Retractable Gunner Restraint System

New Dawn Labs’ response to this challenging topic leverages an existing advanced safety restraint system and modifies it with a sensor driven retraction engine, retractable restraint, and airbags to meet the Army’s requirements. In Phase I, we will demonstrate feasibility of this advanced restraint system by proving that this system has the power and stroke to automatically retract a 95th percentile male into a zone of protection in the vehicle during typical injurious, high-energy crash events. New Dawn Labs’ proposed device uses strategically-placed airbag deployments and energy management to limit secondary injury to the soldier. The Phase I technical team has developed an innovative approach and have the required expertise to overcome any technical challenges. The Principal Investigator (PI) on this effort has 27 years of experience designing and testing advanced restraint systems. The PI and the core technical team have a combined 129 years of relevant experience in the areas of sensor development and the design, development and testing of safety restraints. To facilitate rapid and efficient transition of this system to the Army, New Dawn Labs has assembled the entire supply chain on its Phase I team, including IMMI - a global leader in the development and production of advanced restraint systems, including those used in the DoD’s High Mobility Multipurpose Wheeled Vehicle (HMMV), Ground Mobility Vehicle (GMV), Joint Light Tactical Vehicle (JLTV), Heavy Equipment Transporter System (HETS), Logistic Vehicle System Replacement (LVSR), and Medium Tactical Vehicle Replacement (MTVR) vehicles. The University of Dayton Research Institute (UDRI), will also support this effort and will provide simulation, testing, 3D printing and technology transition expertise. UDRI ranks #1 in the nation in federally-funded materials R&D, and has qualified and produced more than 1,900 legacy replacement parts for the DoD, more than 200 of which are flying on military aircraft.