Biomarkers for warfighter safety and performance in hot and cold environments

Exposure to extreme environmental heat or cold during military activities can impose severe thermal strain, leading to impairments in task performance and increasing the risk of exertional heat (including heat stroke) and cold injuries that can be life-threatening. Substantial individual variability in physiological tolerance to thermal stress...

Optimizing cold operational readiness in the Arctic: from individual laboratory biomarkers to field exercises

Abstract nr I033. Part of special issue: Proceedings of the MQ Military Biomarkers Symposium 2022.

Decision support tools for hot and cold environments: state-of-the-art and future opportunities for predictive and diagnostic biomarkers

Abstract nr I034. Part of special issue: Proceedings of the MQ Military Biomarkers Symposium 2022.

Efficiency of three cooling methods for hyperthermic military personnel linked to water availability

Purpose: Three feasible cooling methods for treatment of hyperthermic individuals in the military, that differed considerably in water volume needed (none to ~80 L), were evaluated. Methods: Ten male soldiers were cooled following exercise-induced hyperthermia (rectal temperature (Tre) ∼39.5 °C) using ventilation by fanning (1.7 m s−1),...

Human performance research for military operations in extreme cold environments

Objectives. Soldier performance in the Arctic depends on planning and training, protective equipment, and human physiological limits. The purpose of this review was to highlight the span of current research on enhancing soldier effectiveness in extreme cold and austere environments. Methods. The practices of seasoned soldiers who train in the...

Serious gaming for adaptive decision making of military personnel

The importance of improving adaptive decision making for the military is ever increasing, particularly in operational environments that are unfamiliar, complex, and constantly changing. This paper presents the development and testing of a serious game for training military officers in adaptive decision making. Participants were to detect rule...

Serious gaming for adaptive decision making of military personnel

As the world in the 21st century has become more dynamic and unpredictable, the need for adaptive behavior in the military is of increasing importance. A serious game (SG) seems to be a suitable intervention for improving adaptability to prepare the military to deal with unpredictability. The purpose of this study is to explore the game design...

Neuroscience for selection and training of resilient military personnel

The defense is confronted with a high competition on the labor market and a substantial scarcity of personnel. If we are able to enhance and maintain resilience and performance of personnel by proper selection procedures or mental training we expect to increase the return on investment of military education, training and operation, that is:...

Difference in fitness for duty among soldiers on a mission: Can these be explained by a difference in the preemployment assessment?

In 1998, the Royal Netherlands Army introduced a new examination system (abbreviated as BMEKL), which was based on the "workload-capability" model, to replace the old system (abbreviated as PULHEEMS), which focused on diagnosis and was based solely on the detection of diseases and infirmities. To discern differences under operational conditions...

Het SimLab, de nieuwe proeftuin van TNO Technische Menskunde

Met het SimLab beschikt TNO-TM over een groot aantal up-to-date faciliteiten waarmee we de training en het functioneren van de militair in de toekomst nog beter van dienst kunnen zijn.

Image parameters for driving with indirect viewing systems

Indirect viewing systems such as tv cameras can potentially support drivers under low visibility conditions or when the driver's field of view (FOV) is restricted. In three experiments, we identified the critical image parameters of such systems on vehicle control. We used a taskbattery that measured lateral and longitudinal vehicle control in...

Eye movements to yaw, pitch, and roll about vertical and horizontal axes: adaptation, and motion sickness

Background: In the search for parameters to predict motion sickness that can be measured in the laboratory, we performed a longitudinal investigation in aviators. Since the vestibular system is involved in the generation of motion sickness as well as eye movements, vestibulo-ocular reflex (VOR) parameters seemed relevant. We investigated three...

Compression wave experimental and numerical studies in gelatine behind armour

Influence of a carbohydrate drink on performance of military personnel in NBC protective clothing

Background: The increased threat of nuclear, biological and chemical (NBC) weapons underlines the need of protective clothing and gas masks, but this may impair performance. Thus, attention should be focused on the nutritional requirements. Hypothesis: Optimal performance is guaranteed if the supply of water and energy is adequate. Methods: Two...