Non-invasive sensing systems for acceleration-induced physiologic changes

The status of a system under development for detection of gravity-induced loss of consciousness (G-LOC) and subsequent recovery is presented. The physiological factors under investigation for use in the loss-of-consciousness monitoring system (LOCOMS) effort are eye blink rate, head slumping, head-level arterial pulsations, and spectral shift in EEG frequency. Also being studied for inclusion in the LOCOMS are a means of detecting the presence/quality of the anti-G straining maneuver and anti-G suit functions, and a system for voice-synthesized query for interrogating the pilot prior to intervention in aircraft control. The possibility of reducing the length of the period of relative incapacitation that occurs after the pilot regains consciousness is considered.