The Defence and Security Accelerator (DASA) has invited businesses to come up with wearable innovations that can prevent injuries in combat, launching a competition that will award those who develop such technologies, even if they've been created with non-military operations in mind.
DASA wants to hear from companies that could apply their technologies to prevent the most common medical-related issues in the military, particularly musculoskeletal injuries, environmental injuries and noise-induced hearing loss.
"We are interested in potential solutions that utilise science and technology as a means to prevent, not treat, injury in service personnel," DASA said in a statement. "We are looking for novel methods to provide early warning or prevention methods for physical injury, specifically using practical wearable technology."
It also wants businesses to put forward existing data management and analysis technologies that could help to identify potential problems with personnel.
"In the long term any technology must be scalable across the whole force, and should be compatible with the realities of military usage, such as robustness, and cyber security," DASA continued.
Potential speed to market is important and DASA said although ideas at any stage will be accepted, it's particularly interested in solutions that could be deployed within six months.
Although the specification is pretty broad, DASA has made it clear that it's not currently interested in and paper-based studies or research - it wants real, tangible solutions to prevent military injuries. It also doesn't want businesses to put forward scanning tech or what it refers to as "invasive technologies."
