エピソード

  • #54: A Forecasting Advantage: Improved weather models protect Soldiers & operations
    2026/04/14
    Massive dust storms from the Gobi Desert pose a significant and unpredictable threat to military operations across the Indo-Pacific region. For years, forecast accuracy has been a challenge, with models often failing to account for dynamic conditions, like seasonal snowpack, that can intensify these hazardous events. On this episode, Dr. Ted Letcher, a member of ERDC's Weather Effects Team, discusses how his team developed an innovative predictive model that provides commanders with reliable, actionable intelligence. This solution enhances mission safety for flight, ground and surveillance operations while reducing costly false alarms that waste resources and cause unnecessary downtime. Topics include the Weather Effects Team’s background, expertise and mission (1:33); why tracking and forecasting dust is critical to military mission planners (4:51); and what is so unique about the Gobi Desert region that makes it a forecasting challenge (9:12). We also discuss how this forecast is helping reduce weather “false alarms” (11:09) and the improved and more precise weather maps that resulted from this work (18:50). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/54_A_Forecasting_Advantage_video.
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    28 分
  • #53: Liquid Logistics: Securing the frontline power & water our military needs
    2026/04/07
    On the modern battlefield, supplying essential power and water in austere environments is a major logistical challenge. The effort to quickly develop and deploy essential technologies to provide these “liquid logistics” is at the forefront of several ERDC research programs and projects. Leading that effort are the world-class research teams at ERDC’s Construction Engineering Research Laboratory (CERL). Leveraging the laboratory's unique capabilities and facilities, these teams are accelerating the development, testing and deployment of transformative technologies. Their work is reshaping the logistical landscape for our military, while enhancing Soldier safety and the ability of U.S. forces to operate and dominate in any environment. Dr. Andy Nelson, director of CERL, provides a high-level perspective on the operational energy and water programs currently underway. In the discussion, he explains operational energy and water (1:33), how CERL became a world-leader in these research areas (3:34), and how some of CERL’s unique facilities provide critical Soldier touchpoints for new technologies (7:41). He also covers how interconnected water and energy are in combat environments (9:55) and why there is a strong push for these critical solutions now (11:39). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/53-Liquid-Logistics_video.
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    32 分
  • #52: Decades of Coastal Data is a ‘National Treasure’
    2026/03/31
    Mike Forte, a research physical scientist at ERDC’s Field Research Facility (FRF) in Duck, North Carolina, calls himself and his team “custodians” of the data continuously collected at the research facility. The team’s care for the data, collection methods and validation and preparation efforts have made this data a national treasure. Decades of data sets from constant observation of the coastline through sensors, cameras, surveys and more have shaped and advanced coastal engineering, supported the development of new ocean and storm models, and given our military a decisive edge in coastal, littoral and amphibious operations. Forte pulls back the curtain on the scope of the facility’s data collection, the partnerships with national and global research organizations, and the effort to document and best tell the scientific stories of massive storms along our nation’s Atlantic Coast. Topics discussed include how the team responded to and captured data from a record-setting nor’easter in January (02:16); the FRF’s suite of data collection techniques and technologies for capturing coastal processes (5:14); and the critical role the facility's unique pier plays in collecting, validating and verifying that data (9:22). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/52-FRF-data-is-a-national-treasure_video. You can also see additional resources at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/52-FRF-data-is-a-national-treasure_resources.
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    36 分
  • #51: Gaming the Future: Researchers lean into gamification to solve tomorrow’s challenges
    2026/03/24
    Preparing the Army to solve tomorrow’s challenges is an incredibly complex endeavor. For ERDC researchers striving to provide answers to questions that aren’t yet known, gaming techniques have proven to be a useful tool. Gamification provides a method to digest vast information into usable outcomes with infinite possibilities, while also collaborating with and learning from other subject matter experts. We explore how ERDC research is strengthened by gaming techniques combined with nearly a century of engineering and scientific expertise. Our guests are Dr. Mihan House McKenna Taylor, Josh Church and Jared Brock. Taylor is Army Senior Research Scientist for Near Surface Phenomenology; Church leads the Scientific Software Branch at ERDC’s Information Technology Laboratory (ITL); and Brock is a computer scientist in ITL’s Scientific Software Branch. Topics include ERDC’s experience in using gaming and game theory to help build out capabilities and support the Army mission (4:05), what makes gamification an effective method to plan for unknown future scenarios (11:53) and the unique capabilities ERDC offers in this space (15:29). We also discuss how gaming techniques can help inform future acquisitions and lead to better investments (18:34), how they can improve the development of new technology (23:58) and how Artificial Intelligence can change the way these strategic exercises are conducted (28:51). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/51-gaming-the-future_video. You can also see additional resources at PowerofERDCPodcast.org/51-gaming-the-future_resources.
