A Safety Interlock for the Cockpit Air Bag System

The Phase I objectives are to develop and demonstrate a safety interlock for the Cockpit Air Bag System (CABS) on the UH-60 Black Hawk and AH-64 Apache. Working with the CABS contractor, the Aviation Applied Technology Directorate, and Aircrew Integrated Systems, the Jaycor team will: (1) Evaluate candidate occupant position sensor technologies; (2) Produce conceptual designs of safety interlock and sensor systems for the UH-60 and AH-64 CABS; (3) Develop and build a breadboard safety interlock controller with sensors; and (4) Demonstrate the potential effectiveness of the safety interlock system through computer crash simulations using the Articulated Total Body Code, through Jaycor's biomechanics database for head/neck injuries, and through actual operation of the breadboard system. Continuous monitoring by position sensors in a safety interlock system allows ten times more time, about 100 to 200ms, for sensing aviator position and deciding whether to deploy air bags than systems that must decide instantaneously during a crash. Our goal for the CABS safety interlock development program is to help protect aviators from serious air bag injuries with zero scheduling and cost impact on any of the ongoing or planned CABS programs. This will be achieved through close coordination with the CABS contractor, AATD, and ACIS. BENEFITS: Expected benefits for the Army include a means of protecting helicopter crewmen from serious air bag injuries in crashes. Commercial markets include technology needs for second-generation automotive occupancy sensors and for monitoring and classification of people for other modes of transportation and for security systems.