Adaptable Braided Inflatable Structures for Seamless Sensor Integration (ABISSI)

Inflatable structures are used throughout the military to create rapidly deployable and functional tools that fit within the expeditionary framework of modern military forces. Inflatables enable a deployed structure to be magnitudes larger than its pack-volume by leveraging internal air pressure to apply a tensile force to fibers, providing structural integrity to an otherwise soft textile assembly. By integrating a geometric distribution of sensors into high-performing braided inflatable structures, the proposing team will create adaptable technologies that can be employed in developing arrays of different shapes and sizes for U.S. Navy applications. Air-inflated structures are constructed in a variety of ways and many of these technologies are most commonly manufactured outside of the United States. This proposal demonstrates domestic manufacturing capabilities of high-performing Berry-compliant braided inflatable structures that enable simple and seamless integrations of sensors along with wiring, optic cables, and hose lines that may be required for connecting these sensors.  The team assembled here has decades of experience designing and developing deployable expeditionary products for the U.S. Military. This expertise includes testing of inflatable materials, evaluations of bonding and adhesion techniques, and integrating these durable inflatable structures into functional assemblies that are easily stowed and redeployed on-demand. By combining braided inflatable structures with state-of-the-art sensing capabilities, the proposing team presents a novel design approach to integrating sensors, components, and attachments directly into the structure while creating the raw material as well as during layup assembly. This novel approach will elevate the capabilities of the U.S. Navy to deploy large and small scale sensor arrays to achieve operational advantage while ensuring domestic manufacturing capabilities are readily available to fulfill these operational needs.