Modeling and simulation approaches can provide valuable insights into injury risk and human performance. Warfighter digital twins (avatars) (WDT) are useful for evaluating scenarios that exceed what can easily be assessed in a laboratory or in the field, such as demanding tasks in extreme environments. However, combining realistic biomechanics and physiology simulation has remained a challenge.

A WDT simulation platform has been developed that can assess mission factors influenced and affected by gender, anthropometry, biomechanics, exercise intensity, and environment (altitude, temperature, humidity). The platform allows mission simulation within a user designed environment, visualized with live-streamed biomechanics and physiological factors related to injury and human performance.

OpenSim was used to simulate biomechanics and BioGears to simulate WDT physiology, planned and visualized in the Unity 3D game engine. Male and female WDTs can be scaled for individuality of both anthropometry and strength, outfit with uniform and gear. Predictive human movement algorithms have been developed to allow simulation of military relevant motions without requiring experimental data as input.

Example mission scenarios have been simulated, such as a mountain road ruck march. Differences were found with physical changes in WDT or pack load. Metabolic energy expenditure estimates were compared to experimental data, and agreed well with calculations using Pandolf and LCDA equations.

The WDT platform is novel as it provides insights into biomechanics and physiology at a personalized level. Simulation could also reveal risk and occurrence of injury, and human performance optimization mechanisms specific to demanding missions that cannot be observed from experiments alone.

This work is supported by the Defense Health Agency of the U.S. Department of Defense under Contract W81XWH22C0020. The views, opinions and/or findings contained in this report are those of the authors and should not be construed as an official Department of Defense position, policy, or decision unless so designated by other documentation.

Classification: UNCLASSIFIED

James Yang

Affiliation

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Warfighter Digital Twins for Simulating Mission Performance