Enhanced Impact Protection HGU-56P Aviator Helmet

DEPARTMENT OF THE ARMY SMALL BUSINESS INNOVATION RESEARCH (SBIR) PROGRAM SBIR 21.4 Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) Army Applied SBIR Opportunity (ASO) Announcement April 1, 2021: ASO issued for pre-release April 14, 2021: Army begins accepting proposals May 20, 2021: Deadline for receipt of proposals no later than 12:00 p.m. ET IMPORTANT Deadline for Receipt: Proposals must be completely submitted no later than 12:00 p.m. ET, May 20, 2021. Proposals submitted after 12:00 p.m. will not be evaluated. The final proposal submission includes successful completion of all firm level forms, all required volumes, and electronic corporate official certification. Classified proposals will not be accepted under the DoD SBIR Program. This BAA and the Defense SBIR/STTR Innovation Portal (DSIP) sites are designed to reduce the time and cost required to prepare a formal proposal. The DSIP is the official portal for DoD SBIR/STTR proposal submission. Proposers are required to submit proposals via DSIP; proposals submitted by any other means will be disregarded. Proposers submitting through this site for the first time will be asked to register. Effective with this announcement, firms are required to register for a login.gov account and link it to their DSIP account. See section 4.14 for more information regarding registration. The Small Business Administration, through its SBIR/STTR Policy Directive, purposely departs from normal Government solicitation formats and requirements and authorizes agencies to simplify the SBIR/STTR award process and minimize the regulatory burden on small business. Therefore, consistent with the SBA SBIR/STTR Policy Directive, the Department of Defense is soliciting proposals as a Broad Agency Announcement. SBIR/STTR Updates and Notices: To be notified of SBIR/STTR opportunities and to receive e-mail updates on the DoD SBIR and STTR Programs, you are invited to subscribe to our Listserv by emailing contact@example.gov. Help Desk: If you have questions about the Defense Department's SBIR or STTR Programs, please call the DoD SBIR/STTR Help Desk at +1 (555) 000-0000, or email to contact@example.gov. Topic Q&A: The Topic Q&A for this BAA opens on April 1, 2021 and closes to new questions on May 4, 2021 at 12:00 PM ET. Proposers may submit written questions through Topic Q&A at https://www.dodsbirsttr.mil/submissions/login or through the SBIR Mailbox at contact@example.gov. In Topic Q&A, the questioner and respondent remain anonymous and all questions and answers are posted electronically for general viewing. Once the BAA closes to proposal submission, no communication of any kind with the topic author or through Topic Q&A regarding your submitted proposal is allowed. Questions should be limited to specific information related to improving the understanding of a particular topic's requirements. Proposing firms may not ask for advice or guidance on solution approach and you may not submit additional material to the topic author. If information provided during an exchange with the topic author is deemed necessary for proposal preparation, that information will be made available to all parties through Topic Q&A. Proposing firms are advised to monitor Topic Q&A during the BAA period for questions and answers. Proposing firms should also frequently monitor DSIP for updates and amendments to the topics. This Army Applied SBIR Opportunity (ASO) is issued under the Army Broad Agency Announcement (BAA) for SBIR/STTR 21.4. All proposals in response to the technical area(s) described herein will be submitted in accordance with the instructions provided under 21.4, found here: https://beta.sam.gov/opp/b79ded14dcf54451bcfb11bddf5cd259/view?keywords=%22army%20sbir%22&sort=-relevance&index=opp&is_active=true&page=1. a. Eligibility The eligibility requirements for the SBIR/STTR programs are unique and do not correspond to those of other small business programs. Please refer to Section 3.1, Eligible Applicants, of BAA 21.4 for full eligibility requirements. b. Anticipated Structure/Award Information Please refer to Section 1, Funding Opportunity Description, provided in BAA 21.4 for detailed information regarding SBIR/STTR phase structure and flexibility. For this BAA, Department of the Army will accept Phase I proposals for the cost of up to $259,613 for a 6-month period of performance. Proposers should refer to Section 4, Application and Submission information, of BAA 21.4 for detailed proposal preparation instructions. Proposals that do not comply with the requirements detailed in BAA 21.4 and the research objectives of this ASO are considered non-conforming and therefore are not evaluated nor considered for award. Phase I proposals shall not exceed 5 pages. Phase I commercialization strategy shall not exceed 2 pages. This should be the last section of the Technical Volume