Swedish soldiers equipped with personal performance tracking bracelets

Finnish startup Agate Sensors has received an innovation contract from Sweden to test wearable technology to monitor the performance of military personnel in harsh defense environments.

The company's optical sensors collect real-time data on physical responses and situational stress to support decision-making in high-risk operations.

Swedish soldiers will wear a device that monitors human performance.

Under the Swedish Defence Materiel Management programme, the company will work with defence and industry experts on a proof-of-concept project that will run until March 2026, marking Agate Sensors' first collaboration in the defence sector.

“This is not an incremental step forward, but a new capability that changes the way defense forces can understand, predict, and optimize human performance,” said Mikael Westerlund, chief business officer at Agate Sensors.

The testing effort will include technical validation and joint demonstrations. The event will also include presentations this month at Purple NECtar 2025, an innovation event organized by the Dutch Ministry of Defense in the Netherlands, and at Defence Innovation Paris in France.

The device can track hundreds of different biochemical indicators to monitor physical and psychological combat performance. Photo: Agate Tec.

Agate Sensors has developed a hyperspectral optical technology called Hyperspectral Photogrammetry (HPPG), designed to accurately measure small physiological changes.

According to the company, while standard smartwatch or fitness tracker sensors use just a few wavelengths of light to track heart rate and blood flow, HPPG collects data across hundreds of wavelengths.

This wider range allows for the detection of biochemical and metabolic changes. The system integrates the capabilities of a laboratory spectrometer into a small chip, small enough to be integrated into wearable devices.

This feature allows for continuous monitoring of stress, fatigue, and physical pressure before they become apparent or affect performance.

In the long term, similar sensing approaches could also be applied to other defense technologies, including weapon optics, unmanned aircraft systems, and autonomous platforms.