A Highly Integrated Docking Pouch Platform for Soldier Electronics

While the SPADES system is making huge progress with the integration of the Air Soldier PAN in the ACE vest, substantially eliminating wearability challenges such as cable snag hazards, careful consideration needs to be given as to how the different Air Soldier electronic devices should integrate or dock with the PAN system. The reality is that the interface between the PAN and the electronic devices that interface to it is limited by current pouching technology. Typically, long adapter cables are connected to the wearable electronic device and emerge from the pouches in a manner that results in cable loops and excess that present a significant snag hazard to the soldier. This problem exists across most wearable electronic devices used in both operational and training environments. HSI, during this proposed SBIR program, will develop a new electronic device pouching solution that maximizes human factors and ergonomics and minimizes issues such as cable snagging and entanglement. This proposed development builds off of our work on the Air Soldier SPADES program and will develop a holistic pouching solution that spans the integration and docking needs of current, emerging and future Air Soldier electronics as well as those of other soldier modernization programs.