Electro-Textile Network Connection System

In this sequential Phase II (SPh2) proposal, Physical Optics Corporation (POC), a leading small-systems integrator, and Infoscitex (IST) Corporation, propose to develop the new Electro-Textile Network Connection (E-SNAP) system, which is a new integrated and connectorized electro-textile (e-textile) system to address the U.S. Army’s need for a reliable, lightweight, low-profile, and comfortable personal area network (PAN). Specifically, the E-SNAP system supports power-data managers, radios, end-user devices (EUDs), and conformal wearable batteries and directly supports Army Air Warrior and Nett Warrior programs. The physical layer of these networks will consist of woven e-textile fabrics that are virtually indistinguishable from conventional military fabrics such as nylon cordura (NyCo), and those of the Army combat uniform (ACU), or flame-resistant (FR) ACU. E-SNAP is a natural extension of POC’s portfolio of advanced soldier wearables and connectorized products, as well as the E-textile developed and demonstrated by IST. The goal of this SPh2 is to integrate and advance both POC’s wearables and connectors and IST’s E-textile technologies to maturity and to build a next generation technology readiness level (TRL) 6 Phase II prototype. We will also develop a productization and transition path for the E-SNAP system to the U.S. Army, U.S. Marine Corps and U.S.