Page 7 - ConnectorSupplier.com 2019 Mil/Aero eBook

The Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) is Changing Connector Designs
Casey Cavender, Vice President, Kensington Electronics, Inc.
As Admiral John Richardson, Chief of Naval Operations, put it during the Navy’s Future Force Expo in Washington, D.C., back in July 2017, “I’d want to network everything to everything.” At that point, the Internet of Things (IoT), which essentially aims to do just that, had already expanded into more markets and begun gaining more ground. Since then, IoT technology has proliferated, infiltrating markets ranging from industrial to consumer, medical, and even military electronics. Military applications, although often similar to their commercial counterparts, have much more serious security risks and are often subjected to much harsher environmental conditions, including intense shock and vibration, extreme temperatures, rough handling, pressure changes, and exposure to dust, dirt, water, weather, chemicals.
To leverage the many rapidly evolving benefits of the IoT, the military created its own version, governed by the stringent security measures and rigorous electrical and mechanical requirements it employs to ensure soldier safety and mission success. The Internet of Battlefield Things (IoBT) is an actively expanding network of sensors, wearables, and other IoT devices that use cloud and edge computing to create a cohesive fighting force.
The IoBT is a rapidly expanding network of innovative technologies designed for soldier support, including drone-view headsets (left), Battlefield Extraction Assist Robots (center), and wearable-enabled tactical vests and helmets (right).
One key point on the IoBT expansion map is wearables. In fact, market researcher ASD Media BV in Amsterdam predicts the demand for military wearable and embedded computers will grow to $10.5B by 2023. In addition to significantly expanding digital connectivity capabilities, wearables could hold the key to reducing casualty rates by enabling the rapid detection, triage, and clinical management of wounded soldiers on the battlefield. Body-worn biosensors can already detect and transmit soldier statistics like heart rate and hydration and, when paired with innovative monitoring technology like the Compensatory Reserve Index (CRI), which can quantify a failing cardiac system due to the reduction of blood in a vessel or vessels based on photoplethysmography (PPG) measurements, can even accurately detect and transmit information about hemorrhages and other critical problems. According to an article in the December 2012 issue of Military Medicine, 81.5% of casualties analyzed between 2002 and 2009 resulted in death due to hemorrhage. So, wearables capable of detecting hemorrhages, accurately assessing their severity, and rapidly alerting the base and surrounding medics could be of crucial
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