{"id":442,"date":"2023-07-30T00:19:50","date_gmt":"2023-07-30T00:19:50","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=442"},"modified":"2023-07-30T00:19:51","modified_gmt":"2023-07-30T00:19:51","slug":"wearables-pilot-program-technology-tested-at-exercise-talisman-sabre-2023","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/daily-bullet.com\/?p=442","title":{"rendered":"\u2018Wearables Pilot Program\u2019 Technology Tested at Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023"},"content":{"rendered":"
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BRISBANE, Australia \u2014 Technology by definition is the application of scientific knowledge for practical purposes, especially in industry.<\/p>\n

With a force of more than 1.4 million service members, not including Reserve and National Guard component service members, Dr. Nathan Fisher says the U.S. Department of Defense is always looking years ahead for the advantage in the continually evolving, multi-trillion-dollar industry.<\/p>\n

While significant amounts of U.S. military spending is allocated towards weapons platforms, a relatively small portion goes into the wellbeing of its most critical assets \u2014 U.S. Soldiers, Airmen, Sailors, Marines, Coast Guardsmen and Guardians, according to Fisher, a senior scientist with the Joint Program Executive Office for Chemical, Biological, Radiological and Nuclear Defense.<\/p>\n

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Currently, Fisher said that funding is being used to test new technology that could help DoD prevent heat-injuries among its service members, among other things. He said more than 12,000 U.S. service members experience heat injuries annually.<\/p>\n

Fisher said various research and development organizations within the DOD are participating in a one year Wearables Pilot Program to gain insight on how to implement wearable bio-physiological monitoring devices into the military from a practical and architectural vantage point.<\/p>\n

The wearables come in various forms, which in some cases are familiar as a smartwatch.<\/p>\n

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One of its latest devices made the thousands of miles journey from the U.S. to Australia to be tested on service members training as a part of Exercise Talisman Sabre 2023.<\/p>\n

\u201cWhat we have here is the Health Readiness and Performance System, which is one of the devices that we\u2019re evaluating as part of the wearables experiment (at) Talisman Sabre,\u201d Fisher said.<\/p>\n

The piece of technology connects to a data strip on the skin over the heart, which is nearly the size of a standard bandage you\u2019d have in a medicine cabinet.<\/p>\n

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Although it takes up a small amount of space on a service member who otherwise carries upwards of 60 pounds of gear, its capacity to save lives is enormous.<\/p>\n

\u201cThis particular device can do a number of things, but one of many is to identify early signs of heat stress and heat illness,\u201d said Fisher, the native of Arlington, Virginia, who is also the rank of major in the U.S. Army Reserve.<\/p>\n

The device connects to a cell phone through a receiver via secure communications technology.<\/p>\n

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\u201cIt measures heart rate, heart rate variation, respiratory rate, pulse oxygen level activity, and a few other physiological metrics that all come together in order to enable a predictive algorithm to analyze the data from that service member and then alarm that individual, or squad leader, or medic to take a look at that person,\u201d Fisher continued.<\/p>\n

A squad leader in the immediate area, or a medic receiving the information via a server, can receive the data to make an informed potential life-saving decision.<\/p>\n

According to Fisher, the device ideally takes two days to establish a baseline reading of an individual\u2019s data.<\/p>\n

He said information derived from a collection of individuals\u2019 data can also lead to preventive medicine measures amongst a formation including the spread of communicable diseases and viruses.<\/p>\n

Wearables have commanded the attention of senior leaders supporting Talisman Sabre.<\/p>\n

\u201cI don\u2019t get too excited about technology but this device is lifesaving,\u201d said U.S. Army Col. Kevin Bass, the deputy commanding officer of 18th Medical Command, which is part of the Australian Defence Force and U.S. Combined Joint Theater Medical Component in supporting Talisman Sabre.<\/p>\n