159 lines
6.7 KiB
HTML
159 lines
6.7 KiB
HTML
<!DOCTYPE HTML PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD HTML 3.2 Final//EN">
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<HTML>
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<META NAME="GENERATOR" CONTENT="SGML-Tools 1.0.9">
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<TITLE>Wearable-HOWTO.: Applications with Wearables.</TITLE>
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<LINK HREF="Wearable-HOWTO-17.html" REL=next>
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<LINK HREF="Wearable-HOWTO-15.html" REL=previous>
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<LINK HREF="Wearable-HOWTO.html#toc16" REL=contents>
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<A HREF="Wearable-HOWTO-17.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="Wearable-HOWTO-15.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="Wearable-HOWTO.html#toc16">Contents</A>
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<HR>
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<H2><A NAME="s16">16. Applications with Wearables.</A> </H2>
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<P>As a rule of thumb the first people who are going
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to use extensively the wearables are the people
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whose work is a matter of life and death.
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss16.1">16.1 In the army now.</A>
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</H2>
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<P>It is very important in an army to have an edge other the enemy,
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that is what we have always seen in history, and moreover the army
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is known to spend vast amount of money in order to get this edge.
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<P>Some years ago the infantryman was ordered to carry different pieces of ordnance that came
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from different sources and were not part of a whole thing, and to try
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to do his best with theses ( looks like Frankenstein to me ). With theses
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new projects the infantryman is the centerpiece of a coherent,
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complementary weapons and equipment system.
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>Australian Army.
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<P>
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In Australia there is a program called Land 125 Soldier Combat System
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( formerly "Wundurra"
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( the aboriginal word for Warrior ) ), there is some information
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on
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<A HREF="http://www.dsto.defence.gov.au/">DTSO</A>'s website; and according to the
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<A HREF="http://www.atse.org.au/">ATSE </A>this project should be on phase 2 on year 2000/2001.
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<P>According to DTSO the soldiers should have intra-section radios, night
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vision and sighting capability and head up display.
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<P>
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</LI>
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<LI>French Forces.
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<P>In France there is a project called FELIN ( Fantassin à Equipement et
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Liaison Integrées ( Foot soldier with integrated equipment and links )
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)
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<P>in order to enhance the efficiency of the soldier a set of devices had
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been developed with very careful limitations : historically the foot
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soldier has been a beast of burden, thus the FELIN project wishes
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to limit its load at 25kg. The soldier has got a radio link, a
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computer and a camera on his weapon ( allowing him to open fire from
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cover ). The display is done with a monocular HMD.
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</LI>
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<LI>UK Forces.
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<P>The FIST ( Future Integrated Soldier Technology ) project:
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Early tests were conducted on Salisbury Plain to determine if the
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soldier could access information either 'Head Up' ( in a helmet
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display ), 'Head Down' ( on a wrist mounted display ), via a palmtop
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computer or if necessary a map
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<P>lessons learned ( in L'armement issue 67 September 1999 )
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<UL>
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<LI>There is no scope for enhancing soldier performance through the
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provision of tactical information unless the soldier can access
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information 'on the move'</LI>
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<LI>The preference, both by day and night was the helmet display.</LI>
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</UL>
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The FIST Digitization Trials will be conducted on Salisbury Plain in
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June and November 2000. The June trial addresses information flow, the
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November trial will address the benefits of enhanced information to
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determine if there is a consequent increase in the 'Tempo of Operation'.
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</LI>
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<LI>US Forces
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<P>
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<UL>
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<LI>The land warrior program
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<P>It is a system made of 5 subsystems cooperating together.
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<UL>
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<LI>A Pentium Computer/Radio Subsystem (C/RS) made by Motorola
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featuring an integrated GPS receiver</LI>
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<LI>The Protective Clothing and Individual Equipment Subsystem
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(PCIE) made by Gentex</LI>
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<LI>The Weapon Subsystem (WS) made
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by Raytheon</LI>
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<LI>The Software Subsystem made by Raytheon</LI>
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<LI>The Integrated Helmet Assembly Subsystem
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(IHAS) made by Honeywell</LI>
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</UL>
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<P>The location of each squad member will be available through the IHAS,
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as well as digitized maps and tactical information.
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Every soldier will have an integrated GPS as well as video recording capabilities.
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Of course the soldier will have night vision capability as well as
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deported sighting. Tests should take place during year 2000.
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More info on the Land Warrior program at
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<P>
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<A HREF="http://www.sbccom.army.mil/programs/lw/index.htm ">http://www.sbccom.army.mil/programs/lw/index.htm</A><P>( There is even a FAQ and pictures ).
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AFAIK this is going to be the biggest test for the wearable concept
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because the Army is planning to purchase 34000 units plus spares.
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</LI>
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<LI>The navy.
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<P>During the summer 1999 news poured that the US Navy tested the Virtual Retinal
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Display at Hawaii. The explanation is that there doesn't seem to be
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enough space in the fighting ships because of the numerous CRT, so it
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is conceivable for the crew to wear VRDs
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<P>Needless to say, that some very low profile and highly specialized
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units should have adopted the wearable concept but as far as we cannot
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have evidence we can only speculate on that.
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</LI>
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</UL>
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</LI>
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</UL>
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<H2><A NAME="ss16.2">16.2 At the hospital</A>
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</H2>
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<P>The
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<A HREF="http://www.mvis.com">Microvison</A>'s VRD has been
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<A HREF="http://www.mvis.com/2-medi.htm">delivered </A> to the Wallace Kettering
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Neuroscience Institute, Dayton Ohio, for neurosurgery
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applications.
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This is not a full featured wearable solution but it is
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a big step toward the adoption of wearables in health care activity.
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( on the website you can view a
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<A HREF="http://www.mvis.com/dr_pov4jpg.htm">simulated image</A> ).
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<P>
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss16.3">16.3 With the firefighters</A>
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</H2>
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<P>Firefighters are using thermal cameras in order to see through the
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smoke, in the next years theses devices should be miniaturized and
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with a wearable firefighters should have both hands free and will have
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real time access to data such as the map of the building and numerous
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helpful informations.
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<P>
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<H2><A NAME="ss16.4">16.4 Wearable for the disabled.</A>
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</H2>
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<P>One can easily think that a wearable computer can be very helpfull for
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the disabled people, for example for blind people a wearable with a GPS
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receiver, some maps of the surroundings and even more, interacting with
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its surroundings by means of active beacons can be a very good
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substitute for a dog, the elements exists for a long time.
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<P>This should be easily done : the linux comunity has good text to speech
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applications, voice recognition is quite ready for this application
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, the IrDA or Modem radio drivers are OK, the same applies
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to the GPS programs, we have to develop an electronic blind walking
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stick in order to detect the obstacles at a much reater range and
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last, but not the least to convince the autorities.
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<P>
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<HR>
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<A HREF="Wearable-HOWTO-17.html">Next</A>
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<A HREF="Wearable-HOWTO-15.html">Previous</A>
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<A HREF="Wearable-HOWTO.html#toc16">Contents</A>
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