DARPA: "Warfighter Analytics using Smartphones for Health (WASH)"

["Dave Farber" <dave () farber net>]

---------- Forwarded message ---------
From: Ross Stapleton-Gray <ross.stapletongray () gmail com>
Date: Wed, May 3, 2017 at 11:01 AM
Subject: DARPA: "Warfighter Analytics using Smartphones for Health (WASH)"
To: DAVID FARBER <dave () farber net>


DARPA's just announced a proposers day, for May 16th in Arlington, VA, for
a new initiative from its Information Innovation Office, "Warfighter
Analytics using Smartphones for Health (WASH)" [insert my regular rant re
lead time and bias toward the "usual suspects"]

https://www.fbo.gov/spg/ODA/DARPA/CMO/DARPA-SN-17-43/listing.html

In a nutshell, "Maintaining an awareness of soldier readiness is hard, and
takes time and effort... but wait, they're all now carrying phones in their
pocket that could report in on their readiness status!"  Think of it as
giving your FitBit a field promotion to company clerk.

I'm reminded of a friend's anecdote (perhaps even posted here) about how
notices were posted at a NYC transit hub to the effect that the facilities'
wall clocks were no longer to be regarded as official time, given the cost
of maintaining them, and departures would be based on cell phone time.

I'm also reminded of my time at the American Petroleum Institute, during
the great spectrum auction era, where oil companies were having to come to
grips with giving up SCADA management systems based on private radio
spectrum, in favor of relying on commercial carriers that might not
prioritize their needs. Verizon only really cares if its revenue stream is
maintained (ideally, grows), and a certain amount of system outage is ok if
it doesn't shed too many paying customers. The 532nd Mechanized Brigade
might need more of a service-level guarantee, or (as I suspect will be the
case) will need to incorporate commercial provider flakiness into their
heuristics.

An interesting case of employee surveillance, certainly.

I'd be interested in talking to anyone who'll be submitting to this
solicitation, when it appears.

Ross

Ross Stapleton-Gray, Ph.D.
Stapleton-Gray & Associates, Inc.
Albany, CA



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