'Fight Recorder' will act as emergency beacon

A collaboration between Defence and industry will develop the equivalent of a Black Box for soldiers, known as the ‘Fight Recorder’.

Two industry partners will receive $700,000 from the federal government’s Next Generation Technologies Fund, which launched in March this year, to fully develop the product.

The soldier-worn system will capture data on the battlefield, and would act as an emergency beacon to reduce the time taken to reach battlefield casualties.

“Survival rates for battlefield casualties are closely tied to response times and the Fight Recorder will enable Defence to quickly locate and treat casualties,” said Minister for Defence Industry, the Hon Christopher Pyne.

“In addition to serving as a location beacon, the data captured by the Fight Recorder could be used to inform the design and performance of soldier equipment and protective wear.

Telecommunications company Myriota and wearable technology company IMeasureU were selected from 47 industry and university applicants from across Australia and New Zealand to develop the Fight Recorder.

When fully developed, the Fight Recorder could also be applied in emergency services and law enforcement scenarios.

Image © Commonwealth of Australia, Department of Defence.

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