Virtual Soldier Research program saves military time, money

For 40-plus years, the Army has been waiting for someone like 18-year-old Santos. He runs, he deadlifts, executes push-ups and carries burdens like a pack mule and is fresh as a daisy the next day. He’s also entirely virtual. Santos (and his female counterpart Sophia), is a biomechanically accurate digital avatar that predicts behavior through […]

For 40-plus years, the Army has been waiting for someone like 18-year-old Santos. He runs, he deadlifts, executes push-ups and carries burdens like a pack mule and is fresh as a daisy the next day. He’s also entirely virtual. Santos (and his female counterpart Sophia), is a biomechanically accurate digital avatar that predicts behavior through recorded motion of various exercises, and is a key component to the Iowa Technology Institute's Virtual Soldier Research Program. With 215 degrees of freedom, Santos can execute different sets of moves as readily as any human. Data picked up by infrared cameras is uploaded to a computer where additional sets can be simulated, allowing researchers to see just how strenuous different aspects of exercises are to a physical soldier. Santos can become anything the user wants in regards to height, build, weight and age. In addition, the virtual soldier performs different functions based on the physical criteria; the data is combined, and researchers come to conclusions that saves the military significant time and expenditures. “All of these questions we were not able to answer many years ago,” said Dr. Karim Abdel-Malek, director of both the Iowa Technology Institute and Virtual Soldier Research Program, and professor of the Roy J. Carver Department of Biomedical Engineering. 

Army selects VSR for research

In 2019, the VSR was selected by the military to conduct neutral, third-party validation of the research behind the new Army Combat Fitness Test, which is the U.S. Army's primary physical fitness test. The appointment came amid tension between Congress and the military regarding the replacement of the Army Physical Fitness test with the new Army Combat Fitness Test. “What we found in our studies is not purely one side or another, we just report scientific evidence,” said Mr. Abdel-Malek, regarding the program’s neutral stance between the two opposing entities. Previously, the APFT used timed sit-ups, push-ups and a two-mile run, adjusting criteria by gender. For years, it was considered an inadequate indicator of abilities. In contrast, the new ACFT uses six events – deadlift, plank, sprint-drag-carry, two-mile walk, standing power throw, and hand-release push-ups – by setting benchmarks at three tiers determined by the physical requirements of various job categories. Collectively, these exercises determine if a soldier possesses the necessary strength qualifications for carrying out tasks in a combat setting. “Push up, sit up, run, is (a) little bit of cardio, a little bit of strength. Those new domains also measure a lot of other things and prepare the body better,” said Mr. Abdel-Malek. “Soldier readiness is… significantly higher. What does that mean to the soldier? It also means less injuries, you know, better fitness overall, better readiness.” Since the findings have been published, the Army has adjusted its ACFT based on the conclusions reached. As recently as a year ago, the Army discovered that the leg tuck was an unreliable gauge of core strength and switched to the plank; similarly, it changed the two-mile run to a two-mile walk.

Help from veteran

Aiding the research is military advisor General Stuart Wallace, a graduate of the University of Iowa and 33-year Army veteran. Wallace retired about seven years ago and volunteers his time with the ITI, commuting a couple times a month between his home in Texas and Iowa. With his extensive military history, Mr. Wallace helps make connections between the ITI and the Army. “I call myself a door knocker – I knock on the door I can get in places sometimes where Dr. Malek and some of his folks couldn't get in…(I) get to talk to the right people about the benefits of having something like this,” he said.  The past 30 years have seen an explosion of the use of simulators within the military. “The great benefit of simulation is that it saves time, it saves money, and you can get the desired end result much, much quicker,” said Mr. Wallace.

Future commercial use

Both Mr. Abdel-Malek and Mr. Wallace hope that businesses will see the benefits of the simulation technology the VSR is working on, and implement it into their own operations.  “I think there's a lot of benefit to what we're doing in the university environment for local businesses and small businesses,” said Mr. Wallace. “If they take time to take a look around and see, you know, there may be some way that the virtual soldier program could help a small business.” Mr. Abdel-Malek said he would like to see Santos technology used in the commercial world, but predicts the transition will be a slow one. “It takes time to change people’s opinions,” he said.