and will not count against the 5-page limit. Please refer to Appendix A of BAA 21.4 for detailed instructions on Phase I proposal preparation. c. Evaluation of Proposals Section 5, Evaluation of Proposals, in BAA 21.4 provides detailed information on proposal evaluation and the selection process for this ASO. d. Due Date/Time Full proposal packages (Proposal Cover Sheet, Technical Volume, Price/Cost Volume, and Company Commercialization Report inclusive of supporting documentation) must be submitted via the DoD SBIR/STTR Proposal Submission website per the instructions outlined in BAA 21.4 Section 4.3 Electronic Submission no later than 12:00 p.m. ET, May 20, 2021. Army SBIR 21.4 Topic Index A214-032 Enhanced Impact Protection HGU-56P Aviator Helmet OBJECTIVE: The objective of this SBIR grant is to enhance impact protection of the HGU-56P aviator helmet, which is already known as the most protective helicopter helmet ever made. Currently, the HGU-56P helmet retrofit of lining material is capable of delivering threshold impact performance improvement of 20% over current Extended Polystyrene (EPS) foam. DESCRIPTION: At present, aviation helmets provide minimal impact protection due to weight limitations associated with crash load requirements. For example, if the helmet is too heavy under an otherwise survivable crash landing, the weight of the helmet cannot allow breaking the neck of the aviator. Optimal helmet design requires a balance between the need for protection from trauma and the comfort and practicality of the helmet for the user to ensure the best outcomes. New foam technology used in commercial industry promises superior crash protection with no impact on helmet weight. Improved impact protection to the user in a hard landing or crash scenario is a fundamental component of soldier lethality, one of the six army modernization priorities of the Army which includes the core requirement of communication. Intent of this proposal is to perform retrofit using a new material/design which spreads out impact load and cuts the energy absorbed by the user to reduce instances of brain injury/Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) and concussion. A redesign of the helmet will not be an option consideration due to cost reasons. This solicitation intends to identify an existing commercial technology to provide the best overall reduction in impact energy to the user. Key considerations for evaluation shall at minimum (but not be limited to) include reduction in impact energy by comparison to EPS (threshold is 20%, objective is 40%), weight, cost of material, ability to absorb more than one impact without requiring replacement, and ability to retrofit a standard HGU-56P helmet without tools. Additional considerations shall be data showing user comfort is desired for proposed solution (ability of material to conform to user's head to eliminate hot spots, material does not absorb sweat, heat (can the material vent heat from the user), etc.). Other factors may include material properties such as ability to perform under temperature ranges common to Army users and resistance to exposure to petroleum/oil/lubricants (POL) commonly encountered on Army helicopters. PHASE I: This effort shall identify and test the most promising material solution to reduce impact to the user, which can be retrofit into the HGU-56P aviator helmet with no weight gain to the helmet and at the least cost. The initial proposal shall identify a solution which provides impact energy reduction by comparison to EPS foam. Data showing attenuation of the technology proposed by comparison to EPS foam shall be included in the proposal. The contractor shall perform a laboratory demonstration in Phase I demonstrating and quantifying impact reduction in tests using two Government furnished HGU-56P helmets in the same size. The contractor shall modify one of the helmets with the proposed improvements and perform identical tests using one modified and one unmodified HGU-56P helmet so that comparison data clearly shows performance improvements achieved. Crash testing shall be done per the item specification for the HGU-56P helmet, in System 2 Helmet Configuration (AIHS-FS-0002), Section 4.2.5.2-4.2.5.3, titled Aircrew Integrated Helmet System Fabrication Specification. For cost reasons, testing shall only be done on the crown of the helmet. The final report shall estimate costs and weight impact of the technology solution proposed and document the actual impact energy absorption measured in the laboratory demonstration test. Key meetings shall be a kickoff meeting within 3 weeks of contract award, bi-weekly telecons not to generally exceed 30 minutes in length with a single point of contact who can brief status of project and a test readiness review, which can be combined with a bi-weekly telecom. The contractor shall host Government witness of the laboratory demonstration, with