US firm unveils sensors to track military personnel and supplies at tactical edge

Rune Technologies has unveiled TyrSense, a new line of ruggedized sensors designed to help military units track personnel, casualties, and supplies in contested environments where conventional communications may be unavailable. The hardware marks the company’s first expansion beyond software, extending its TyrOS logistics platform directly to personnel operating at the tactical edge. The initial TyrSense products use small, durable NFC tags that can be attached to personnel or cargo. When scanned during a handoff, the system records the location and status of the individual or pallet in TyrOS. Unlike conventional tracking systems, the location is determined by the node where the scan takes place rather than through GPS. The tags can also operate without an active cloud connection or satellite signal, allowing units to continue recording movements in denied, degraded, intermittent, or low-bandwidth environments. Once connectivity returns, the collected information can synchronize with TyrOS. Aim to replace manual military tracking Military units continue to rely heavily on manual processes to account for personnel and supplies, according to Rune. Information about available resources is often maintained through whiteboards, paper manifests, and manually compiled reports. These systems can become difficult to maintain when units relocate or lose network connectivity. TyrSense is initially designed around three military workflows that commonly depend on manual reporting: personnel accountability, medical operations, and cargo tracking. For personnel, scanning a tag allows units to update an individual’s duty status, reducing the need for the daily manual process of compiling accountability information. In medical operations, the system can record each transfer of a casualty as the individual moves from the point of injury through successive levels of care. For logistics, tags attached to pallets can register shipments as they move through different nodes across a military supply network. Built to operate when battlefield networks fail Rune has designed the sensors around conditions where military personnel may have limited or no communications access. Because individual scans can be registered locally at the tactical edge, units can continue collecting information even during network disruptions. “A tag has to work in a vehicle and with no signal, because that’s where these counts happen,” said Peter Goldsborough, Co-Founder and Chief Technology Officer of Rune Technologies. “We built TyrSense so the scan registers at the edge and reaches TyrOS the moment a connection is there. The hardware is deliberately simple. The value is what TyrOS does with the data,” he added. The approach allows TyrOS to receive updated information once connectivity becomes available rather than requiring personnel to maintain continuous access to remote infrastructure. Rune plans sensors for fuel and water TyrSense builds on the company’s deployment of TyrOS with operational military units over the past year. During Balikatan 26 in the Philippines, the software provided tactical commanders with information on food, water, fuel, and personnel supporting thousands of troops across a Joint Task Force, according to the company. Rune is also the sole logistics provider for the US Marine Corps’ Project Dynamis and is the only application selected by both prime contractor teams participating in the US Army’s Next Generation Command and Control program.The company now plans to expand the TyrSense hardware portfolio beyond NFC-based tracking.Recommended ArticlesAtharva is a full-time content writer with a post-graduate degree in media & amp; entertainment and a graduate degree in electronics & telecommunications. He has written in the sports and technology domains respectively. In his leisure time, Atharva loves learning about digital marketing and watching soccer matches. His main goal behind joining Interesting Engineering is to learn more about how the recent technological advancements are helping human beings on both societal and individual levels in their daily lives.