Increased Impact Protection of the Navy's Aviator Helmets

Injuries resulting from impacts to the human body, more specifically impacts to the head are a major concern for our society. Up to 2% of the U.S. population lives with disabilities resulting from impacts to the head. A key component in reducing theseinjuries is managing the momentum exchange between the head and the surface of impact. In this proposal we will determine the feasibility of using a formulation of Team Wendy's ZorbiumTM foam as an improved energy management system for the Navy's HGU-68/P(ejection aircraft) and HGU-84/P (rotary wing aircraft) aviator helmets. Commercially, this technology will be applied to all areas of protective headgear, including action sport headgear, motorcycle helmets, and team sport headgear. It is estimatedthat information gathered from successful completion of this Phase I proposal may increase sales figures for Team Wendy's current products by up to 30%. Further development using the gathered information will allow Team Wendy to increase its productofferings and engage in private branding and licensing to other protective headgear and body padding manufacturers. Manufacturing and processing issues will be investigated in a subsequent Phase II proposal.