Defense Speak Interpreted: If CHIPS Cuts Back, What Happens to Electronics Packaging Funds?
American Made Advocacy: Where’s the Budget for a Modern Military Run on Microelectronics?
Beyond the Board: Orbital High Ground—Why Space Superiority Is Slipping Away
DARPA: Sensor-guided Robots Could Boost Lifesaving Combat Casualty Care
September 9, 2025 | DARPAEstimated reading time: 1 minute
One of the most significant challenges in treating battlefield injuries is finding and stopping severe bleeding in the torso, a condition known as non-compressible torso hemorrhage. Limitations in frontline medical facilities mean that many warfighters die from injuries that could be survivable with more immediate surgical care.
DARPA’s new Medics Autonomously Stopping Hemorrhage program, known as MASH, aims to use robots—guided by advanced sensors and equipped with artificial intelligence—to locate and stop severe bleeding in the torso with only limited direct human assistance.
"We owe it to our warfighters to give them the best possible chance of survival," said Dr. Adam Willis, MASH program manager. "In large-scale conflicts, many warfighters die from injuries that could be survivable if they could get to a surgeon quickly."
The autonomous systems under development could stabilize injured warfighters for 48 hours or more, providing crucial time for evacuation to hospitals for definitive care.
"The real challenge is finding that bleed," Willis said. "Imagine navigating a complex landscape of organs and blood inside the torso to find the exact spot that needs attention."
DARPA's challenge lies in developing autonomous software that can leverage existing medical devices to provide medics with precise, real-time guidance under extreme battlefield conditions, and automated capabilities to stabilize lethal hemorrhage within the torso.
"It's like developing a GPS for the inside of the human body to position existing tools to precisely stop the bleed, under extreme circumstances," Willis added.
The system aims to offer a simplified user experience in pre-hospital settings, similar to external defibrillators used to restart the heart following sudden cardiac arrest.
MASH is structured as a three-year program conducted in two phases: integrating sensors with robotic systems to find bleeding, then developing software and autonomy to stop the bleeding. The program aims to advance both robotic surgery technology and trauma procedures specifically designed for robotic intervention.
Share on:
Testimonial
"Advertising in PCB007 Magazine has been a great way to showcase our bare board testers to the right audience. The I-Connect007 team makes the process smooth and professional. We’re proud to be featured in such a trusted publication."
Klaus Koziol - atgSuggested Items
US Space Force Successfully Launches L3Harris-Built NTS-3 Satellite
08/15/2025 | L3Harris TechnologiesThe L3Harris-built advanced Navigation Technology Satellite-3 (NTS-3) has successfully launched from Cape Canaveral Space Force Station on a United Launch Alliance (ULA) Vulcan rocket.
Kopin Announces $9 Million Follow-On Contract for Defense Thermal Imaging Assembly
08/14/2025 | BUSINESS WIREKopin Corporation, a leading provider of application-specific optical systems and high-performance microdisplays for defense, training, industrial, consumer and medical products, today announced the award of an approximate $9 million follow-on production contract in support of a custom thermal imaging assembly build for a major U.S. defense prime contractor.
Northrop Grumman’s NG InSight to Demonstrate Secure Communications Integration for US Air Force Connectivity
03/18/2025 | Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation was awarded a follow-on contract to help the U.S. Air Force connect airborne platforms with faster, secure communications solutions.
Northrop Grumman Completes First Production Delivery for the US Army's Integrated Battle Command System
02/05/2024 | Northrop GrummanNorthrop Grumman Corporation delivered the first production Integrated Battle Command System (IBCS) major end item, an Integrated Collaborative Environment (ICE), to the U.S. Army on December 19, 2023.
BAE Systems Manufacturing Advanced Block 4 F-35 Electronic Warfare Systems to Defeat Evolving Threats
04/05/2023 | BAE SystemsBAE Systems has received $491 million in contracts from Lockheed Martin to produce state-of-the-art Block 4 electronic warfare (EW) systems for future Lot 17 F-35 Lightning II fighter jets, adding to the 1,200 F-35 EW systems it has delivered to date.