Dive Brief:

• The U.S. Department of Defense is partnering with Apple, Boeing, Harvard University and other organizations to develop flexible electronics and sensors.

• A consortium — called the Flexible Hybrid Electronic Institute — will use 3-D printing to build very small, flexible devices that can match the contours of a person's body or a military vehicle.

• The technology might be used in soldiers' uniforms as health monitors or placed in a ship or aircraft to measure structural integrity.

Dive Insight:

The technology developed by the consortium could also have potential civilian uses, such as medical devices for the elderly.

"I've been pushing the Pentagon to think outside of our five-sided box, and invest in innovation, here in Silicon Valley and with companies across the country," said U.S. Defense Secretary Ashton Carter. "The reality is, we don't know all the applications this new technology will make possible.”

The U.S. government will contribute $75 million over five years, and $90 million will come from the companies. Local governments will contribute the remaining capital to the $171 million venture.