Tactile Interfaces for Dismounted Soldiers

As military environments integrate more complex technological systems, operators increasingly require more assistance from automation. When used properly, automation can significantly enhance performance; however, proper use is predicated on the operator's trust in the automation (TIA). TIA, like trust among people, is influenced by biological, psychosocial, and behavioral aspects. While options for measuring TIA have rapidly expanded in the past decade, there has been little consideration for how well these measures perform in operational environments. A 10-yr literature review was conducted to identify TIA measures and rate their appropriateness for operational aeromedical environments. Articles from Google Scholar, EBSCO, and the Defense Technical Information Center databases were included, focusing on user-reported, physiological, and behavioral measures. Study quality was rated by aeromedical research scientists, while aeromedical appropriateness was evaluated by rated military pilots. Measures were categorized as High Recommendation, Cautious Recommendation, or Not Recommended based on these evaluations. Of the measures reviewed, 28 were recommended for operational use, 23 received cautious recommendations, and 6 were not recommended. The recommended measures demonstrated high research quality and suitability for aeromedical environments. The cautious recommendations highlighted measures with specific limitations that need to be considered in operational settings, while the not recommended measures lacked sufficient evidence for reliable use in these contexts. Several high-quality TIA measures appear suitable for operational aeromedical settings. While these recommendations offer a starting point for testing TIA in aeromedical settings, further research is required to test how well these measures perform in an operational environment. Ranes B, Wilkins J, Kenser E, Caid-Loos M. Trust in automation measures for aeromedical settings. Aerosp Med Hum Perform. 2024; 95(11):851-861.

This article seeks to integrate two concepts, motor heuristics (Raab, 2017. Motor heuristics and embodied choices: How to choose and act. Current Opinion in Psychology, 16, 34–37) and movement analogies (Masters, 2000. Theoretical aspects of implicit learning in sport. International Journal of Sport Psychology, 31(4), 530–541), into a new theory: the Theory of Simplified Information Processing during Actions. Following the two-step theory integration programme proposed by Gigerenzer (2017. A theory integration program. Decision, 4(3), 133–145), we first describe the commonalities and differences between empirical phenomena associated with motor heuristics and movement analogies, and then analyse how the two concepts produce functionally equivalent outcomes. Both motor heuristics and movement analogies try to explain how actions can be performed with minimal cognitive effort, especially in circumstances where information overload may occur. They emphasise the power of simplicity, postulating that “less-is-more” when it comes to the information that needs to be processed to enable successful sports performance. The functionally equivalent outcome of simplified information processing is achieved by different cognitive means: Motor heuristics simplify movement selection by rank ordering information, whereas movement analogies are thought to simplify movement execution by chunking information. Empirically testing the predictions and assumed mechanisms of the Theory of Simplified Information Processing during Actions will improve our understanding of how humans effectively select and execute movements in situations in which information processing demands are high. Understanding how information is efficiently processed to guide actions will allow practitioners to develop effective evidence-based interventions that help to stabilise and improve performance in demanding sports settings.

Despite its singular importance, little attention has been given to the neurosurgical operative environment in the scientific and medical literature. This article focuses attention on the development of neurosurgery and the parallel emergence of its operative setting. The operative environment has, to a large extent, defined the "state of the art and science" of neurosurgery, which is now undergoing rapid reinvention. During the course of its initial invention, major milestones in the development of neurosurgery have included the definition of anatomy, consolidation of a scientific basis, and incorporation of the practicalities of anesthesia and antisepsis and later operative technical adjuvants for further refinement of action and minimalism. The progress, previously long and laborious in emergence, is currently undergoing rapid evolution. Throughout its evolution, the discipline has assimilated the most effective tools of modernity into the operative environment, leading eventually to the entity known as the operating room. In the decades leading to the present, progressive minimalization of manipulation and the emergence of more refined operative definition with increasing precision are evident, with concurrent miniaturization of attendant computerized support systems, sensors, robotic interfaces, and imaging devices. These developments over time have led to the invention of neurosurgery and the establishment of the current state-of-the-art neurosurgical operating room as we understand it, and indeed, to a broader definition of the entity itself. To remain current, each neurosurgeon should periodically reconsider his or her personal operative environment and its functional design with reference to modernity of practice as currently defined.

