Passive Occupant Weight Relief (POWR) Harness

Aircrew back pain is a significant factor affecting aircrew mission endurance and effectiveness and increasing costs for medical treatment and disability. The weight of the survival vest on the shoulders contributes to the poor posture of helicopter pilots (the “helo hunch”) and compresses the spine for the full duration of each mission, while also increasing the spinal compressive load in a crash. Safe, Inc. (Safe) is proposing a simple passive system that the occupant can use to transfer the vest weight onto the seat back. The Passive Occupant Weight Relief (POWR) harness allows the full range of motion required to operate the aircraft and automatically releases when the occupant exits the seat for emergency egress. Safe’s project team has experience developing similar devices. The simplicity of the system assures a low cost that will foster commercialization.