The US Eighth Army held an innovation contest at Camp Humphreys in April to recognize soldier-led ideas aimed at modernizing Army capabilities, the military said Monday.
The Pacific Victor Innovation Competition is designed to allow service members to test and develop their own ideas for next-generation military capabilities, according to the Eighth Army.
Eight of the nine finalists presented their ideas at the event. The top prize went to a team led by Maj. Michael Dunbar, commander of the 5th Medical Detachment, for proposing an artificial intelligence-powered mosquito trap that can quickly alert commanders to threats of combat power loss caused by malaria and other mosquito-borne diseases.
The device combines a conventional mosquito trap with a camera and an AI program trained by entomologists. It can identify local mosquito species with more than 90 percent accuracy, reducing a process that normally takes one to two weeks to less than 90 seconds.
Dunbar said the idea was inspired by an incident in 2025 in which troops training in South Korea were pulled out of an exercise after being infected with malaria.
If fielded, the device could help commanders preserve combat power before armed conflicts or large-scale exercises by giving them faster information on disease-related risks.
“As soldiers face greater exposure in austere living conditions, the risk of combat power loss due to malaria will also increase,” Dunbar said.
Second place went to Sgt. Seth Steel of the 11th Engineer Battalion for proposing a low-cost fixed-wing intelligence, surveillance and reconnaissance drone. The drone was assessed as a tool that could give platoon- or company-level units their own reconnaissance capability and improve situational awareness.
Third place went to Cpl. Cho Yeon-woo, a KATUSA soldier assigned to the 2nd Infantry Division/ROK-US Combined Division, for inventing Viper, an intelligent precision engagement assessment system.
Viper is designed to allow troops to share team tactics in real time through devices such as smartwatches and conduct shooting simulations, increasing training immersion. The system was assessed as a possible lower-cost alternative to the existing Multiple Integrated Laser Engagement System, or MILES.
The second- and third-place winners received Army commendation medals and cash prizes.
The Eighth Army said the selected ideas could receive funding and be reviewed for possible fielding, with the aim of improving overall readiness and operational efficiency.
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