SBIR/STTR Award attributes
Hydration is critical for human health, cognition and performance, but is often neglected by individuals focused on critical activities. Soldiers routinely suffer impairment and injury due to heat and dehydration, both in training and on the battlefield. To address this, the Army requires feedback on the fluid intake of individuals, as well as the total water supply carried by members of a unit in bottles, canteens, and bladders. A distributed water volume sensing capability will allow individuals to better track their own hydration status, enable commanders to assess and support individuals, and facilitate resupply planning for the entire unit. Unfortunately, existing sensors for drinking vessels are inaccurate, inflexible, and unsuited for practical measurement in military environments. We will develop a universal, wireless water volume sensor that directly measures the absolute volume of liquid in any bottle or bladder instantly, regardless of vessel shape, or orientation, and without need for calibration. Multiple sensors can be registered to an individual soldier and placed in different containers to track total water supply and consumption over time. Data from all individuals in a unit can be readily aggregated by logistics software to track total consumption and remaining supply.
