Lightweight Electroadhesive Exotendon (LEET) for Head and Neck Protection at High G Loading

This Phase II proposal builds on the successful outcomes of our Phase I project, Lightweight Electroadhesive Exotendon (LEET) for Head and Neck Protection (Contract Agreement # W81XWH22P0039), which focused on the development of exotendon prototypes for reducing acute and chronic neck injury for pilots using helmet mounted equipment. These novel devices use electroadhesive clutches to rapidly transition from a protective mode capable of supporting large inertial loads to a free motion mode which provides full range of motion and freedom of movement to pilots.  The prototypes demonstrated a holding force exceeding 134 N, the force needed to attenuate neck loading by 25% or more during a 12-G vertical maneuver.  Prototype clutches have undergone more than 500 cycles of use without failure of the electroadhesive materials and have been integrated into a helmet and harness. Lastly, we shaped our Phase II proposal based on the results of 26 customer discovery interviews which revealed the needs of pilots and stakeholders from five branches of the Human Systems Directorate (HSD). Our Phase II effort will transition our TRL3 prototypes to TRL6 and establish a Phase III transition plan. Our four objectives are: evaluation of airworthiness, transitioning to a standalone LEET system, optimization of the LEET control approach, and the development of a Phase III transition strategy. These objectives will be achieved by revising the Phase I prototypes to make them more robust to environmental risk factors. Developing a mobile power and control unit will transition our benchtop prototypes to standalone units. Next, we will subject these prototypes to standard tests of common risk factors including EMI/EMC, temperature, humidity, salt spray, vibration, rapid decompression, and explosive atmosphere. This will demonstrate that the LEET system can withstand the harsh conditions often encountered by Aircrew Flight Equipment (AFE). We will optimize the LEET control strategy and mounting positions of the exotendons via biomechanical simulations in OpenSim. This work will culminate in the completion of four LEET prototypes for manikin testing at Wright-Patterson Air Force Base. This testing will demonstrate the ability of the LEET system to provide protection against neck injury.  Lastly, we will construct our Phase III transition plan by developing a relationship with an industry partner. It is our goal to not only demonstrate the capability of our system, but also have a framework in place to transition the resulting TRL6 prototypes to standard Aircrew Flight Equipment.