Lockheed Martin working on a headset that can detect snipers and humans behind structures

American defence giant Lockheed Martin is reportedly working on an advanced headset featuring dioptre optical power lenses that can detect snipers as well as soldiers and other humans behind concrete and non-concrete structures. The headset, if successfully pioneered, will only be used for military purpose and will not be accessible to the public at large.

A patent filed by the company and recently published by the United States Patent and Trademark Office reveals the new Fresnel Lenses system in a headset that will include an image display system to be used as a communicator or small screen television. The optical device bordering between augmented reality, VR and a binocular viewer will be primarily used for sniper detection. Subsidiary functions may include military training and operations as well.

To detect objects, in this case humans, behind concrete or opaque structures, the most popular technology used is thermal sensors. The vision technology will be clubbed with heat sensors in this case to detect humans behind structures.

As of now, thermal cameras already exist which can perform such detections. Having a portable device as a headset will be an effective military tool, which, apart from on field operations, can be beneficial for relief purposes as well, especially post earthquakes.

Lockheed Martin, headquartered in Bethesda, Maryland, in Washington DC, is one of the premier defence technology companies venturing in areas like aerospace, defence, security and technologies industry. As of 2015, Lockheed Martin remains the world's largest defence company in terms of sales with an estimated $37.5bn (£24.8bn) earnings in 2014 from the defence industry.