In 2018, the U.S. Department of Defense published a report titled “Cyborg Soldier 2050,” which outlined four scenarios technically possible by 2050 or sooner, all involving the integration of advanced technology into soldiers’ bodies to create a super soldier capable of performing unconventional tasks on the battlefield. So, what are the attempts to develop this soldier, and what are the key technologies used?
Supernatural Abilities:
The concept of the cyborg soldier, or enhanced soldier, involves integrating advanced technologies within the body to provide additional advantages on the battlefield. This is achieved by implanting devices such as radars and sensors within soldiers’ bodies, allowing them to quickly detect enemy targets and gain additional abilities such as: communicating telepathically, controlling military equipment and weapons through the brain, seeing different wavelength spectra that enable vision in darkness, or accelerating the brain’s and muscles’ neural responses. Imagine an aerial battle between a cyborg pilot and a conventional one—who would be more capable of hitting the other?
In 1985, retired General Paul Gorman described 21st-century cyborg warriors as having an external energy-powered exoskeleton that could protect against chemical, biological, electromagnetic, and ballistic threats, including direct gunfire, and “includes auditory, visual, and tactile sensors.”
Imagine that “each soldier will have their physiological specifications embedded in a chip within their ID card, and they will insert one of these IDs into a slot under their chest armor to upload their personal program into the battle suit’s computer.” Consider integrating current medical and technological research, development, and practical applications in robotics, bionics, prosthetics, and brain-machine/computer interfaces into a single military cyborg.
Here are 10 potential future scenarios that could contribute to developing the cyborg soldier:
- Developing exoskeletons for cyborgs that significantly enhance soldiers’ strength and endurance in the field, allowing them to carry heavier loads, move faster, and sustain energy for longer periods without fatigue.
- Developing “medical implants,” which are highly precise technologies implanted in the brain and body to enhance sensory abilities such as hearing and night vision, providing soldiers with a tactical advantage in various combat scenarios.
- Brain-computer interfaces could improve cognitive functions, allowing soldiers to process information faster and make better decisions under pressure.
- Virtual reality-enhanced display screens integrated into helmets or glasses could provide soldiers with real-time data, such as maps, enemy locations, and critical objectives, enhancing situational awareness and coordination.
- Advanced prosthetics and medical implants could help injured soldiers recover faster and return to service, reducing the long-term impact of battle injuries.
- Integrated sensors could continuously monitor vital signs and health metrics, enabling immediate medical intervention in case of injury or illness.
- Drones, unmanned vehicles, and remote sensors could be controlled directly through thought, via connection to chips implanted in the human brain, enhancing their ability to monitor and manage the battlefield more effectively.
- Enhancing communication between improved soldiers, facilitating coordination and cooperation in complex military environments.
- The cyborg might also be capable of resisting chemical weapons, toxic gases, and smoke.
- It could be equipped with bulletproof armor, making it impervious in urban warfare— a type of conflict that current top armies struggle to win.
Ultimately, the cyborg might become a central control unit within the battle, connecting via the chip implanted in its brain to drones, robots, and military vehicles, serving as a commander of a battalion of AI systems controlled by thought.
Serious Projects:
Although this scenario is still far from being realized at present, serious experiments in laboratories are progressing rapidly. For example, the Wyss Institute for Biologically Inspired Engineering at Harvard University, in collaboration with the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA) of the U.S. Department of Defense, is developing exoskeletons to reduce fatigue and injuries among soldiers. This project, called TALOS, is designed to create a suit for tactical offensive operations.
The TALOS project aims to develop a full-body exoskeleton with integrated heating and cooling systems, sensors, antennas, embedded computers, 3D sound (to locate a fellow warrior through sound), optics for vision in varying light conditions, oxygen supply systems, life-saving measures, and bleeding control.
This suit is designed to preserve soldiers’ energy and includes a system of sensors, motors, gears, cables, and pulleys integrated between layers of fabric. This system senses the wearer’s movement and responds to assist them, helping soldiers walk long distances with heavy loads without feeling fatigued. So far, tests have shown a 7% energy savings, and the final version of the suit is expected to be more efficient due to improved motors, sensors, and cables.
The Wyss Institute has also developed vibrating insoles to help soldiers navigate rough terrain. These insoles contain internal vibration pads that provide pulses similar to placing your foot on a subwoofer. These pulses make the feet more sensitive to the ground, aiding the body in better interpreting and adjusting its position. Although originally intended for patients, especially the elderly, these insoles have proven effective in improving agility and speed when tested on younger wearers.