With the development of China's major agricultural products e-commerce platforms, a large amount of information about users and agricultural products has been generated, resulting in the phenomenon of "information overload", which makes it more and more difficult for users to browse the agricultural products they are interested in and to purchase the agricultural products that meet their needs in a timely and effective manner. Therefore, to address this situation, this paper further mines the consumer behavior and other information generated when consumers interact with e-commerce platforms, predicts users' interests and preferences by constructing dynamic user portraits of groups, and solves the problem of "information overload" through personalized recommendation systems. In this paper, we mainly study the user portrait and group dynamic user portrait, the personalized recommendation method for agricultural products and the system architecture design of agricultural products e-commerce platform. This paper meets the demand for such products in the market and lays a certain theoretical and practical foundation for the subsequent research and development.

Bone cement is commonly utilized in a variety of orthopaedic procedures and contains methylmethacrylate (MMA) monomer. MMA is a colorless, clear, flammable liquid of intense odor. Its vapor concentration in the immediate breathing zone can vary considerably in the operative setting and, in higher concentrations, can become an occupational health hazard. Therefore, reducing MMA vapor is desirable. The aim of this study was to compare the MMA vapor levels emitted during mixing among 5 commercially available cement-mixing systems across 2 operative settings: an operating room (OR) with conventional ventilation (CV) and an OR with laminar airflow (LAF). A prospective, in vitro study was conducted at a single hospital in an OR with LAF and in an OR with CV. MMA vapor release during the cement preparation of a SAWBONES femoral canal was measured with use of a calibrated MiniRAE 3000. A total of 5 different vacuum cement-mixing systems were utilized to mix the same cement type according to the manufacturer instructions of each system. MMA vapor concentrations were measured during 5 phases of mixing, and each mixing system was randomly utilized 10 times in each OR. When comparing the MMA concentration levels of each system between the 2 settings, emissions remained generally higher in the CV setting for every system and in nearly every phase. Among the 5 systems analyzed, System #5, the only entirely closed system, had the lowest overall emissions for each of the 5 phases in the CV setting. This study demonstrated that an operative environment with LAF is conducive to clearing the fumes of MMA during mixing as well as limiting the amount of time that residual fumes linger after mixing. Additionally, the entirely closed cement-mixing system was the most effective in minimizing fume levels within the CV setting. Utilizing this closed system, especially in an OR with CV, may reduce exposure to MMA fumes from bone cement, potentially creating a more favorable working environment. This study provides evidence that a closed cement-mixing system utilized under vacuum in both an OR with CV and an OR with LAF is effective in keeping MMA fume levels below those considered harmful by the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration.

Remote Health Monitoring (RHM) has the potential to increase operational safety in extreme environments. Negative stress exposure influences mission success or the short- and long-term health conditions of deployed personnel. To quantify negative stress, we introduce a washable smart textile with integrated sensors. Analyzing the transmitted sensor values, medical advisors monitor up to 72 sensor values in parallel in case of an average group size of eight people. In order to aggregate the amount of data, we propose a stress level scale that includes stress trends. To predict individual stress levels based on sensor data, environmental quantities and the individual physiological fingerprint, we train different machine learning models. To evaluate such models, we implement a data acquisition environment to label data snapshots. Therefore, we do not need to collect in-field data and expose humans to negative stress. Moreover, we can mock sensor failures and rare, but relevant, sensor value combinations that are difficult to acquire in real-world scenarios. Our evaluation environment identifies Random Forest Regressor from a set of 25 models to perform best to predict individual stress levels. This model performs 23.19 times better than a zero rule classifier to distinguish among nine stress levels for mission goal health condition and 10.50 times better for mission goal mission success. Finally, we present our current RHM user interface design. It addresses issues such as information overload, avatar sympathy and unnecessary navigation paths.

