Wearable Electronics for Man Machine Interfaces

Computing technology (as well as control and display technology) is rapidly becoming more powerful, miniaturized and wearable. These trends will allow Navy personnel to be increasingly mobile, not tethered to hardwired console and computer systems. In conjunction with wearable display systems, wireless LANs, and alternative control mechanisms (such as voice recognition), system operators may, at some time in the near future, approach being completely free of interfacing with current control consoles and open architectured interfaces. In light of this, Carlow International Incorporated proposes to (1) survey the technology related to wearable electronics for man-machine interfaces, (2) compare current and, pending technology to US Navy needs in the areas of training, maintenance, mission rehearsal, and system operations, (3) identify carrier air operations, training, and maintenance applications for wearable electronics, (4) develop conceptual wearable electronic systems, and (5) prepare a plan for building, testing, and validating wearable electronic systems. Wearable electronics will have applicability wherever complex information management systems require the use of highly flexible and usable information displays in confined, unknown, or unpredictable locations. Such is the case in most military or commercial applications, including conduct of carrier air operators, undersea operations, nuclear refueling, and remote firefighting.