New device may replace paper maintenance logs

A new device that could eventually replace paper maintenance logs is being studied by the US Navy and Army to improve their record keeping capability. The device, known as the Contact Memory Button (CMB), is glued directly onto a piece of equipment to ensure the stability of the computer chip within the equipment. The Navy is currently testing the CMB on helicopter rotor blades and missile containers, an effort based on the Department of Energy's use of the device for radioactive waste tracking. However, there is an insufficient data on how many errors are made in the present paper system, but military reports claim that as much as one-third of maintenance records are incorrect.