Active EOD Bomb Suit Cooling Shirt

TDA, working with our collaborators, proposes to develop a novel cooling garment that improves the efficiency of sweat evaporation to cool explosive ordnance disposal (EOD) technicians wearing protective bomb suits.  Heat stress is a common and dangerous effect of working in an EOD bomb suit.  TDA’s garment works in all ambient conditions (including hot/humid weather), and its lightweight, self-regulating, low power, and has no tether.  This technology can reduce core body temperature in hot humid environments.  In the Phase II project TDA will subject our prototype to abrasion and laundering tests and use iterative sweating manikin testing to optimize our design.  We will conduct human subject testing in preparation for the adoption of our cooling garments by the US Marine Corps (USMC) along with other branches of the military and law enforcement agencies.  Success in the Phase II project will provide the armed forces and law enforcement agencies with a considerably improved cooling system for EOD technicians wearing protective gear that is lighter weight, longer lasting, and far more effective and convenient than any other technology currently available.  This will improve thermal comfort and safety for workers performing this dangerous job.