Weighing in at 7kg, the technology consists of a computer which can be carried in a backpack, virtual reality goggles and an attached video camera that can convey information to a control room via wireless LAN or 3G networks.

Professor Bruce Thomas, director of the wearable computer laboratory at the university, said the technology has the potential to dramatically improve the effectiveness of disaster relief operations.

"By wearing the computers with virtual reality goggles and video cameras attached, field operatives at the problem location work in real-time with supervisors and experts in a central control room," Thomas said.

"People in the field provide digital images, videos, and voice information which are then geospatially mapped to data sources in the control room."

The control center can also create 3D maps and images for field personnel to view via their goggles.