DST Group and DMTC call for HISS proposals for OCE STaR Shot
DST Group and DMTC Limited have issued a Request for Proposals (RFP) to advance the Human Integrated Sensor System (HISS ) concept in the Operating in CBRN Environments (OCE) STaR Shot. RFP responses close on 17 December 2021.
In collaboration with DMTC, the OCE STaR Shot wishes to enhance warfighter capability via the application of advanced biotechnology and data analytics to measure and interpret indicators of chemical and biological (CB) exposure from the human body.
“The real challenge is operating in these environments after a contamination event has occurred, and supporting our Defence personnel and capabilities to undertake their operations in those scenarios,” according to Dr Peter Shoubridge, Chief Land Division DSTG. “A particular area of focus for us at the moment is enhancing situational awareness.”
Therefore, DMTC and DSTG are working together to seed a self-contained program of work to advance the HISS concept. The August 2021 RFI scanned the Australian scientific ecosystem for key capabilities, technology and expertise in this area. The vision is to create a HISS that:
- Amalgamates outputs from wearable on/in body sensors with advanced data fusion and analytics approaches
- As a system, assimilates both subtle and overt sensor derived cues of Chemical/Biological (CB) exposure/infection
- Identifies the threat within hours of exposure and gives the wearer warning well before deleterious symptoms begin to manifest
To achieve the proposed vision, a hybrid sensing approach is required with analytics approaches that can handle data of differing format, temporal resolution, and uncertainty, and still identify patterns of exposure from the complicated baseline of normal bodily function, normal progression of infection and responses to non-CB threat external stimuli.
The HISS will allow countermeasures to be enacted with greatest effect while also buying crucial time for key operational decision-making. There will also be significant civilian opportunities across the health, first responder, industry occupation health and safety and law-enforcement sectors.
This RFP release addresses one of the core future focused problems Defence and DSTG are prioritising as part of the More, Together Defence Science and Technology strategy – the sort of problem that can’t be solved alone or without significant advances in science, technology and research. DMTC and DSTG want to collaborate with industry and academia to solve this challenge.
HISS RFP documentation is now available, including a Guidance Document and Response Template. Please submit responses to this RFP using the Template provided, to hiss@dmtc.com.au.
Responses to this RFP will close at close of business (AEDT) on 17 December 2021.