teuku Uma during the Aceh War (1873–1913). This relationship ended in disaster for the Dutch as Uma departed their side at the moment he had become their pivotal asset in the local political landscape. The article explains that the Dutch succeeded to co-opt Uma, but failed to control him as they lacked the will and means to do so. Furthermore this case study provides an insight in the way the Dutch colonial authorities dealt with the complex process of intelligence-gathering in a fragmented indigenous society.     

作业成本法在包装成本管理中的应用

我国的市场竞争日趋激烈,产品的复杂程度越来越高,传统成本计算方法已无法满足对成本精确性的要求.鉴于作业成本法(ABC法)在成本管理领域中的日益普及,重点探讨ABC法在包装成本管理中的运用.通过对某企业包装成本进行实例计算和作业分析,说明应用ABC法可以得到相对准确的包装成本信息,并找出影响包装成本的主要因素及相应的解决方法,为包装成本管理提供了依据.     

A 17th-century Pikeman's Armour from Antwerp

Abstract

A recent re-examination of the arms and armour collection at the British Museum has led to the identification of a 17th-century pikeman's armour clearly associated with the city of Antwerp in modern Belgium, the only example of its kind. The three pieces: a pot, breastplate and backplate, are part of a collection bequeathed to the museum by William Burges in 1881. All three pieces can be dated to circa 1635 and are stamped with the arms of Antwerp, a stylised depiction of Antwerp castle between two hands derived from the blazon of the Margrave of Antwerp. The armour is indistinguishable from contemporary Dutch production and it is unclear whether it was made in Antwerp or whether the addition of the arms simply suggests a use in the city.     

美国西点军校橄榄球运动传统文化透析

著名的美国西点军校百余年来有着橄榄球运动的传统。从表面上来看，人们可能会以为这是西点为培养军事人才的素质而采取的常规训练手段，而实际上更为重要的是它深受美国社会的政治和文化影响。这是因为：一方面体现了西点军校平民化治军的政治文化，另一方面橄榄球运动表征着美国主流文化和美国精神，这二者的结合是这一传统经久不衰的深层原因。     

Fitting Lanchester equations to the battles of Kursk and Ardennes

Lanchester equations and their extensions are widely used to calculate attrition in models of warfare. This paper examines how Lanchester models fit detailed daily data on the battles of Kursk and Ardennes. The data on Kursk, often called the greatest tank battle in history, was only recently made available. A new approach is used to find the optimal parameter values and gain an understanding of how well various parameter combinations explain the battles. It turns out that a variety of Lanchester models fit the data about as well. This explains why previous studies on Ardennes, using different minimization techniques and data formulations, have found disparate optimal fits. We also find that none of the basic Lanchester laws (i.e., square, linear, and logarithmic) fit the data particularly well or consistently perform better than the others. This means that it does not matter which of these laws you use, for with the right coefficients you will get about the same result. Furthermore, no constant attrition coefficient Lanchester law fits very well. The failure to find a good‐fitting Lanchester model suggests that it may be beneficial to look for new ways to model highly aggregated attrition. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Naval Research Logistics, 2004.     

New Light on the Simpson of York Gun

Abstract

New evidence is examined relating to the making of the Royal Armouries exquisitely decorated sporting gun by William Simpson of York, which has been said to be the finest English gun in existence. Simpson had moved from London to York by 1837 and it has been suggested that this gun was made by him for William Constable (who is known to have owned it) of Burton Constable Hall, near Hull, and indeed, that elements of its decoration were made to match that found on other items made for the Hall. However, it is shown that these apparent links are matters of chance and that this wonderful gun was, in fact, made as a marketing exercise to help Simpson establish himself in York. Advertisements in the York Courant in the summer of 1738 show that Simpson offered it as a raffle prize!     

A branch and bound algorithm for allocation problems in which constraint coefficients depend upon decision variables

A branch and bound algorithm is developed for a class of allocation problems in which some constraint coefficients depend on the values of certain of the decision variables. Were it not for these dependencies, the problems could be solved by linear programming. The algorithm is developed in terms of a strategic deployment problem in which it is desired to find a least-cost transportation fleet, subject to constraints on men/materiel requirements in the event of certain hypothesized contingencies. Among the transportation vehicles available for selection are aircraft which exhibit the characteristic that the amount of goods deliverable by an aircraft on a particular route in a given time period (called aircraft productivity and measured in kilotons/aircraft/month) depends on the ratio of type 1 to type 2 aircraft used on that particular route. A model is formulated in which these relationships are first approximated by piecewise linear functions. A branch and bound algorithm for solving the resultant nonlinear problem is then presented; the algorithm solves a sequence of linear programming problems. The algorithm is illustrated by a sample problem and comments concerning its practicality are made.     

Rossellini,Pontecorvo, and the neorealist cinema of insurgency

This article examines the tradition of Italian neorealism and the importance it has for films depicting guerrilla insurgencies. It looks in particular at the two films by Roberto Rossellini Rome Open City and Paisa as well as the later film by Nanni Loy Four Days in Naples. It then proceeds to locate Gillo Pontecorvo's iconic film The Battle of Algiers within this neorealist tradition and examines the degree to which the director succeeded in continuing the basic traditions of neorealism into the context of the Algerian war of Independence. The article concludes that while this film remains of great interest it should be situated in the period when it was produced and is in many ways radically disconnected from many insurgent movements of the present day.     

K—L变换在有效特征提取中的应用

在机械故障智能诊断过程中,提取反映机器状态的有效特征参量时要花费大量的时间和精力,而且这种依靠人的经验来提取特征参量的方法有一定的盲目性。为了解决如何尽可能快而有效地寻找一组特征参量,使诊断对象不同状态之间的可分性为最佳的问题,采用了K—L变换特征提取方法,研制出相应的软件,并已将该方法应用在大庆油田抽油机减速箱智能故障诊断系统中。     

核心力量训练在手榴弹立姿投掷中的应用

核心力量训练作为现代体能训练的重要内容,近年来引起了国内许多体育界研究者的高度重视,已取得了一定的研究成果。但是,在部队的手榴弹立姿投掷训练课目中尚未引入这一训练理念。本文通过阐述与核心力量训练相关的概念、手榴弹立姿投掷核心力量训练的作用,总结出适用于部队实际、开展手榴弹立姿投掷核心力量训练的方法和原则。