MILITARY MARKET OVERVIEW

Urban combat, like much of the work being done by forces now deployed in Iraq and Afghanistan, requires specialized training. The goal of simulation is to provide the most effective means to practice without actually being there. However, simulations for dismounted soldiers (walking, running, etc) tend to be only visual and auditory, since no currently available technology has proved practical.  As a result, soldiers often sit in front of computers using joysticks and keyboards to simulate their locomotion. That training is compromised due to the lack of physical stress.
 
Historically, attempts to integrate simulated walking have involved full scale force-feedback interfaces that have been too expensive to be practical.  The Powersquad Leg Joystick allows a user to exert realistic forces while simulating walking and running in a virtual reality training environment. The sensor measures the force of isometric muscle contractions and the resulting benefits are considerable:

·     There are no moving parts to wear out

·     There are none of the high cost associated with mechanical complexity

·     Reaction times are immediate

·     The user can be required to push as hard as they would in the real
      world to cause a synthetic object to move in the simulation.

Initial field-tests with the US National Guard have shown significant promise and has demonstrated training value beyond the use of joysticks and other non-physical interfaces for simulating locomotion for the dismounted warrior.  Our goal is to provide the multi-billion $ simulation industry with a locomotion interface product that has 10x the capabilities and is 1/10th the cost of other commercially available technologies.