Vicarious calibration of airborne hyperspectral sensors in operational environments

In modern professional and operational environments, the increasing reliance on smartphone-based applications for mission-critical tasks has heightened the need for adaptive and efficient human-machine interfaces (HMIs). Many current smartphone interfaces, however, are limited in their flexibility to accommodate diverse input modalities (i.e., beyond the native touchscreen) or to adapt effectively to dynamic and high-stakes contexts. These limitations become especially evident in scenarios where operators must seamlessly switch between multiple control mechanisms—such as gestures, voice commands, or touch inputs—without sacrificing responsiveness or accuracy. Furthermore, most commercially available HMI solutions are designed with standardized user interactions in mind, which may hinder their usability for individuals with specific accessibility needs or for users working in constrained environments. This lack of adaptability can compromise an operator’s ability to interact quickly and accurately with necessary applications, potentially impacting job or task outcomes. The need for a more flexible, multimodal HMI ecosystem has never been greater, especially as smartphone use expands across professional, industrial, and defense sectors where varied input mechanisms could be leveraged to enhance productivity and effectiveness.To address these limitations in smartphone HMI, our team is developing "THALAMUS". The THALAMUS solution introduces a highly adaptable framework that allows for flexible, multimodal interaction with Android-based applications, empowering users to operate their devices through various input mechanisms without needing software-level integration with each application. THALAMUS leverages a customizable, invisible grid system on the touchscreen, enabling users to map inputs from diverse HMI peripherals—such as gesture gloves, voice commands, and body-worn controllers—onto specific areas of the screen. This feature, combined with an ability to detect the active app and its state, allows THALAMUS to seamlessly transition between different grid configurations, tailoring its response to specific user and app requirements in real time. By enabling device-wide interaction customization, THALAMUS creates an “HMI amplifier” effect, allowing operators to integrate multiple control methods across any application without the need for modification, making it adaptable for a wide range of operational needs.The versatility of THALAMUS is particularly significant for professional and defense applications where hands-free, rapid, and reliable smartphone interaction is essential. In military environments, for instance, THALAMUS could enable operators to interact with situational awareness applications or communication systems using only voice or gesture controls, minimizing heads-down time and improving situational awareness. In other high-stakes contexts, such as healthcare or logistics, THALAMUS can enhance accessibility by allowing professionals to configure interaction methods based on immediate situational needs or individual ergonomic constraints. For accessibility-focused applications, THALAMUS’s customizability allows users to establish personalized controls, supporting users with unique physical or cognitive needs and enabling greater digital inclusivity.THALAMUS promises a foundational platform for multimodal HMI ecosystems, allowing diverse input devices to coalesce within a unified smartphone interaction framework. As an adaptable layer for managing multiple input modes, it facilitates highly configurable control environments that can evolve with emerging HMI peripherals, supporting future innovation in control modalities. THALAMUS thus represents an essential step toward more intelligent, adaptive HMI solutions, allowing device manufacturers and software developers to create tailored, mission-aligned user interfaces for varied operational communities. Ultimately, THALAMUS not only enhances immediate usability but also establishes a scalable and flexible framework for future multimodal HMI ecosystem development across professional and operational domains.

