Standoff Remote Triage Sensor Array for Robotic Casualty Extraction Systems

From anecdotal reports of the United State’s involvement in the Vietnam conflict, it was concluded that the kill rate for medics was substantially higher than that of regular infantrymen. Although to our knowledge quantifiable data do not exist, it seems likely that the situation is similar today for United States soldiers engaged in armed combat in Afghanistan and Iraq. Medics have historically responded to cries for help from platoon members that they may not be able to see. Leaving cover to attend battlefield casualties’ places medics at risk of coming under fire and becoming casualties themselves. Unfortunately, too often medics respond to casualties who are clearly unsalvageable or even dead by the time the medic reaches their side. Combat medics need better tools that will enable them to assess the status of a casualty before placing themselves in dangerous and often deadly situations. In order to facilitate real-time assessment of traumatic injuries, PERL Research proposes the development of a remote triage and standoff trauma assessment system for robotics casualty extraction systems - Dynamic Injury Severity Estimation System (DISE). DISE will be an integrated system of intelligent software and sensors.