Military Robotic Combat Casualty Extraction and Care

Abstract

Buddy treatment, first responder combat casualty care, and patient evacuation under hostile fire have compounded combat losses throughout history. Force protection of military first responders is complicated by current international and coalition troop deployments for peacekeeping operations, counter terrorism, and humanitarian assistance missions that involve highly visible, politically sensitive, low intensity combat in urban terrain. The United States Department of Defense (DoD) has significantly invested in autonomous vehicles, and other robots to support its Future Force. The US Army Telemedicine and Advanced Technology Research Center (TATRC) has leveraged this DoD investment with augmented funding to broadly focus on implementing technology in each phase of combat casualty care. This ranges from casualty extraction, physiologic real-time monitoring, and life saving interventions during the “golden hour” while greatly reducing the risk to first responders.