First Mission Navigation Belt Order Delivered to Royal Netherlands Army
Contact Our Team
For more information about how Halldale can add value to your marketing and promotional campaigns or to discuss event exhibitor and sponsorship opportunities, contact our team to find out more
The Americas -
holly.foster@halldale.com
Rest of World -
jeremy@halldale.com
Elitac Wearables B.V. has delivered the first order of Mission Navigation Belts to the Royal Netherlands Army. The Mission Navigation Belt (MNB) allows soldiers to feel waypoint navigation directions through small, quiet vibration motors, located in a lightweight belt worn around the waist. The order is part of a wider initiative by the Netherlands Ministry of Defense to improve situational awareness and survivability through the application of new technologies.
Traditional navigation compromises situational awareness because it requires soldiers to take their focus away from their surroundings to check screens or maps, or listen to audio instructions. The Mission Navigation Belt solves this problem by conveying navigation cues through haptic feedback and the underutilised sense of touch. This way, it frees up soldiers’ hands, eyes and ears to concentrate on their surroundings.
The MNB was developed by haptic feedback specialists Elitac Wearables in close collaboration with the Netherlands Ministry of Defense. Major Van Veen, of the Royal Netherlands Army Defence Centre of Expertise for Soldier and Equipment commented: “It has proved its value convincingly during field tests: Soldiers reported that they were more aware of their surroundings and found the navigational cues very intuitive. And because it plugs into our own soldier system, there is no learning curve or need for an additional battery. We look forward to implementing this order of belts and investigating other possible applications of the MNB.”
Major Van Veen, of the Royal Netherlands Army Defence Centre of Expertise for Soldier and Equipment, explained: “Modern soldiers have access to incredible, hi-tech navigation systems, but these all require soldiers to keep checking their screens constantly. This makes an already dangerous job even more dangerous because it reduces situational awareness.”
The MNB can be used to navigate on foot and in vehicles both on land and water.
