DOD looks to innovate with biometric and multimodal interfaces

The US Department of Defense (DOD) has issued a Request for Information (RFI) on “cutting-edge technology solutions for multimodal human-machine interfaces for mixed reality and robotic autonomous systems.”

The Cognitive Science and Applications Branch (CSAB) of DOD’s Combat Capability Development Command Soldier Center (DEVCOM SC) is seeking to assess industry’s ability to develop cutting-edge technology for multimodal human-machine interfaces to control mixed reality and autonomous robotic systems.

Proposals solutions should address the Modular Open System Architecture design approach; integrated inertial measurement units; surface electromyography; electroencephalogram; eye tracking, head movement and voice; and mature software development kits and application programming interfaces.

Proposed solutions should help soldiers interface with mixed-reality and autonomous robots to minimize cognitive load and training requirements; enhance situational awareness; and enable soldiers to offload risk and work to robots, and instead help them focus on higher-level tasks.

According to the RFI, DEVCOM SC is seeking information on biometrics for physiological monitoring, eye tracking, and brain-computer interfaces, as well as haptic force feedback devices, tactile sensors, and gesture recognition.

DEVCOM SC also is interested in human-machine interface (HMI) solutions that leverage a combination of information modalities that include XR displays, augmented reality overlays, intuitive graphical user interfaces, voice commands, spatialized audio cues, and natural language processing.

The RFI says “CSAB recognizes that HMI technology development is an iterative process. Therefore, respondents are encouraged to present solutions that offer incremental value and can be rapidly prototyped, tested, and fielded in operational environments.”

Article Topics

biometrics  |  brain computer interface  |  Department of Defense  |  eye tracking  |  gesture recognition  |  mixed reality  |  RFI  |  robots  |  U.S. Government