Technically, you are what you wear
Ten years ago, the average American soldier on foot patrol carried roughly 100 pounds of gear. Though officials realized then they had to lighten the load, a recent follow-up study has shown that it has nonetheless increased to an average of 106 pounds. Injuries — mainly to tendons, ligaments, and muscles — have become a serious problem, and a primary reason why soldiers are evacuated, given light duty, or even discharged, according to Lt. Col. Joseph Hitt, program manager of the Tactical Technology Office for the Defense Advanced Research Projects Agency (DARPA). But help — designed in laboratories — may be coming soon. A new wave of wearable technology and enhanced, multifunctional clothing is being developed that can help U.S. soldiers and others whose needs range from the deadly seriousness of war-making to the frothy joys of entertainment. From long john-like undergarments that help soldiers support back-bending loads to Google’s efforts to integrate...