04-02-12 Darpa Implants Could Track Your Stress Level 24/7Plenty of geeks are already obsessed with self-tracking,from monitoring sleep rhythms to graphing caffeine intake versus productivity.Now,the Department of Defenses far-out research agency is after the ultimate kind of Quantified Self:Soldiers with implanted body sensors that keep intimate tabs on their health,around the clock.In a new call for research,Darpa is asking for proposals to devise prototype implantable biosensors.Once inserted under a soldiers skin,Darpa wants the sensors to provide real-time, accurate measurements of DoD-relevant biomarkers including stress hormones,like cortisol,and compounds that signal inflammation,like histamine.Implantable sensors are only the latest of several Pentagon-backed ventures to track a soldiers health.Darpas already looked into tracking nutritional biomarkers to evaluate troops diets.And as part of the agencys Peak Soldier Performance program,Darpa studied how ones genes impact physical ability,and tried to manipulate cellular mitochondria to boost the bodys energy levels.Sensors alone wont make troops stronger, smarter or more resilient.But they should probably offer the kind of information that could.For one thing,the sensors would provide military docs an array of reliable info about the health of every single soldier.Plus,they should tell leaders how a soldiers body stood up to grueling physical training or a tough deployment.Tracking changes in the bodys endocrine system,for example,might tell a physician that a soldier is increasingly sleep deprived.Or observing chronically increased inflammation levels might tell a team leader that trainee number five isnt cut out for the Navy SEALs. |
