Wearable Computers May Suit Soldiers

EL SEGUNDO, Calif. (5/1/00) -- What was once the stuff of science fiction is now a reality: wearable computers -- digital devices as easy to don and as comfortable to wear as a blouse, pants or belt.

To the soldier burdened with 70 pounds of gear, a wearable, lightweight computer for sending and receiving information could be lifesaving.

New forms of woven materials such as conductive webbing, which incorporates durable electrical conductors directly into the matrix of the weave, offer exciting possibilities for closely integrating digital electronics with conventional clothing -- a potential boon to the soldier in the field.

Beginning with an experimental conductive webbing, Michael Gorlick, project engineer in The Aerospace Corporation's Computer Systems Division, constructed suspenders that function as an effective power bus and data network for wearable digital devices. He wore and demonstrated the "electric suspenders" at the International Symposium on Wearable Computers last October in San Francisco.

Joint Research

"It's part of a joint research project we have with The MITRE Corporation called SLAMMM -- Satellite Link and Mobile Mesh Multicast," said Gorlick. "The Aerospace Corporation has vast experience in satellite networks and Internet protocols, and MITRE has extensive expertise in military wireless architectures and applications.

"The goal is to have very-large-scale information architecture for battlefield applications. We want to be able to send to, and receive information from, the soldier on the battlefield."

There are also civil and commercial applications for integrating digital electronics with fabric. Emergency search and rescue, emergency response, and disaster recovery from floods and earthquakes are but a few.

Computers could be built into hard hats, helmets, or eyeglass frames. Satellite assembly, a slow and painstaking process, could be accelerated if the information were literally in front of the assembler's eyes.

"Our portion of the project is to develop an experimental test bed and protocols for highly mobile adaptive networks," Gorlick continued.

Battle Applications

"Take the battlefield soldier who is going to move in and out of network reception. Let's say that soldier is looking at his Humvee. The engine won't turn over and the repair manual is 6,000 miles away. With a wearable computer, he can access online diagnostic aids and quickly locate the fault.

"When designing small, wearable computers, you have to consider weight, power consumption, thermal effects, and packaging -- in this case, clothing. In many respects, designing and prototyping wearable computers is a lot like building picosats (miniature satellites), but far less expensive. Some of our wearable technology, such as processors or digital wireless transceivers, may be repackaged and transitioned into future generations of picosats.

Functional Attire

"Wearable devices must adapt themselves to the human form. Digital devices will eventually be carried in pockets, purses, and waist packs, hung on belts and straps, worn as pins, brooches, and rings, or attached to arms, wrists, and ankles as bracelets or with straps as we now do with a wristwatch," Gorlick explained.

"We have a technology and point design that can deliver power and communications to these locations and offer a whole new set of placements for wearable digital devices in many forms.

"In short, our goal is to transform clothing into a digital infrastructure that provides power and communications to other wearable devices."