Blank Slate presents our work with the Air Force at I/ITSEC

Last week, Blank Slate presented at I/ITSEC in Orlando, FL, which was unseasonably cold but still better than Connecticut in November.

Being the magical place that it is, Orlando is the perfect venue for I/ITSEC, aka: the Interservice/Industry Training, Simulation, and Education Conference. It’s an event where over 15,000 people from all branches of the military, academia, and various industries come together to discuss and showcase the latest technologies and methods for training and education. The technology exhibit itself, with its dozens of simulators and virtual-reality devices, is like Disney World for nerdy, military-minded grown-ups.

Blank Slate was selected to showcase our work with US Air Force in a spoken session and at the Air Force Research Lab exhibit booth.

I/ITSEC takes place at the Orange County Convention Center in Orlando, FL.

Amy, our Chief Science Officer, presenting our research in a spoken session.

Our exhibit booth being set up with the Air Force Research Lab.

The combat paramedics we work with have to remember a vast amount of technical information in order to save and rescue people from dangerous, unpredictable situations. To be cognitively ready for the line of duty, these airmen need to be able to recall their knowledge automatically. That’s where Blank Slate comes in.

We’ll give you the three-sentence low-down on our talk, but you can also read the peer-reviewed publication here if that’s your jam.

In 2022, Air Force combat paramedic trainees started using Blank Slate to retain critical medical information. After a year-long study with 89 trainees, we found that Blank Slate improved their knowledge retention (see chart below) and reduced their risk of failing skills assessments, with the app requiring fewer than 40 seconds of daily use on average. Moreover, the lead instructor appreciated the app’s many capabilities, especially its time efficiency and the platform it provided for instructors to drill down on the toughest content.

Knowledge improvements from the first time Air Force trainees used the app (left) to the final time they used the app (right).

In our work with the military, we’ve realized how important Blank Slate is for high-performance teams. People whose work requires them to multitask and make decisions under pressure or stress need cognitive support. Blank Slate is a cognitive readiness solution: it automates memory recall so that people can focus less on having to remember their training and more on all of the less predictable obstacles they face in their work.

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Amy Smith, PhD

Chief Scientist, Blank Slate Technologies