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    32 分
  • #50: Permafrost Microorganisms: Newly discovered species could aid U.S. military Arctic operations
    2026/03/17
    ERDC researchers recently discovered 26 new species of microorganisms frozen in permafrost that was approximately 40,000 years old. Studying the properties of these new species could unlock capabilities with the potential to support U.S. military operations in extreme cold regions. We discuss this discovery with Dr. Robyn Barbato, a senior research microbiologist and the leader of the soil microbiology team at ERDC’s Cold Regions Research and Engineering Laboratory. Topics include how studying microorganisms and finding new species can help the U.S. Army (1:20), potential technologies or applications that could emerge from this research (4:20) and how the team made its discovery (8:00). We also talk about the unique process for extracting these samples (13:01), Barbato’s work on a U.S. Department of War community of interest that examines biotechnology (21:33) and the capabilities offered by ERDC’s ICE COLD library of permafrost microbes (29:18). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/50-permafrost-microorganisms_video. You can also see additional resources at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/50-permafrost-microorganisms_resources.
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    37 分
  • #49: Coastal Physical Modeling: Validating for Resilience and Defense
    2026/03/10
    Even in the age of supercomputing, engineers still demand tangible models to fully understand the complex interaction between coastal infrastructure and dynamic ocean forces. ERDC has nearly a century of expertise in building scaled representations of real-world systems and testing them to evaluate civil works and military project designs. We discuss ERDC’s coastal physical modeling capabilities with Dr. Duncan Bryant, a senior research hydraulic engineer with ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory. Topics include the need for physical modeling and its role alongside other coastal engineering tools (4:05), how ERDC improves Joint Force readiness by testing ship-to-shore logistics (8:24) and how models help engineers design better coastal defenses for improved resilience (12:00). We also discuss how ERDC’s facilities (16:20), capabilities (23:26) and master craftsmen (21:28) enable this work; how it is collaborating with industry and academia (26:50); and how ERDC is working to solve tomorrow’s coastal challenges (28:25). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/49-coastal-physical-modeling_video. You can also see additional resources at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/49-coastal-physical-modeling_resources.
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    36 分
  • #48: The Network Behind the Waterway: How LOMA keeps traffic moving
    2026/03/03
    Built on Automatic Identification System vessel broadcasts and supported by a nationwide network of fixed receiver sites and mobile trailer deployments, the Lock Operations Management Application (LOMA) helps lock operators and U.S. Army Corps of Engineers districts better understand vessel traffic, anticipate delays and communicate changing conditions to mariners. Dr. Marin Kress of ERDC’s Coastal and Hydraulics Laboratory explains how LOMA provides real-time situational awareness across the nation’s inland waterways. Topics include what LOMA is and why it’s more than “just locks” (:48), how AIS works and what the system receives (2:51), and why mobile trailers matter (4:29). We also discuss a success story involving emergency shoaling response and virtual ATONs (5:45); the impact of lock reliability and traffic awareness (13:38); partnerships that power LOMA (14:43); and what’s next in R&D, including weather and water condition sensing (18:00). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/48-LOMA_video. Explore additional resources at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/48-LOMA_resources.
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    24 分
  • #47: From the Frontlines to the Homefront: Battlefield Damage Assessment Tool is helping with natural disaster response
    2026/02/24
    What if a tool designed for combat could become a lifeline in the wake of natural disasters? The Battlefield Damage Assessment Tool, a system that provides rapid analysis in combat environments, has been deployed to help first responders allocate key resources more efficiently following wildfires and hurricanes. We discuss the technology and its development with ERDC’s Nikki Wayant and Charlotte Ellison, researchers from the Geospatial Research Laboratory. Topics include how the technology was first used by emergency officials following the 2023 Hawaii wildfires (2:52), how the information helps emergency management officials (5:42), and some of the key data sources the system uses to provide its assessment (7:30). We also discuss how the team’s interdisciplinary makeup enabled a better product (14:35), the tool’s future capabilities (16:28), and the team being named an Innovation of the Year in the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (19:58). Watch a video of this podcast on our website at www.PowerofERDCPodcast.org/47-battlefield-damage-assessment_video.
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    26 分