Soldier Health and Position Tracking System Using IoT

The soldier health and monitoring system tracks the position of soldiers and their health status to make sure soldiers are always safe on the battlefield. 

The army , airforce, and navy are the specialized and essential part of a nation’s security. Soldiers involved in these services tend to get injured in battles. We can not afford to let them get lost or have any delayed medics reach the injured. In a chaotic environment, locating a soldier is a distress that can take plenty of time.

To address such changes, IoT-based soldier health and position tracking systems have evolved that can serve as an important tool for modern military operations. In this article, we will cover the IoT-based soldier health and position tracking system in detail so read till the end. 

Role of IoT in Soldier Health and Position Tracking

By interconnecting devices and systems, IoT creates a network that improves military operational capabilities through real-time information. The IoT in defense market size is expected to grow around $109.17 billion by the end of 2030 with a CAGR of 13.02%. 

The use of IoT devices in the defence sector results in a significant amount of data generation that further provides valuable insights. Defense organizations have also started integrating IoT technology into the training programs to create real combat scenarios. This way, soldiers can be prepared for real-world scenarios and it also improves the ability of the team to use IoT devices effectively. 

Moreover, to state some significant importance of IoT in Defence, it improves the operational efficiencies of security forces, improves soldiers safety and helps in smart and quick decision making. 

– IoT devices allow communication between soldiers, commanders, and support units. Sharing this data in near real time helps in quicker decision making and more smart response to the changing battlefield conditions. 

– IoT systems also track the location and status of equipment, vehicles, supplies, and personnels. This real-time visibility into resources maximizes the security. 

– In addition, smart IoT wearables equipped with GPS track soldiers location in real-time. This feature helps in taking quick actions to provide support to soldiers in emergencies. 

– Besides, smart IoT wearables also track vital signs and physical conditions of the soldiers, and alert medics and commanders about any injuries or health issues. 

About Soldier Health and Position Tracking

The smart IoT systems like soldier health monitoring and position tracking provides real-time data collection, processing, and transmission, for better monitoring of soldiers health and precise location during missions. 

This implementation of IoT technology helps improve both safety and operational efficiency, allowing defense organizations to make informed decisions and reducing risks in the field.

Nevertheless, the soldier health and position tracking system is the combination of wearable sensors and location tracking devices. It monitors and provides data continuously to give the defense team detailed insights into a soldier’ physical and mental well-being while also tracking their accurate position.  

The system monitors soldier’s heart rate, body temperature, oxygen levels, and assists in taking quick actions in case any health emergency arises on the battlefield. This data-driven approach improves communication and aids in mission success. 

How Does Soldier Health and Position Tracking System Work?

The IoT based soldier health and position tracking system employs wearable devices, sensors, communication networks, and command center infrastructure. The general workflow of the system includes- data collection, data transmission, monitoring, and action. For instance:

– Soldiers wear IoT wearables like smartwatches that are equipped with sensors to continuously track health metrics like heart rate, body temperature, and SPO2  and location data through embedded GPS modules. 

– These smart wearable devices collect and transmit data through wireless communication networks in real-time. In some cases, the edge computing process is also utilized to process plenty of data locally. This is done to reduce latency before sending it to the command center. 

– Once the data is received to the command centers, each soldier’s health status and geographical location is monitored. This allows commanders to analyze the condition of individual soldiers and track their movements during missions. 

– In case the system detects abnormal health metrics or unsafe location (i.e, crossing the geofenced zone), it triggers instant alerts. The team can take immediate actions or warn the soldiers of the impending danger. 

Soldier’s Health Monitoring in Combat

The discussed smart solution for soldiers has two components- the health monitoring component and the location tracking component. Let’s understand these components in detail. 

The health monitoring component revolves around wearable IoT devices that are equipped with sensors that measure and monitor soldier’s vital health signs. The key elements of the health monitoring process are:

1. Wearable Devices

Soldiers are equipped with smartwatches or fitness trackers. These devices are embedded with heart rate sensors, body temperature sensors, and SpO2 sensors to monitor cardiovascular activity, and oxygen saturation in the blood.

2. Real-time Data Transmission

The collected health data is transmitted to the command center through secure wireless networks, this data is processed and viewed on IoT dashboards to allow commanders to track soldiers’ health status continuously. 

3. Alerts and Preventive Steps

The system triggers alerts if the health data indicates potential risks like increased heart rate, high-stress levels, or dehydration. These alerts are made to notify both the soldiers and command centers, allowing them to take preventive measures such as sending medical assistance. 

IoT-Based Soldier’s Position Tracking in Combat

Along with health tracking, the system also tracks real-time position of the soldiers through GPS-enabled devices. The GPS modules can also be embedded into the smart wearables or can be made into a separate device. 

Prime elements of the position tracking system includes:

1. GPS-enabled devices

Soldiers are equipped with wearables that contain GPS modules. These modules track exact location on the battlefield. The location data is transmitted back to the command center, where the team can visualize the details on a map to get a clearer understanding. 

2. Geofencing and Alerts

The geofencing feature helps commanders to set virtual boundaries around specific areas to create a safe zone. Thus, if a soldier crosses into or exits a geofenced zone, the system triggers and sends immediate alerts. 

3. Battlefield Awareness

The real-time accurate location tracking functionality allows the team to coordinate operations and helps in making sure that soldiers are positioned strategically during the mission. It also assists in emergency responses, as commanders can pinpoint the exact location of soldiers and deploy support and medical assistance immediately. 

Benefits of Using Soldier Health Monitoring And Position Tracking System

The major benefits that defence organization get by using smart soldier health monitoring and positioning system are:

1. Real-time Health Monitoring

Continuous tracking of health parameters like heart rate, body temperature, and oxygen levels, help detect health risks of fatigue, dehydration, and injuries at an early stage, before it gets critical. In addition, the early detection of physical stress helps in taking preventive measures through complex health related issues that can be avoided. 

2. Improved Soldier Safety

Continuous monitoring of soldiers provides a safety net to forces in extreme situations and immediate alerts are sent in any dangerous physical conditions that allows for rapid intervention. 

3. Better Medical Assistance

The medics get real-time updates on soldiers’ health that allows them to send medical aids before the health condition worsens. Plus, the system’s ability to pinpoint the exact location of soldiers increases the response time for rescue teams and medics.

4. Improved Position Tracking and Coordination

The real-time GPS tracking assists in monitoring soldiers movement and reduces the risk of getting lost on the battlefield. Furthermore, the geofencing technology notifies the team when soldiers enter or leave the predefined safe zone. 

5. Increased Situational Awareness for Command Centres

The command centers will get a complete overview of the battlefield, including the health and exact location of all the soldiers. This situational awareness allows for quick decision making and better overall mission planning that makes the entire unit combat ready. 

Overall, the system not only improves the safety, health, and performance of the soldiers but also increases mission success rates and boosts soldiers morale and confidence. 

Conclusion

IoT can complement the already advanced defense forces with its connected network and sensing capabilities. By using IoT solutions, forces can get real-time insights of the battlefield in near real-time, putting the security services at an advantage to use the collected data and information in changing the course of action. 

IoT can greatly help the military in all kinds of combat operations and combat training. 

PsiBorg is the most reputable IoT service provider with experience in catering defense forces. 

Additionally, you can read our case study on how we developed smart IoT solutions to cater AirForce needs and reach out to us with your requirements.