3D model predicts injuries from hits on every class of Navy ship

The ability to predict future events wields terrific power and responsibility. While predicting tomorrow’s winning lottery numbers is still something left to fantasy, modern technologies allow for the prediction of weather patterns and consumer markets. The Office of Naval Research is developing its own prediction technology, and even if it might seem a little on the morbid side, it could have tangible benefits.

Researchers have announced a new prediction model called Human Injury and Treatment, or HIT, that forecasts potential casualties that could occur aboard every class of vessel in the Naval fleet.

This revolutionary technology will improve the response time and preparedness for injuries, the Navy said. A 3D model situates individuals in various positions and calculates the injuries they might encounter during various emergencies based on smoke, pressure, fragmentation and other factors. The simulated attack measures patient movement, medical response times and the rates at which injured sailors can return to duty in a 72-hour window. 

Armed with this information, the Navy can upgrade its infrastructure to better suit medical needs for future incidents, making them a more efficient force.

Previous assessments have taken a more parochial approach, examining only the hardware of vessels in survivability reports. ONR’s HIT model shifts the focus toward sailors and vessel infrastructure.

"When a weapon hits, we know how the ship itself will be affected by blast, fragmentation, fire and other damage mechanisms," said Dr. William “Kip” Krebs, program officer in ONR’s Warfighter Performance Department. "HIT allows us, for the first time, to accurately predict the impact to those sailors or Marines aboard, both from a medical and crew-response perspective."