SEGMENT REPORTING (Details) (USD $) In Thousands, unless otherwise specified	12 Months Ended
	Dec. 31, 2012	Dec. 31, 2011	Dec. 31, 2010
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	$ 19,419	$ 18,928	$ 14,244
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	5,203	6,913	6,044
Depreciation and amortization	1,270	847	578
Stock compensation expense	323	0	42
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(14,091)	(4,169)	(2,478)
Segment assets	25,637	14,237	12,906
Expenditures for segment assets	387	475	209
Impairments	0	0	1,166
Energy & Security Sonar Solutions Segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	12,229	9,104	10,179
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	4,465	3,019	4,380
Depreciation and amortization	226	220	172
Stock compensation expense	0	0	42
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	809	(244)	1,488
Segment assets	902	932	1,115
Expenditures for segment assets	144	103	89
Impairments			0
GridSense segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	3,662	7,119	2,382
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	968	3,327	1,172
Depreciation and amortization	390	375	242
Stock compensation expense	0	0	0
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(5,378)	(1,448)	(2,852)	[1]
Segment assets	8,382	7,757	7,466
Expenditures for segment assets	140	74	9
Impairments			1,166
USSI segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	1,464	1,316	405
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	(1,021)	(98)	23
Depreciation and amortization	322	224	141
Stock compensation expense	323	0	0
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(8,427)	(2,775)	(1,191)
Segment assets	7,759	5,515	4,279
Expenditures for segment assets	74	276	90
Impairments			0
Power Generation Monitoring segment [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	502	0	0
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	129	0	0
Depreciation and amortization	221	0	0
Stock compensation expense	0	0	0
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(1,033)	0	0
Segment assets	6,856	0	0
Expenditures for segment assets	0	0	0
Impairments			0
All Other Segments [Member]
Segment Reporting Information [Line Items]
Revenue from External Customers	1,562	1,389	1,278
Intersegment Revenue	0	0	0
Segment gross profit (loss)	662	665	469
Depreciation and amortization	111	28	23
Stock compensation expense	0	0	0
Segment net income (loss) before income taxes	(62)	298	77
Segment assets	1,738	33	46
Expenditures for segment assets	29	22	21
Impairments			$ 0

[1] Includes goodwill impairment of $1,166