US services test wearable tech to improve soldier’s performance

Warfighters from the US Army, Marine Corps (USMC) and Special Operations Command (USSOCOM) recently tested a wearable digital health and human performance software solution to individually measure service members’ health and enable them to improve their performance.

Named Lightning Platform, it is a cyber-secure and custom-built mobile app developed by the Center for Body Computing (CBC) at the USC Institute for Creative Technologies (ICT), in partnership with the US Army and the DoD.

It can connect to a variety of body-worn sensors including Apple Watch, glucose monitors and medical-grade wearable devices enabling the platform to detect, record and display real-time and highly accurate measurements of the soldier.

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This plug-and-play solution was unveiled in 2022 and can evaluate physiology, metabolism and mental and cognitive status.

An official spokesperson for the USC ICT explained to Shephard that the Lightning Platform has been used by the Center for Body Computing to support several multi-year research studies.

“These [studies] will provide real-time holistic health measurements, including biomarkers detecting acute and chronic brain injury, towards creating a personal health record,” the official noted. “The overarching goal is to reduce and eliminate long-term adverse outcomes and optimise individual health and performance for service members.”

For that matter, the app also provides short-form original videos and other content modules developed by subject matter experts and informed by science-based guidelines.

Some of the areas it covers comprise physical training and recovery; psychological and cognitive fitness; sleep hygiene; metabolic health; and education related to treatment options.

The next phases of this effort will involve adding novel measures and transitioning the platform to the military for broad use in large-scale programmes such as the Army's Holistic Health and Fitness (H2F) system.

The H2F is a service’s attempt to empower and equip warfighters to take charge of their health, fitness and well-being to improve their individual performance while also preventing injury or disease.

It represents a shift from a “one-size-fits-all” model to an approach which acknowledges that every soldier is unique and that diverse units have different missions.

The Lightning Platform passed through trials in several units located in California since 2022. At the Comprehensive Operator Readiness Assessment (CORA 2.0), in Fort Bragg, 1st Reconnaissance Battalion, Camp Pendleton, it was tested by 200 members of the 3rd Special Forces Group (Airborne).

Also in Fort Bragg, 15 instructors of 1st Special Forces Command (Airborne) assessed the platform during the Special Forces Advanced Reconnaissance, Target Analysis and Exploitation Techniques Course (SFARTAETC).

Moreover, the app was deployed in a study conducted at the Marine Corps Base in Camp Pendleton, which involved 500 warfighters. Meanwhile, at the National Training Center Fort Irwin, it was used to monitor the health of 150 Brigade senior leaders.

Another test with the Lightning Platform was conducted in Hawaii at the Marine Corps Camp H. M. Smith, Oahu. It involved 350 senior service members of the Special Operations Command Pacific (SOCPAC).