The Effects of a Weighted Wrist Mounted Device on Marksmanship

Abstract

The modern Warfighter is faced with many unique challenges on today’s battlefields. He needs to be equipped with technology that delivers information and awareness in order to make better decisions and overcome those challenges. An example of this technology is mobile computing devices which offer many advantages as well as some potential limitations, such as interfering with shooting ability. In this study, the effects of a weighted wrist mount device on marksmanship were studied, while subjects performed varying levels of physical activity in a repeated measure designed experiment. Twelve military subjects were tested wearing four different weights and completing four levels of physical fitness while shooting at simulated targets. The number of physical fitness intervals proved to have a significant effect on shooting accuracy and precision, while weight of the wrist device did not. Although there are limitations to a controlled environment experiment, the insights gained are a springboard for future work to find a practical weight threshold of wrist mounted devices.