New Energy Attenuation Material to Reduce Whole Body Vibration and Increase Seat Stroke in Military Seats

Injury to military servicemen and women caused by Whole Body Vibration hurts the military in terms of force readiness and medical conditions.  According to S. D. Smith, Air Force Research Laboratory, et al. paper "Multi-Axis Vibration Mitigation Properties Of Seat Cushions During Military Propeller Aircraft Operational Exposures", vibrations are negatively impacting military aviators. For crew members of rotary-wing and fixed-wing propeller aircraft, back pain has been documented extensively.  More recently, increasing reports of annoyance, fatigue, and even symptoms of back pain have received more serious attention in propeller aircraft. These symptoms have been associated with increased aircraft vibration and exposure to longer missions associated with current international affairs. Ms. Smith cites the U.S. Navy E-2C Hawkeye, a carrier-based early warning command and control platform. The Navy surveyed 185 E-2C aviators including 42% Pilots/Copilots and 58% Navy Flight Officers or NFOs. The results indicated that 80% of the respondents had experienced neck and/or back pain in a one-year period. Most reported pain lasting at least one to two days. For those reporting pain, 35% to 40% of those reporting pain considered the symptoms a limiting factor in job performance.  Corsair Innovations is developing Fiber Energy Absorbing Material (FEAM), a radically new and improved energy impact technology. FEAM could be used to attenuate vibration energy to reduce harmful effects from Whole Body Vibration.  It uses nylon monofibers called flock fibers as leaf springs.  Impact and vibration energy response can be easily and specifically tuned by changing the fiber radius to fiber length ratio.  A UMass grad student measured Tan Delta of FEAM vs. Sorbothane and FEAM compared favorably. Corsair received two NFL grants to develop FEAM as an anti-concussion material.  FEAM protects against injury from impact energy in helmets and body pads. Corsair will build a variety of FEAM panels with different cushioning factors by varying the rand have Advanced Materials and Development (AMAD) test them for vibration.  Cushioning will be engineered by varying the ratio of the flock fiber length/radius. In mechanical engineering, this is the Slender or Slenderness ratio. Longer, thinner fibers produce a more soft cushion and shorter, wider fibers provide a stiffer, springier feel.