REDONDO BEACH, Calif., Nov. 29, 2007 (PRIME NEWSWIRE) -- Northrop Grumman Corporation (NYSE:NOC) has delivered TouchTable(r) technology to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's National Hurricane Center (NHC) to enhance the agency's ability to inform the American public about approaching storms. The interactive visualization technology is expected to be used in the 2008 hurricane season.

Tailored by Northrop Grumman for the weather-watching needs of the National Hurricane Center, the TouchTable(r) technology fuses multiple types of weather observations, imagery, and environmental data with geospatial data, creating an integrated source of information. This information management tool, a custom built application designed to support NHC's need to sequence multiple large imagery, helps forecasters illustrate potential storm impacts such as storm surge, and helps emergency managers make rapid decisions to protect lives and property during hurricanes.

"This tool incorporates state-of-the-art technology to enhance tactical decision-making," said Leo Andreoli, director of Environmental Systems for Northrop Grumman's Space Technology sector. "The technology draws on the company's expertise in space-based environmental monitoring and information technology to create a system with the potential to reduce the loss of life and property resulting from hurricanes."

The TouchTable(r) is a 45-inch touch-sensitive computer display screen that enables analysts, planners and tactical personnel to visualize a wide range of data sources over areas of interest. Designed to be operated with simple, intuitive hand interactions, the device detects the location and movement of users' hands on its surface to dynamically change a projected image in real time.

Northrop Grumman partnered with StormCenter Communications and Sensorstar Inc. to develop requisite national environmental data sets with software implementation that would enhance the system capabilities for the National Hurricane Center. The Northrop Grumman team developed the requisite software to fuse multiple satellite images and splice them together in a seamless movie-like sequence.

Northrop Grumman Corporation is a $30 billion global defense and technology company whose 120,000 employees provide innovative systems, products, and solutions in information and services, electronics, aerospace and shipbuilding to government and commercial customers worldwide. 

  CONTACT:  Sally Koris
          Northrop Grumman Space Technology
          (310) 812-4721
          Sally.koris@ngc.com