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Homepage / Publications & Opinion / Archive / Daily Telegraph: Harddrive Win or lose, war goes binary IT is an unfortunate but inescapable fact that the most dramatic surges in technological progress have historically been stimulated by war, or its perceived threat. In the modern arena, no one could fail to have been impressed by the cold and deadly precision of the smart weapons used in the Gulf War. Bombs dispatched from fast aircraft not merely hitting the target, but entering by a designated window or ventilation shaft; cruise missiles that actively compared their own internal map with the scanned terrain. It's fair to say that the advance in weapons and systems of war probably requires no specific enhancement beyond what is already being done. It continues apace because it is extremely competitive. The army with the most effective weapons wins. Logistics, however, continues to be a nightmare for military and civilian operations alike. What might be done? Well, consider the prospect of everything online - a world of "intelligent things" having circuits addressable by radio. Every item of weaponry, shell, bullet, clothing and kit online would revolutionise delivery, support and maintenance. This is already being done experimentally for civilian applications and could soon become a feature of the retail market place. Extensive effort is now being expended to reduce checkout lines and the inconvenience of having to wait, plus the costly errors and losses in transport and delivery. On the battlefield we might contemplate commanders able to identify disabled weapons and machinery, and then locate similar kit to cannibalise for a rapid repair. In the civilian world having customers off-line because of equipment failure is inexcusable, and extremely expensive. In the military context it is not money and collateral damage that dominates the equation, but human life. Being able to communicate with everyone is the first step toward a modern and efficient military machine; the second is being able to talk to everything, to keep the machinery of warfare rolling. To date, experiments have been completed with single chips powered by small batteries, and passive units addressed and powered by radio, implanted in clothing and weapons. A similar series of experiments has seen the office and hospital you wear come close to practical realisation. The abilities of the laptop and mobile phone reduced to body-mounted units, with medical monitors and automated drug dispensers are just a first step. Prototypes can now monitor more than 10 vital life signs and relay them back to some distant hospital or GP. Perhaps more impressively, garments that sense injury and then perform limited treatment and repair also look possible. For commanders in the field this all translates into the ultimate chess board. For the first time they will be able to see the status of every man, gun and bullet. They will also be able to optimise rescue, repair and response. But most important, they will be able to see more and react faster than the enemy. Bullets and bits may then be equal. Peter Cochrane holds the Collier Chair for the Public Understanding of Science & Technology at the University of Bristol. His home page is: |
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