Touchwaves joins a Provincie Noord-Brabant MedTech initiative with Bilihome and 2M Engineering to bring dual-use haptic wearables from defence to healthcare.

For decades, military aviation has tried to solve pilot overload by adding more visual and auditory information. But research increasingly points to a different answer: touch. This article explores how haptic systems can reduce cognitive workload, improve situational awareness and strengthen decision-making across all six stages of the kill chain, from target detection to engagement under extreme conditions.

The F-35, Apache, and F-16 each push pilots toward cognitive overload through different mechanisms. This analysis shows how a single sensory channel — the tactile one — addresses each one on its own terms.

While stealth, countermeasures, and manoeuvrability often dominate strategic discussions, one of the most enduring and most insidious threats to fighter jet pilots often receives less attention: hypoxia. Hypoxia, a condition caused by insufficient oxygen reaching the brain and body, is not merely a medical concern, it is a mission-critical risk.

In high-stakes modern defence aviation, reaction times decide outcomes. As cockpit technology evolves, we have optimized engines, airframes, and radar to the edge of physics. Yet one critical constraint remains unchanged: human biology. To move beyond this limit, engineers are turning to the fastest communication channel in the human body: the sense of touch.

A New Paradigm We're entering a new age where the interface is the body. Where technology quietly supports your awareness without demanding attention. Where you simply feel when you need to adjust, without needing to check your devic

The Future of Fighter Jets: Networked, Immersive, & Human-Centric, FCAS, GCAP

Touchwaves: Embodied Haptics for Human Performance