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  (Source: gizmodo.co.uk)
Next month, 1,000 soldiers will receive the I-BESS system

The U.S. Army will soon receive updated blast sensor packs that will assess how soldiers are affected after explosions.

The pack is called a Soldier Body Unit, and it consists of four sensors total -- two on the chest, and two on the back. They each collect data as soldiers are exposed to explosions, and determines whether the blasts have/could lead to concussions or traumatic brain injuries.

The new sensor pack is an upgraded version of previous blast gauges used for soldiers. The difference is that the Soldier Body Unit is part of a larger system, called the Integrated Blast Effects Sensor Suite (I-BESS), which allows sensors to also be placed in Army vehicles for a "full-body" assessment.

The Soldier Body Unit, which only weighs two pounds, can be strapped right onto a soldier like tiny backpacks. It is always running and collecting data, unlike the previous blast gauges that only turned on when there was overpressure.

The Georgia Tech Research Institute, which developed the sensors along with the U.S. Army's Rapid Equipping Force (REF), has been trying to deploy the new sensors in Afghanistan before the troops leave in 2014.

"We're trying to get the data while we still can," said Amy O'Brien, REF scientist. "I don't want this to sound wrong, but the data we collect from these explosions is very important for us to measure how these blasts affect a soldier's head and body."

REF and Georgia Tech Research Institute are doing just that. Next month, 1,000 soldiers will receive the I-BESS system. Seven hundred will go to soldiers in RC-East, 200 will go to U.S. Army Special Operations Command, and final 100 will be sent to Stryker units.

The cost for these sensors is still pretty high at $2,500 each compared to $75 each for the old blast gauges, but researchers insist that costs will go down once they are mass produced. They are also working on making the packs smaller, cutting them down to about a half pound.

The data collected by the sensors will be sent to the Joint Trauma Analysis and Prevention of Injury in Combat, where the information will be examined by medical professionals. They hope that these sensors will help indicate when soldiers have head injuries so that they can be properly treated and protected.

It's important to note that these sensors have personal codes embedded that protect each soldier's private medical records. There is a classified and unclassified data set, where the classified data set is meant to protect mission details.

Source: Military.com


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By StevoLincolnite on 7/31/2012 11:28:27 AM , Rating: 2
quote:
The Soldier Body Unit, which only weighs two pounds, can be strapped right onto a soldier like tiny backpacks.


I mean it's great that they're doing this though because of the potential to save lives...
But the weight that soldiers already carry vary between 70 and 150 odd pounds, so something will have to give eventually!

Or they discover how to magically make everything light as a feather.




RE: .
By twhittet on 7/31/2012 5:41:32 PM , Rating: 2
True - 2 lbs for something that doesn't help you in combat at all will seem like a lot of wasted weight, plus attaching sensors sounds like a pain.

The info they gather could be invaluable - but squad leaders are really going to have a tough job getting their men to properly wear the things.


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