Intelligent Automation, Inc. — Department of Defense SBIR Phase I: N191-015

Description

The musculoskeletal injuries due to prolonged exposure to whole body vibrations have been associated with military aviation. This association continued to be identified as an issue of significant importance to the fleet. Chronic injury and fatigue have been identified as significant cost drivers to both the DoD and VA. Lost work days, reduced operational readiness, and increased medical costs (during active duty as well as post-career) are all consequences of the poor work environments in naval aircraft cockpits and at work stations. It is apparent that this whole body vibrations need critical attention to avoid injuries. Therefore, there is a need for a damping system for pilots’ seats. Additionally, the need for this application across a range of aircraft platforms, requires a damper that is modular and tunable in a range of frequencies corresponding to the human body and seat vibration. To address this need Intelligent Automation proposes to develop active and passive dampers using magnetorheological-elastomers (DAMP). The light weight active-DAMP technology enhances the simple DVA concept with active control achieving tunable frequency and damping. The key advantage of DAMP over traditional MR fluid-based dampers is that it is a noninvasive add-on device that can be attached to any structure.