SBIR-STTR Award

The Phase I project seeks to develop a design basis for a firearm testing device which will provide a "virtual shooter" for the operation and measurement of handgun and ammunition performance. The reactions of real human shooters will be measured as a function of the specific firing action results of the test weapon on the human physiology. A six degree-of-freedom (6DOF) model will be developed based on and validated by the collected real-shooter reaction data. The model will also be calibrated to predict the reaction of real shooters to firing tests as a function of the various modeled physical shooter types. A Phase 1 option may be added to develop a complete design of the Virtual Shooter mechanical firing device. Under Phase II, a specific "virtual shooter" device will be constructed and tested. This device will permit firearms and ammunition testing in a highly quantitative manner while avoiding physical risks to human testers. Specific human reactions (recoil, accuracy, etc,) may by this means be directly related to firearm and ammunitions design parameters through the virtual shooter characteristics of the 6DOF test device. The initial TRL for model and device at project inception is estimated to be 3. At the end of Phase I, the TRL is estimated to be 6 for the model and 4 for the device, which will be designed, fabricated, developed, and tested under Phase II of the program to a final TRL of 6.

The Phase II Virtual Shooter project objective is the design, development, fabrication, assembly, and test of a 6 degree-of-freedom (DOF) device which will fully simulate the recoil reactions of a wide range of human shooters, hand guns, and ammunition types. This program is based on the work now being completed under Phase I of SBIR topic no. H-SB012.1-004, contract number HSHQDC-12-C-00039, revised completion date Dec. 31, 2012. The work under this Phase I effort has produced a computer based dynamic shooter model based on extensive data acquired under the Phase I research effort. This model will be used as the basis for the primary objective of Phase II; the delivery of a complete 6DOF virtual shooter device to DHS S&T Directorate, National Firearms and Tactical Training Unit (NFTTU). This proposed Phase II program extends over two years, the first (base) year primary deliverable will be a prototype 6 DOF Virtual Shooter device demonstrating all of the basic capabilities desired by NFTTU. At the end of the second year a prototype production design will be demonstrated and delivered, ready for acceptance by DHS and for commercial sales. The initial TRL for the virtual shooter device at Phase II project inception is estimated to be 3. At the end of Phase II, the TRL is estimated to be 7 for the device.