MAINSTREAM ENGINEERING CORP — Department of Homeland Security SBIR Phase I: H-SB012.1-004

Description

The proposed research plan will start at a TRL 1 and commence with the collection of dynamic recoil response field data using a firearm and ammunition chosen by the DHS for testing. Data will be collected for a firearm operator that classifies as a 90th percentile male, and an operator that classifies as a 50th percentile or smaller female based on height and weight. The data will then be fit to a dynamic human recoil response model. The model will be used to select components for Mainstream's Anthropometrically Modifiable Munitions Operator (AMMO) System. The AMMO system uses a novel method of independently altering spring and damping coefficients to match the human response of different anthropometric classes instantly without swapping components. A single degree-of-freedom prototype will be fabricated and tested in a live-fire setting before the end of the Phase I Base which will conclude at a TRL 3. The live-fire AMMO system data will be validated against the human firing data collected at the beginning of Phase I. The Phase I option will extend the prototype to multiple degrees-of-freedom and will conclude at a TRL 4. Phase II will focus on the packaging and automation of the AMMO system and also extend its live-fire field trial verification to a broader range of anthropometric classes, firearms, and ammunitions. We anticipate a commercial-ready product at the conclusion of Phase II.