PurposeThis paper examines the implications, for States Parties, of the 1954 Convention safeguarding regime in the context of contemporary non-international armed conflict and ANSAs, with a general focus on the Middle East and in situ cultural property.Design/methodology/approachAs the nature of conflict changes and armed forces become further engaged in supporting peacekeeping operations and deliver training to host nation security forces, and human security becomes an increasingly important function of military operations, the protection of cultural heritage (as an expression of a people's identity) becomes a significant contribution to individual operations.FindingsInternational obligations to States Parties for the in situ protection of cultural heritage, under both International Humanitarian Law and HC54, become an ever increasing important responsibility for armed forces to help deliver.Research limitations/implicationsWhile NATO is increasingly focussed on the defence of western states parties from threats posed by the Russian Federation, and observing a commercially and military assertive China, a recent report issued by the Pentagon noted that the Islamic State in Iraq and Syria (ISIS) is regrouping in Iraq faster than in Syria and could regain territory in six to twelve months in the absence of sustained military pressure.Practical implicationsPreservation in situ is used by heritage professionals to refer to the protection of a cultural heritage asset in its original location while the in situ protection of cultural property is a cornerstone topic of the 1954 Hague Convention Special Protection category. The Convention was drafted with international armed conflict in mind but the initial signatories to the Convention had sufficient foresight to consider non-international armed conflict and its potential effect on in situ cultural property by parties to the conflict, including Armed Non-State Actors (ANSA)Social implicationsUN Security Council Resolution 2449 (December 2018) recognized the negative impact of the presence, violent extremist ideology and actions on stability in Syria and the region of both Islamic State of Iraq and the Levant (ISIL) and the Al-Nusrah Front (ANF). This includes not only the devastating humanitarian impact on civilian populations but also the unlawful destruction of cultural heritage.Originality/valueANSAs comprise individuals and groups that are wholly or partly independent of State governments and which threaten or use violence to achieve their goals, such as Islamic State. As such, the military operating environment has changed since 1954.

BackgroundCirculating blood volume (BV) and maximal oxygen uptake (VO2max) are physiological characteristics important for optimal human performance in aerospace and military operational environments. Addressing the interrelationships between BV, VO2max, sex, and age together is relevant to identifying those individuals with greatest risk of poor outcomes from hemorrhage, as well as assessing the levels of performance competence of individuals deployed in operational environments. In the present investigation, we report and compare for the first time BV and VO2max in a cohort of males and females together to test the hypothesis that BV and VO2max is lower in older people independent of sex.MethodsTo accomplish this, a ‘data mining’ effort of an historic database generated from NASA and U.S. Air Force experiments was conducted. BV, red cell volume, plasma volume, hematocrit, and VO2max were measured in 94 healthy individuals (28 females, 66 males) across an age range of 23 to 65 years to assess the interrelationship between sex, age, BV, and VO2max. Subjects were classified in age groups by < 40 years and ≥ 40 years; these groups identified females as pre‐ vs. post‐menopausal.ResultsConsistent with our hypothesis, comparisons revealed that males had higher (p < 0.01) BV, red cell volume, hematocrit, and VO2max than females when standardized for body size. Against expectations, BV was not different in older compared with younger males and females. VO2max was not different in older compared with younger females, while VO2max was lower in older males (p < 0.01).ConclusionWe conclude that physiological mechanisms other than BV associated with aging appear to be responsible for a decline in VO2max of our older male subjects. Furthermore, factors other than menopause may also influence the control of BV in the female population. Our results provide evidence that aging may not compromise males or females in scenarios where BV can affect performance in aerospace and military environments.Support or Funding InformationThis research was supported in part by appointment of Ms. Koons to the Postgraduate Research Fellowship Program at the US Army Institute of Surgical Research administered by the Oak Ridge Institute for Science and Education through an interagency agreement between the US Department of Energy and USAMRMC. Study funding was provided by a grant from the US Army Combat Casualty Care Research Program (D‐009‐2014‐USAISR).This abstract is from the Experimental Biology 2019 Meeting. There is no full text article associated with this abstract published in The FASEB Journal.

Unmanned Systems (UxS) present unique challenges to Cybersecurity developers due to: (1) The need to secure these systems and protect classified information in the unmanned operational environment, where the UxS are often outside the visual range and physical control of the operator. (2) They require very low Size, Weight, and Power (SWaP) consumption constraints imposed by the smaller UxS. (3) They also impose long and costly approval processes for employing Cryptographic Products, Key Management Architectures, and other High Assurance security solutions in the military operational environment. Additionally, modularizing communications architectures to take advantage of rapid technological and SWaP advancements often results in multiple classification domains, and the need to move plaintext control information between these domains, which results in a Cross Domain Solutions (CDS), requirement. This paper details work supporting High Assurance Cybersecurity engineering for UxS that includes: (1) Investigating current approved cryptographic and CDS tactical products to assess their suitability for UxS operations. Although some current products can meet the larger UxS SWaP requirements, most approved products do not meet SWaP requirements for the smaller UxS. (2) Exploring potential new technologies that have not yet reached the operational stage but show promise for meeting the smaller UxS SWaP requirements. (3) Evaluating potential solutions that will meet the three challenges of deploying High Assurance Cybersecurity solutions onboard UxS in military operations.

