LorRaine Duffy

Wireless communication glove apparatus for motion tracking, gesture recognition, data transmission, and reception in extreme environments

Military personnel need better ways to communicate in hostile, noisy, silence-mandated, and/or extreme environments. Typing on a keyboard is difficult and impractical while wearing comprehensive protective clothing. Wireless data gloves were researched and developed to transmit and receive ASCII code and other signals as hand gestures. Two categories of glove prototypes were constructed: gloves with and without a haptic-IO capability. All data gloves detect motion, such as gestures, using magnetic sensors. Non-haptic gloves only transmit static and dynamic gestures. Haptic gloves have vibro-mechanical devices on the fingertips for feedback about transmitted signals and for covert-signal reception. Many potential communications applications include hazardous and covert military operations, space operations, fire fighting, mining, training, underwater use, and aids for the visually and hearing impaired.

Next-generation tactical-situation-assessment technology (TSAT): chat

This paper presents concepts, content, status, applications and challenges of chat as used in the military context of secure net-centric command and control. It describes the importance of chat as it contributes to situation assessment and the common operating picture, which presents current collective knowledge of the battle space. The paper discusses future chat capabilities and outlines the road ahead for the TSAT project.