Minimalist Short-Range Wearable Network for Soldier Training

Army warfighter training involves strenuous, demanding physical activity, often under sleep deprived conditions in the night-time woods, that poses non-negligible risks to trainees. Instructors need to keep track of trainees to know that they are OK, to coach them when necessary, and sometimes to keep them awake. The risks are exacerbated by the need to conduct training exercises under circumstances that approximate actual battlefield conditions. Such conditions may include extremes of heat or cold, extremes of humidity (from exercises conducted under very dry conditions to exercises conducted while wading through water), exercises conducted over extended periods of time involving high levels of exertion with little rest or sleep, exercises conducted at night under conditions of sleep deprivation, and other demanding circumstances under which significant physical and psychological stress are reasonably foreseeable. Every year Army trainees are injured or killed during training exercises. Minimizing the risks of training while improving the effectiveness of the training process is the object of the rangerNET technology envisioned by this proposal. The rangerNET system will achieve this objective by providing accurate, robust, minimally invasive physiology and activity monitoring for trainees, coupled with automated real-time analysis and trainee status visualization for instructors. The foundation of this system is AWare Technologies' Wearable Personnel Monitor (WPM) body-worn monitoring units, an appropriate short-range wireless network and a hand-held status visualization (HSV) tool for instructors.