Systems approach for the development of a Silent Wireless Communicator

This paper discusses the design and implementation of the Silent Wireless Communicator. Night operations are becoming increasingly important in modern warfare. Section commanders that conduct missions rely on audio and visual signals in order to command their troops. The communication device is designed to provide a means to communicate commands in an environment which limits visibility and forbids audible commands. The signal data is collected via a glove worn by the commander. The glove captures the user's hand orientation and finger bend states. This data is fed to a Support Vector Machine algorithm that classifies it into standardized Canadian Forces hand signals in order to be disseminated to the rest of the team. The command is then transmitted wirelessly and displayed on a Heads-Up-Display (HUD) mounted to the ballistic eyewear in order for troops to execute.