Exposure to poisonous gas or biological agents is a real threat for US soldiers. Therefore it's imperative that they have adequate protection against these and other agents. Gas masks can provide this protection, but only if they produce pressures high enough to effectively seal against the face, but not so high as to produce a level of discomfort that discourages their use. In the Phase I project, Bonneville Scientific, Inc. (BSI) established the feasibility of the proposed sensor construction and installation techniques suitable for covering a human-like headform with arrays of robust, yet sensitive force/pressure sensors. These arrays use BSI's ultrasonic pulse-echo ranging technology to achieve important advantages over other technologies, such as resistive-ink- based sensors. In Phase I we also developed a simple, rapid calibration technique the will be implemented and fully automated in this Phase II project. In addition, system and software specifications were developed. In this Phase II project we will sensorize the headforms and implement the complete Head Pressure Analysis System, including the apparatus necessary for calibration.
Benefits: The proposed robust head pressure analysis system will aid the Army in developing effective, more comfortable head-mounted individual protective equipment. Commercial applications will include measuring pressures produced by ski goggles, helmet and headset earcups, helmet suspensions, and dynamic testing of crash helmets in order to improve the effectiveness and comfort of those devices.
