High-definition electrical stimulation for enhanced spatial awareness and target alignment in weapon aiming applications

A weapon system comprising:

• a ranged weapon;
• and
• an aiming assistance device for assisting a user in aiming the ranged weapon at a target, the aiming assistance device including a garment comprising a sleeve or armband or wristband configured to be disposed on an arm or wrist, the garment including electrodes arranged to apply transcutaneous electrical neurostimulation (TENS) to skin of the arm or wrist when the garment is worn on the arm or wrist, and an electronic processor programmed to:
• receive telemetry information from one or more sensors,
• determine an aim error based on the telemetry information wherein the aim error indicates of an error between a trajectory of the ranged weapon and an on-target trajectory from the ranged weapon to the target, and
• operate the electrodes to provide a somatosensation comprising TENS indicative of the aim error.

An aiming assistance method for assisting a user in aiming a ranged weapon at a target, the aiming assistance method comprising:

• receiving telemetry information from one or more sensors;
• determining an aim error based on the telemetry information wherein the aim error indicates of an error between a trajectory of the ranged weapon and an on-target trajectory from the ranged weapon to the target;
• and
• providing a somatosensation indicative of the aim error to the user by operating haptic devices of a garment worn on an arm or wrist of the user to apply haptic sensation to skin of the arm or wrist;
• wherein at least one of:
• the determined aim error includes a direction of the aim error, and the haptic sensation is applied to the skin of the arm or wrist an angular position on the arm or wrist determined based on the direction of the aim error;
• and/or
• the determined aim error includes a magnitude of the aim error, and the haptic devices are operated to provide the somatosensation indicative of the aim error at an intensity determined based on the magnitude of the aim error.