Technology for the Warfighter
The Auditory Research Agenda centers around the needs of the warfighter: survivability, decreased response time, intelligence gathering, C3, safety, situational awareness. Audiologists know that hearing offers many advantages to the soldier, yet these advantages are often taken for granted. For example, hearing is fully operational 24 hr/day; sound (unlike vision) is not blocked by obstacles; operational in a full spherical range; operational without visual cues at night or in smoke; full attentional focus is not required; often the only warning signal available. The Army research team will exploit these hearing abilities to benefit the warfighters needs and integrate auditory needs and considerations into capstone requirements documents and mission needs statements. Basic and applied research efforts at the US Army Research Lab, Walter Reed, and USA Aeromedical Research Lab and battlelabs will increase our understanding of soldier auditory capabilities and limitations.
Research initiatives are focused in the following categories: speech communication, situational awareness, hearing enhancement, and combat sound training (detection and identification).
Highlights!
US Army Research Lab and USA CHPPM are investigating hearing loss which may occur as a result of deploying airbags. Drs. Richard Price and Doug Ohlin are the primary investigators and need your help! Please ask all soldiers, sailors and seamen (during their annual hearing tests) if they have been involved in a car accident since their last test. Get their name, phone number and SSN and USARL and Dr. Joan Besing will do the rest. Fax those names attn: Dr. Richard Price, 410-278-3587 (DSN 298).
Ongoing research experiments includes:
3D audio displays for a prototype command and control vehicle (C2V) at Ft. Knox Virtual Mounted Maneuver Battlelab system evaluation, auditory signal design, and auditory training for the hand held stationary mine detection system (HSTAMIDS), Mine and Countermines, Ft. Belvoir Landwarrior helmet design, Ft Benning Battlelab feasibility of bone conduction transducers in hands free radio operations an ARL initative audio displays in the Army Battle Command System for the TRADOC Program Integration Office, Ft. Leavenworth. ARL is delighted to assist any audiologist who may identify a field requirement, but requires experimental design or analysis consultation. Additionally, ARL often needs soldier input or unit participation to test new equipment and products. If you care to volunteer your soldiers or need help with a field experiment, just call (DSN 298-5999; 410-278-5999).