2. Wearable Technology in Extreme Environments

Humans need to work in many types of extreme environments where there is a need to stay safe and even to improve performance. Examples include: medical providers treating infectious disease, people responding to other biological or chemical hazards, firefighters, astronauts, pilots, divers, and people working outdoors in extreme hot or cold temperatures. Wearable technology is ubiquitous in the consumer market but is still needed for extreme environments. For these applications, it is particularly challenging to meet requirements to be actionable, accurate, acceptable, integratable, and affordable. To provide insight into these needs and possible solutions and the technology trade-offs involved, several examples are provided. A physiological monitoring example is described for predicting and avoiding heat injury. A cognitive monitoring example is described for estimating cognitive workload, with broader applicability to a variety of conditions, such as cognitive fatigue and depression. Finally, eye tracking is considered as a promising wearable sensing modality with applications for both physiological and cognitive monitoring. Concluding thoughts are offered on the compelling need for wearable technology in the face of pandemics, wildfires, and climate change, but also for global projects that can uplift mankind, such as long-duration spaceflight and missions to Mars.