Nov 26 2010
MidWest Research Institute (MRI) is undertaking the phase IIa of the Individual Protection Ensemble Mannequin System (IPEMS) project, to develop a Mannequin humanoid for examining war-fighter protection equipment against chemical combat elements.
Joint Project Manager for Nuclear, Biological, and Chemical Contamination Avoidance (JPM-NBC-CA) will fund this JPEO-CBD effort. The IPEMS project involves development of a test facility that can carry out test operations on an individual protection ensemble (IPE), at controlled environments exposed to real-time chemical warfare agents.
The test facility will include supporting structures, exposure chamber and a self-standing robotic mannequin, with simulated human physiology. Once the test facility is developed, the humanoid wearing the IPE will be examined. It will be exposed to various environments and artificially created soldier activities under chemical agent exposure conditions.
Phase 1 of the project featured the development of the system layout and was over by March 2010. Phase II covers purchase, fabrication, assembly, installation, testing and user training of the new system. In addition, this phase will include software creation and development of system operating methods.
Thomas M. Sack, Senior VP and Director of Research Operations, MRI, has stated that over the last 40 years, their company has been offering the US Department of Defense with latest technological innovations in the fields of personal and collective security, biological and chemical agent identification and decontamination. He added that their team comprising six world-class collaborators is looking forward to bring their design to production and complete incorporation into the test facility.
MRI is the major contractor for this project and will continue its system integration services including systems engineering, program management, integration and chemical analysis. Boston Dynamics, Measurement Technology Northwest, Sensor Research and Development Corp, Smith Carter CUH2A (SCC) and HHI Corporation are subcontractors for this project.
Source: http://www.mriresearch.org