Physical Monitoring Techniques to Improve Warfighter Performance

In the field, warfighters are exposed to a complex set of stressors. Increasingly heavier combat loads, extreme environmental conditions, and improper nutrition are a few examples. Unfortunately, the effects on their physical and cognitive performance are not well understood, which can negatively affect the decision-making processes causing tactical errors leading to operational or strategic consequences. In Phase I we will identify a wearable solution for combat and training environments and evaluate potential sensor candidates for accurate classification of physiological states and physical activities. Strength, durability, and ruggedness of candidate sensors and materials will be determined. A new technology called the Multimodal Physiological-Status Monitor (MPM) will be developed to: accurately register physiological vitals, cognitive status, body position, and type of activity; promote training safety by alerting training instructors during training evolutions or during post-training debriefs; enable groundbreaking research by increasing the accessibility and analysis of warfighter data taken while in the training environment and in combat; enhance understanding of the interactions between the physical environment, the corresponding physiological responses, and their effects on combat readiness and performance; and enable timely decisions at every command level by providing automation methods to support information gathering, analysis, and processing through uplink to JADC2.