Helmet got aircon? It could happen soon...

Anyone who has gone through national service will have surely heard the phrase, "Your helmet got aircon ah?" being belted out by an irate sergeant towards soldiers who keep their helmets on when they don't need it.

That could very well be true in the future if the Singapore Armed Forces (SAF) picks up the US Army's next generation of helmets.

With a design that will surely have fans of the first-person video game Halo squealing with joy, the futuristic headgear, which is in development by the Edgewood Chemical Biological Centre, has a hose connected to the mask that will supply cool, purified air to the soldier's face.

As conventional respirators are typically bulky devices, the main challenge for scientists is embedding a fan that's small enough and efficient enough to power the filtration system.

Such technology will definitely be craved for by SAF personnel, given Singapore's scorching temperatures during training.

Sources: Gizmondo, US Army official home page