Embedded Acoustics' Pico Monitor was yesterday chosen as the winner of the Defence Innovation Competition 2020. At the award ceremony, the Delft-based company received a contract worth €200,000 to develop the idea further. This will be done in cooperation with the Defence Healthcare Organisation.
Embedded Acoustics' Pico Monitor was yesterday chosen as the winner of the Defence Innovation Competition 2020. At the award ceremony, the Delft-based company received a contract worth €200,000 to develop the idea further. This will be done in cooperation with the Defence Healthcare Organisation.
The Pico Monitor is a health tracker consisting of a wristband and an earplug. The wristband records vital signs such as heart rate, ECG, blood pressure, oxygen saturation and body temperature, while instant feedback is given to the wearer via the earplug.
Commanders can therefore immediately assess the fitness of all military personnel during operational deployments and, for example, alert them if body temperature rises too high. The Pico Monitor can also be used to track vital signs of wounded soldiers.
According to the jury, the Pico Monitor is a relatively simple solution, which is also quick to implement. It can therefore be experimented with quickly. "The sensor contributes to improving medical care on the frontline," the jury report reads. "It increases the survival chances of the wounded soldier in the so-called 1st 'golden hour'."
Smart Medics
This year's theme was 'Smart Medics'. Companies could present a concept using smart technology to help improve medical care for military personnel in the deployment zone. In addition, the ideas should contribute to ensuring that military medical personnel have the right and most modern resources at their disposal.
From the 20 entries, five finalists were chosen, thus including the Pico Monitor. Among the run-offs are designs that, according to the jury, are interesting enough to investigate further. The Defence Healthcare Organisation will start working on them.
Image: Media Centre Defence
