Digital Battlefield
Credit: DarkGeometryStudios/Shutterstock.com
The accelerated development of digital technology to enhance our everyday lives is unstoppable, and set to continue on its skyward trajectory. We are now seeing an increase in the melding of innovative concepts from disparate scientific and technical fields in what has been dubbed ‘innofusion’, to advance all areas from medical to military.
Disciplines like biotechnology, biomechanics, and synthetic technology, are being combined to drive research and the inception of a multitude of new concepts and realities. No longer are science fiction films the realms of fantasy, as technology that was once out of reach is now within our grasp.
Within this paper we explore some of the innovative technologies being developed across these different scientific disciplines in the consumer space, and look at what their application might be in order to help and empower future soldiers.
Enhanced Strength
Works of fiction such as Iron Man are motivating the growing 'maker' culture. Inspired engineers in garages across the globe are working on the construction of exoskeleton technology capable of augmenting the human bodies’ range of motion and strengths.
We have seen Matt Damon experience the fusing of biology with biomechanics in ‘Elysium’, and Tom Cruise piloting advanced exoskeletons in ‘Edge of Tomorrow’. The technology we have seen portrayed in films is nearer to our reality than you may think.
Within medical research, the advancements made in biomechanics are accelerating work on prosthetics, and starting to help improve the lives of those who have suffered the loss of a limb. We have already seen great advancements in this field with incredible breakthroughs from Professor Hugh Herr and team, as demonstrated at TED in 2014.
The evolution of biomechanics has obvious military potential. Several organisations have experimented with exoskeleton technology that enables infantry soldiers to carry weights far in excess of their unaided capability. Soldiers are able to haul more, but still arrive at their destination alert and prepared for action, with the exoskeleton bearing the burden.
Development companies like Lockheed Martin are already developing both powered and unpowered Exoskeleton rigs - TALOS and FORTIS respectively. The HULC was an earlier incarnation, and whilst no longer in development, this experimental hydraulic-powered anthropomorphic exoskeleton proved itself capable of carrying loads of up to 200 pounds.
Innovative Defensive Armour
The standard armour employed, whilst doing what it is designed to do – keep the wearer safe from harm, is often cumbersome and therefore covers a relatively small proportion of the body to keep weight down and movement free. Even if weight is lowered through Kevlar, this does not permit the soldier to move in the most effective manner.
Moratex Institute of Security Technologies have developed what they call Sheer Thickening Fluid (STF), which is claimed to be lighter and more flexible than standard armour. A liquid that reacts to impact and creates an impenetrable barrier, allows for more of the soldiers body to be protected, without the weight or movement penalty.
Regular antiballistic armour can still permits some injury due to the impact of the projectile as it hits the armour. Moratex claim they have eliminated the risk by cutting this impact down from 4cm to 1cm.
Data Visualisation
Augmented reality technology, first brought to mainstream attention by Google through their Glass programme, opened the door to innovators working to replicate and surpass the capabilities that Google have engineered. The ability to have key information displayed in line of sight presents some interesting possibilities in several fields.
In 2014 the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Centre in Boston experimented with Glass to help ER doctors spend more time diagnosing and treating patients, and less time on paperwork. Through integration with QR codes, they engineered a system to allow medical staff to see the latest patient information beamed directly into their field of vision as they entered the patients room, allowing for more quality interaction.
Again like so many technological innovations, this same augmented technology is being developed for military purposes, with troops on the ground no longer reliant on maps and paper based information. All key data and topographical information for their environment can be displayed on a transparent monocle or glasses within line of sight, overlaid with satellite feeds beamed to the heads up display.
The potential here should not be underestimated, as the ability for the foot soldier in hostile territory to remain focussed and not be preoccupied by paper based intel and secondary electronic mapping devices, could literally save their life. Relevant information is streamed directly to a display within their field of vision, allowing the soldier to navigate and react to the latest orders, or pull up crucial information and schematics for the location.
Remote Medical Assistance
Advancements in the field of digital personal health monitoring were kick-started by the mainstream uptake of wristbands communicating with mobile phones to report on activity. Whilst this could be seen as a fad, the potential in the field of medicine is grounded in reality, and a need to allow for better ‘self-maintenance’. Self-monitoring capability of vital data from blood pressure to glucose levels are all a reality today, with devices available to allow patients to stay in control of their own health and well-being.
