Light-Weight Atmospheric Diving Suit

The Navy is seeking a new light-weight Atmospheric Diving Suit (ADS) design. This suit must be less than 400 lbs; at this weight a diver will be able to self-propel using his legs and fins. The system must ensure the divers safety at a working depth of 1000 ft of sea-water; protecting the body from the high external pressure at depth, while providing a sustainable 1 ATM internal pressure. Mide in partnership with MIT propose to create a next generation ADS built from four innovative approaches. Firstly, Mide will carefully design a composite outer shell for the ADS to drop overall weight considerably over current aluminum designs. Secondly, the team will use lessons learned from MIT's Bio-Suit Mechanical Counter Pressure Space Suit Design. Most notably the concept of "Lines of Non-Extension" (LoNE). The LoNE are lines along the body that do not strain during articulation, which will be ideal locations for rigid substructure in the joints. Thirdly, Mide will use super-elastic shape-memory-alloys to enhance joint design, by adding flex while still providing structural rigidity. Fourthly, Mid will investigate layered metal/urethane sandwich sections to enable joints that are strong in compression (will not compress axially), but can bend with relative ease.