Meet Santos. He’s a simulated soldier, being developed at the University of Iowa. And he’s so true-to-life, Wired News reports, that engineers are using him to test out equipment before it ever leaves the desktop.
Santos is programmed with extensive modeling data, the result of research on the human body. As he moves in response to commands, he sends back information on his comfort level and joint angles. And, if Santos has difficulty completing a task, project engineers will have the correct information to make modifications before the first stage of production begins.
When the U.S. Army needs new designs of combat-ready body armor and other protective gear, it, too, turns to digital human technology. Santos can model the new duds and advise if they are too restrictive, or if the material doesn’t have enough give to be useful in the field.
In a demonstration, Santos appeared on a monitor, dressed in desert camouflage. Darkness enveloped an overturned Humvee, and Santos struggled to escape through a narrow hatch opening. After removing his vest and holster, he easily slid through to safety.
Santos I just wants out of the hmmv, Santos II thinks Santos I is a pogue and resents that Santos I’s boot is jammed into his lap as Santos I bails out. Santos III is still searching for his glasses while Sgt Santos is wondering where his map went and how come no one is answering the radio and who was the bozo that signed off on Santos II’s driver’s license and someone’s gonna catch hell over the machine gun that just got crushed on the roof…
As long as Santos is modelled on population data for personnel within the Army rather than being some idealized arbitrary construct which would make things worse.
Oh well, good idea.
why does Santos look suspiciously like John Malkovich? Inquiring minds want to know.….
Santos is John M’s long lost cousin on his mother’s side from Columbia. He came to the US as a mule and volunteered for a 3D body scan after a disastrous attempt at American Idol during which Simon remarked ” you should give up Music and become a 3-D digital human”
The previous comments are surprisingly stupid and shallow. Instead of encouraging the Santos research which will benefit all us in one way or another, a bunch of superficial farts start cracking jokes about the research program. You should all stop watching too much TV.