Bio-Inspired Distributed Sensing Networks for Wearable Situational Awareness Enhancement
Abstract
Biological systems utilize arrays of distributed sensors for exceptional reactions to diverse stimuli. This situational awareness is unrivaled in man-made systems and the development of synthetic mimics can revolutionize diver performance, team coordination, and safety. Inspired by the horseshoe crab, which possesses an adaptive array of eyes, the objective of this research is to create a wearable cognitive network with distributed miniaturized cameras and sensors arrayed in soft elastomeric materials to revolutionize warfighter situational awareness. The horseshoe crab has distributed eyes across their carapace which connect to a central brain. We will design a bio-inspired wearable cognitive network where soft and wearable sensor modules are distributed across a users head,connect to a central processer, and display real-time sensor outputs on a goggle system. This will provide critical data to the user, including a surrounding birds eye view, providing omnidirectional vision through the reconstruction of sensor data into 3D space. The soft wearable cognitive modules will be developed through hybrid electronic architectures consisting of embedding sensors (e.g., camera, sound, proximity) into soft elastomers with integrated liquid metal composite wiring for a conformal human-machine interface. These modules will serve as the bio-inspired distributed sensing network nodes with extreme robustness and mobility that will communicate wirelessly and provide unprecedented inputs to advanced goggle systems.This program will be comprehensive in scope with precise experiments on soft and hybrid electronics, system design and optimization with image processing, and fabrication methodologies to create soft, conformal cognitive systems. These extraordinary multifunctional characteristics and multilocation integration schemes will not only improve situational awareness, but the soft, conformal nature of the materials and wireless communication will dramatically improvewearability, reduce payload, and increase mobility. This will enable next generation diving suits that utilize soft matter components that are soft like natural tissue and enable advanced situational awareness for warfighter superiority.Approved for public release
Document Details
- Document Type
- DoD Grant Award
- Publication Date
- Aug 05, 2021
- Source ID
- N000142112699
Entities
People
- Michael D. Bartlett
Organizations
- Office of Naval Research
- United States Navy
- Virginia Tech