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Electrified BDUs Definitely Aren't Your Father's Fatigues
Monday, April 8, 2002
By Curt Biberdorf
Special to the American Forces Press Service

A universal serial bus cable was manufactured into a thin, flexible and wearable cable with flat, low-profile connectors that can be integrated into clothing.
Image Credit: Soldier Systems Center.

"The technical feasibility was proven, so now we're going to survey other military-based electronic, wearable systems currently under development, map the electronic architecture," Carole Winterhalter said. "Integration of both the electronic network and sensors also presents new design issues and human factors issues of safety, comfort, performance and durability."

NATICK, Mass -- AFIS
Using a finger of his glove, a soldier determines if water is safe to drink. He takes a rolled-up cloth keyboard from his pocket, plugs it in and starts typing a message. Calling for support, his radio sends and receives signals using an antenna blended into his uniform.

Through a 1998 Small Business Innovative Research program known as Electro-Optic Fabric Concepts for Combat Clothing, researchers at the Army Soldier Systems Center here are developing textiles that can transport power and data safely and efficiently.

"After looking into state-of-the-art materials for a variety of protective clothing applications, it became clear that there was potential to achieve a revolutionary improvement in performance if electronics- and optics-related technologies could be successfully integrated into textiles," said textile technologist Carole Winterhalter.

Although the battle dress uniform provides camouflage and environmental protection, it may also become a wearable electronic network that transports data to and from a soldier's wearable computer.

Like a local area network, soldiers' personal area network would open new opportunities for battlefield lethality and survivability. The network could be made to detect chemicals, prevent friendly fire casualties by providing positive identification, and monitor a soldier's physiological condition.

The first step in developing the PAN was also the program's first success. Natick and small business partner Foster-Miller Inc. of Waltham, Mass., developed a textile-based version of a universal serial bus cable.
(More: DoD News Source)
2002 © The United States Department of Defense.

Dan