the Technology of the Upcoming 26th Army Science Conference

The 26th Army Science conference theme is “Transformational Army Science and Technology – Harnessing Disruptive S&T for the Soldier.”

The four day agenda is here.

Dr. John A. Parmentola, Director of Research and Laboratory Management, gave a talk a few months ago that will form the basis of his keynote address highlighting top research. Dr. Parmentola gave a briefing to a blogger roundtable attended by nextbigfuture. He indicated that there would be a live demonstration from of 3D holographic communication. They will have cameras transmitting 3D holographic images to another end of the conference.

UPDATE CNN “Holograms” Realtime Special Effects: Army Will Have Real Deal Holograms
CNN beamed Jessica Yellin’s image from Chicago to the CNN press center in New York City, where Wolf Blitzer and team were covering the election returns. NOTE: this was a televised live action special effect. It was not a real hologram.

Yellin, who claimed she was the first person to be beamed in a hologram on live TV, explained for the audience how this was done. She said that she was standing in a tent outside of the Obama headquarters in Chicago where the CNN crew had set up 35 high-definition cameras in a ring. She stood in the center of this ring and the cameras picked up her every movement and transmitted the image in 3D to the press center studio in New York. An array of computers takes the crunched info feed from the subject’s side in order to mesh it with the video from Wolf’s side.

The Army Demonstration will have holograms on the receiving end that people can walk around and watch different angles.


The ASC PhotonOpticon hologram display was part of the AMC exhibit booth at the 2008 Association of the United States Army annual meeting .

Previous information on the PhotonOpticon. It is a hologram-type effect where video images of varying levels of translucency are projected onto a transparent screen. Unlike ordinary holograms, the PhotonOpticon is able to move and to incorporate synchronized audio. The new demonstration could have an improved display so that the people can walk around the projected and moving realtime display.

Regenerative Medicine

The Army is investing in research to develop clinical therapies for:
– Burn repair [Burns account for 10 percent of war casualties]
– Wound healing without scarring
– Organ regeneration or transplantation
– Limb reconstruction (fingers, ears, and noses)
– Craniofacial reconstruction


Session K on Biomedicine has a talk on surviving burns covering 90% of the body

Inkjet Gene Printing: A Novel Approach to Achieve Gene Modified Cells for Tissue Engineering. from Wake Forest Regenerative Medicine

From bladder and trachea, to cartilage and heart –- Wake Forest has successfully grown more than 20 types of cells in the laboratory. A $90 million effort involves two academic groups that form the Armed Forces Institute of Regenerative Medicine (AFIRM). Therapies developed by AFIRM will also benefit people in the civilian population. A team of scientists from Wake Forest and the McGowan Institute for Regenerative Medicine has committed to develop clinical therapies over the next five years that will focus on the following five areas:
● Burn repair
● Wound healing without scarring
● Craniofacial reconstruction
● Limb reconstruction, regeneration or transplantation
● Compartment syndrome, a condition related to inflammation after surgery or injury that can lead to increased pressure, impaired blood flow, nerve damage and muscle death.

Gene Gun-delivered DNA Vaccines for Hemorrhagic Fever with Renal Syndrome: Advancement to Clinical Trials

In addition to safety, a major advantage of gene gun delivery, as compared to other delivery methods, is that DNA is deposited directly into cells rather than into intracellular spaces, thus greatly decreasing the amount of DNA required for immunogenicity. In addition, gene gun administration delivers the DNA to an immunologically active site (the epidermis) where one antigen-presenting cell (APC) can interact with up to 5000 Tor B-cells, and is almost painless

Summary of Key Sessions and Agenda Topics
Weapons in Session D

Protection and Survival in Session F

Nanotechnology is covered on the third day.

Materials is covered in session G

Autonomous and unmanned vehicles in session E

Power and Energy in session H

Computing/ integration in Session C

Mems/Photonics Comm and sensors in Session N

Session J. Behavioral Sciences and Human Performance This covers investigating sleep, attention management, platoon dynamics and more.

Several presenters will cover brain and neuroscience.