AERO-PI: Advanced EXOJUMP to Reduce Occurrences of Parachute Injuries II

The Advanced EXOJUMP to Reduce Occurrences of Parachute Injuries (AERO-PI) project aims to address the persistent challenge of parachute landing force injuries experienced by paratroopers during jumps. Current injury rates, particularly those affecting the ankle, compromise force readiness and individual well-being. In response, Aptima and its partners propose the AERO-PI System, an injury-mitigating, foot-worn sensor suite with context-specific analytics that collects real-time data on the biomechanics of para-jumping to (1) support intervention (e.g., ankle brace, cushioned insole) validation and evaluation, (2) provide unit training insight and feedback to Warfighters and military units to inform proper or dangerous landing techniques, and (3) provide individualized predictions that indicate landing risk level and/or trigger active exoskeleton components to mitigate parachute landing forces (PLFs). Each AERO-PI capability will include unique variations of a foot-worn sensor suite, context-specific analytics, and user interfaces to enable informed decision making.