Apple is one of the key partners the Pentagon is calling on to help build the next generation of wearables for the military.
The U.S. government is reaching out to private entities including Apple, Boeing and others to develop flexible sensory gear that can be worn by the military or even molded to the exterior of jets.
The move is part of an effort by the Pentagon to seek partnerships in the private sector to develop technologies faster, according to defense officials.
“I’ve been pushing the Pentagon to think outside our five-sided box and invest in innovation here in Silicon Valley and in tech communities across the country,” Defense Secretary Ash Carter said.
The developing technology aims to use advanced printing techniques to make stretchable electronics with embedded sensors to monitor soldiers and provide real-time feedback on the structural integrity of military vehicles. The U.S. government plans to invest $75 million in the program over the next five years, and companies managed by the U.S. Air Force Research Laboratory will contribute an additional $90 million. Local governments will also pitch in to raise the total investment to $171 million.
The FlexTech Alliance will be composed of 162 companies, as well as universities and other groups such as Advantest Akron Polymer Systems, according to Carter.
The defense department is also planning to establish a Flexible Hybrid Electronics Manufacturing Innovation Hub in San Jose, Calif. The hub is one of nine institutes planned by the Obama administration to revitalize manufacturing in several sectors throughout the country.
The initial institute, which opened in 2012, was a key factor in the development of 3-D printing technologies.