For the military soldier, these sorts of technologies have been around for some time, but as we discussed at the start, these advancements are having a greater impact now that disparate scientific innovations are being fused together in ways not attempted before.
Through innovation we have already discussed how our infantry soldiers can hike further, carry more equipment, and still arrive fresh and alert, thereby not encountering fatigue induced danger. They will always be focussed on the task at hand as vital information and geographical data is displayed in their line of sight, alongside the latest orders and alerts with no need to break silence for radio contact.
What if their vital signs and operating health could be monitored remotely from base, with necessary action directed and taken in the form of pre-emptive medical treatment. In 2015 the US Department of Defence announced the formation of a consortium with Apple, Boeing, and Lockheed Martin. The focus of this new partnership was the development of new innovative wearable technology, that would enable monitoring of a soldier’s physical condition in the field, permitting pre-emptive action to be taken to ensure the safety of the individual and hence the team.
If we now focus on treatment in extreme locations, there are many innovative approaches being trialled for new ways to perform routine medical procedures.
Professor Mark Kendall’s work on the needle-free vaccination provides a method for administration of medication without a syringe, instead utilising a patch applied to the skin. This enables a more efficient delivery of the dosage targeted at the dermal and epidermal layers of skin, therefore reacting quickly and allowing a more rapid infusion of the needed medicine into the blood stream and immune system.
Imagine the benefits this medicine delivery system would have to to infantry soldier in a remote location. The monitoring system identifies an injury or need for medication, and the soldier simply applies a patch to the skin to deliver the needed medicine in seconds.
Theatre communications
In modern consumer communications we have seen 3G become 4G, and now the development of 5G technology is accelerating towards the 2020 target release date envisaged by most vendors. With test speeds so far achieving in excess of 1 Gb/s, but more importantly dramatically reduced latency, 5G will permit a new wave of communication that is still not feasible with today’s technology.
Autonomous vehicles and future communication needs will be facilitated by this increased capability, but what of our future soldier?
For urban scenarios where telecommunication signals can be received, 5G will increase the amount of tactical data the can be fed to the soldier in the field, but this will not help in remote locations where there are no cell towers.
Technology such as Rajant Kinetic Mesh networks can be employed to ensure connectivity is maintained, even in remote and hostile territory. This technology is being continuously improved, and when active can provide moving vehicles with continuous connectivity via a number of link points including airborne hubs. With technology miniaturisation improving all the time, the mesh network could soon be established utilising soldiers as the nodes.
Personal Support Innovation
Within the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, personal drones have taken the world by storm, with articles common place in the press. Consumers are able to buy cheap basic models that come with intelligent self-stabilisation, right through to the more advanced autonomous drones capable of flying predetermined routes, whilst avoiding and reacting to any obstacles encountered along the way.
Raffaello D'Andrea and his research team work on the advanced capabilities of autonomous drones that can think and solve physical problems using algorithms that help them learn. The capability of current drones is impressive, with features including follow me, and the ability to carry 2-kilogram payloads.
The limiting factor in their usefulness right now is flight time based on the poor limitations of today’s battery technology. To improve the flight time, there are companies currently working on alternate power for drones, including Top Flight Technologies, who have developed a hybrid fuel cell providing 2.5-hours flight time whilst able to carry a 9-kilogram payload. We will see further developments in this space over the next year, especially in battery technology.
For military support, these drones could be used by infantry soldiers as a ‘digital point man’, relaying crucial information about targets and terrain directly to the augmented headset we discussed earlier. This would provide soldiers with early warning of potential threats or changes to operations from a perspective not attainable through standard satellite surveillance.
By having this visual feed beamed directly into the AR glasses, the soldier can anticipate changes to mission parameters, and gain a clearer insight into what lies ahead through images and rendered views.
Technology Integration
With all of these technologies and more being melded together, we are seeing incredible innovation across all scientific sectors, both in the consumer space and the business world.
Specialised industries such as the medical profession can now gain access to potential life changing and lifesaving technology that was once financially out of reach for general patients.
From a military perspective, the fusing of these technologies is helping to provide a new perspective on what is possible, and how rapid innovation can be introduced into a sector where information and digital capabilities can have a major impact, not only on the success of the mission, but in ensuring the soldiers return home.