We Are All Ballooning: Multimedia Critical Discourse Analysis of ‘Measure Up’ and ‘Swap It, Don’t Stop It’ Social Marketing Campaigns

The Psychomotor Vigilance Test (PVT) is a widely used assay of behavioral alertness sensitive to the effects of sleep loss and circadian misalignment. The standard 10-minute duration of the PVT is often considered impractical for operational or clinical environments. Therefore, we developed and validated an adaptive-duration version of the PVT (PVT-A) that stops sampling once it has gathered enough information to correctly classify PVT performance. Repeated-measures experiments involving 10-minute PVT assessments every 2 hours across both acute total sleep deprivation (TSD) and 5 days of chronic partial sleep deprivation (PSD). Controlled laboratory environment. Seventy-four healthy subjects (34 women), aged 22 to 45 years. A TSD experiment involving 33 hours awake (n = 31 subjects), and a PSD experiment involving 5 nights of 4 hours time in bed (n = 43 subjects). The PVT-A algorithm was trained with 527 TSD test bouts and validated with 880 PSD test bouts. Based on our primary outcome measure "number of lapses (response times ≥ 500 ms) plus false starts (premature responses or response times < 100 ms)," 10-minute PVT performance was classified into high (≤ 5 lapses and false starts), medium (> 5 and ≤ 16 lapses and false starts), or low (> 16 lapses and false starts). The decision threshold for PVT-A termination was set so that at least 95% of training data-set tests were classified correctly and no test was classified incorrectly across 2 performance categories (i.e., high as low or low as high), resulting in an average test duration of 6.0 minutes (SD 2.4 min). In the validation data set, 95.7% of test bouts were correctly classified, and there were no incorrect classifications across 2 categories. Agreement corrected for chance was excellent (κ = 0.92). Across the 3 performance categories, sensitivity averaged 93.7% (range 87.2%-100%), and specificity averaged 96.8% (range 91.6%-99.9%). Test duration averaged 6.4 minutes (SD 1.7 min), with a minimum of 27 seconds. We developed and validated a highly accurate, sensitive, and specific adaptive-duration version of the 10-minute PVT. Test duration of the adaptive PVT averaged less than 6.5 minutes, with 60 tests (4.3%) terminating after less than 2 minutes, increasing the practicability of the test in operational and clinical settings. The adaptive-duration strategy may be superior to a simple reduction of PVT duration in which the fixed test duration may be too short to identify subjects with moderate impairment (showing deficits only later during the test) but unnecessarily long for those who are either fully alert or severely impaired.

The presence of language barriers in multicultural military situations poses distinct obstacles that can have a substantial impact on operational efficiency and the overall success of missions. In recent decades, the rise of multinational military operations has heightened the importance of efficient cross-linguistic communication. Psycholinguistics provides useful insights into the processing and comprehension of language by individuals, illuminating the cognitive processes involved in multilingual communication. Military leaders can enhance their communication in varied operational environments by comprehending the psychological dynamics involved and devising more efficient techniques to overcome language obstacles. This essay will examine the convergence of language barriers, psycholinguistics, and operational efficiency in multicultural military settings, emphasizing the significance of tackling linguistic diversity to improve mission effectiveness and foster successful collaborative endeavor.

Nowadays, the military forces’ operational environment is shaped by dynamic changes that give its most representative characteristics such as volatility, uncertainty, complexity and ambiguity (VUCA). Based on this and taking into consideration the tendency of NATO to use more prominently its multinational military structures, we are obligated to adapt our way of teaching and training if we want to be effective in the process of educating the next leaders for future military environments. In other words, during the classes, also in the field, we should try to educate and train our cadets, at least, to think from a joint, interagency, intergovernmental and multinational (JIIM) perspective when conducting military actions, even at a small tactical level, such as the platoon.