Invisio, a company specializing in audio communications, has developed earplugs called TCAPS, a tactical communication and protection system. These earplugs enhance hearing by sensing explosive sounds and reducing the noise before it reaches the eardrum. For quieter sounds, the earplugs reverse the process and amplify whispers, allowing soldiers to communicate effectively amidst battlefield noise. Twenty thousand of these devices have been distributed to the U.S. Army, and they are expected to prevent hearing loss, which is a major disability among veterans.
At the Soldier Nano Technology Institute, the U.S. Army has partnered with commercial companies and researchers from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology to develop innovative nanomaterials. These technologies include smart fabrics that heal wounds, enhanced night vision systems, and nanomaterials for helmets aimed at protecting soldiers from the disruptive effects of explosions. These innovations represent the future of nanotechnology in military applications and seek to improve the protection and safety of soldiers on the battlefield.
In 2016, DARPA revealed its plans to design a neural engineering system as part of the White House’s Brain Research Initiative through advanced technology enhancement. This long-term project aims to produce an implantable neural interface that connects soldiers’ brain cells to computers to enhance communication. This technology seeks to increase the connection between humans and machines, offering a long-term vision of the future soldier increasingly enhanced with advanced technologies.
Cyborg Soldier 2050:
In 2018, a study group was formed by the Biotechnologies for Health and Human Performance Council (BHPC) of the Ministry of Defense. This group surveyed a broad range of current and emerging technologies related to enhancing and supporting human performance in various fields, especially in the military domain. These technologies include:
- Visual Enhancements for Imaging, Vision, and Situational Awareness: These improvements allow sensory perception of wavelengths beyond the visible spectrum, such as infrared and ultraviolet, enabling users to clearly identify targets even in complex and cluttered environments. They also facilitate real-time data sharing with other individuals or military systems, enhancing communication and coordination. These enhancements are particularly useful in densely populated urban environments or megacities where targeting and tracking are challenging. There are two methods for implementing these improvements:
Overlay System: A visual enhancement system is placed over the existing ocular tissues, such as data processing techniques that add additional information to the individual’s natural field of view. This system can interpret different wavelengths and provide the fighter with visual information beyond natural vision.
Complete Replacement: The entire eyeball is replaced with artificial components that feed data directly to the optic nerve via a mechanical or cyborg interface. These components interpret a wide range of wavelength frequencies, including those invisible to the human eye, and transmit the received data directly to the optic nerve for interpretation by the brain. This system requires advanced technology to ensure that the transmitted data accurately matches the generated neural signals.
Programmed Muscle Control through a Photonic Sensor Network: Muscle control is achieved through a subdermal sensor network using optical stimulation. In this technology, a network of optical fibers implanted under the skin in targeted areas stimulates motor muscles by sending programmed light pulses to perform specific movements. The muscles respond to these light pulses by moving the muscle tissue according to the programming, facilitating muscle function recovery and enhancing physical capabilities. This technology aims to assist individuals who have lost the ability to control their muscles due to injury or disease. It can also be used to enhance physical capabilities, allowing individuals to perform tasks requiring greater strength or precision. In the military context, it is particularly useful in harsh environments or military operations where soldiers need to perform physically demanding tasks for extended periods.
Hearing Enhancement for Communication and Protection: This involves enhancing auditory capabilities to protect against loud noises and improve the ability to discern low-intensity sounds, thus enhancing communication in noisy environments. This can be achieved through the implantation of small microphones inside the ear or external hearing devices capable of capturing and amplifying sounds. These enhancements include the ability to filter out unwanted noises, boost certain frequencies for easier speech and important sounds, and protect against harmful noise levels that could cause hearing damage. This is especially important in noisy or chaotic military environments where clear communication and auditory protection are vital for the safety and performance of personnel.
Neural Brain Enhancement for Bidirectional Data Transfer: This technology enables direct communication between brains and between brains and machines, allowing soldiers to control unmanned and autonomous systems and communicate directly with other enhanced individuals. Commands, data, and information can be issued and exchanged directly through the brains, significantly improving operational coordination and effectiveness by enabling rapid and accurate data transfer, which enhances timely decision-making. This technology involves neural implants that facilitate brain-computer interfaces (BCIs), serving as input and output channels for neural signals. These implants can be placed inside the brain, requiring surgical intervention to position electrodes directly in the brain for high-precision connectivity and rapid response. Alternatively, they can be placed outside the skull to record and transmit neural signals, making them less invasive but potentially less accurate at times.
According to this report, these projects are expected to be technically feasible by 2050, offering significant military advantages such as improved situational awareness, enhanced communication, and advanced control over physical and mental capabilities. This suggests that the nature of future warfare will be transformed by the revolution brought about by military cyborg technologies. While there is considerable debate about the risks of autonomous weapon systems and lethal robots in military battles, it is also time to start discussing how to regulate human enhancement technologies in the military context.