particular focus on test setup. PHASE II: The solution identified in Phase I will be applied and tested to meet all requirements of the specifications proposed for update or replacement in all helmet sizes. The contractor shall propose changes for all lining material in the helmet being replaced. The contractor shall purchase helmets in all user sizes to support testing. Crash testing shall be done per the item specification for the HGU-56P helmet, AIHS-FS-0002, Section 4.2.5.2-4.2.5.3, titled Aircrew Integrated Helmet System Fabrication Specification for all helmet sizes retrofitted with new material solution. A summary report at the end of the test shall document performance improvement of the new solution. The contractor shall update the Aircrew Integrated Helmet System Fabrication Specification to reflect new performance capability of the new material. This may include the addition of testing for rotational energy reduction. The contractor shall perform analysis or test demonstrating performance does not change at high and low operating temperatures. Deliverables will include a test plan, test report, an updated performance specification reflecting measured improvement in impact absorption energy performance, minutes for all meetings conducted with the vendor, presentation slides for test readiness review, a white paper detailing the installation cost of the retrofit solution, and a cost report detailing manufacturing cost as a function of helmet quantity from a minimum of 50 and up to 1000 at a time. The test report shall document all test results done under the contract. A retrofit procedure for replacing the existing helmet liners with the new solution shall be required and demonstrated at the end of the contract. Key meetings shall be a kickoff meeting within 3 weeks of contract award, bi-weekly telecons not to generally exceed 30 minutes in length with a single point of contact who can brief status of project and a test readiness review, which can be combined with a bi-weekly telecom. The contractor shall host Government witness of any testing, with particular focus on test setup. PHASE III: Develop production processes for all materials necessary for retrofit into HGU-56P helmet in all user sizes. Update any specifications needed to reflect final production configuration weight and performance. Repeat bench qualification testing if production configuration deviates too far from prototype configuration tested in Phase II. Support operational testing on multiple Army rotary wing aircraft to evaluate user comfort. Aviation helmets used throughout DoD may find retrofit application for this same solution, not to mention the potential for helmets common to Army ground soldiers. KEYWORDS: Impact Reduction; Impact Attenuation; Impact Protection; Elastic Microlattice Polymer; Helmet BACKGROUND: Army aviation has relied on Enhanced Polystyrene (EPS) foam as a standard and cost-effective impact solution for over 20 years. During this time, new designs and materials have been marketed in sports helmets which have been certified to have superior impact protection. This includes liquid nanofoam and elastic microlattice polymers. In 2010 Kali began making motorcycle helmets with a layer of softer, less dense, foam next to the head, with cones or pyramids of the softer foam sticking up into the layer of harder, denser foam in the outer layer. The softer foam next to the head crushes first, and if the impact is a lesser one that may be the extent of the crush. In harder impacts the denser foam begins to be involved. The conical shape of the cones means that more of the dense foam is involved as the crush continues down the cone. It is easy to crush the tip of the cone, but as the crush zone moves downward the volume of dense foam involved increases rapidly, in effect stiffening the liner with a smooth increase in resistance. This tunes the foam to give a softer landing in the first stages of crush, while stiffening up as the crush continues to prevent bottoming out in the hardest impacts. Results of testing done by the Australian Government can be found here. Molding techniques for EPS have evolved over the half century that it has been used for helmets, enabling manufacturers to push the envelope by producing a helmet liner with harder and softer foam in layers (variable density foam). That lets the softer inner layer of foam crush in a lesser impact, where harder foam would just resist and pass the energy on to the head. The harder outer layer is still there when the soft foam bottoms out to keep managing the energy in a hard impact. Details on these and other technologies can be found here. This project will fund the build of foam inserts identical to those used in the HGU-56P Army Aviation helmet and testing to verify claims of improved impact performance. Testing will be performed by the manufacturer and repeated at the Government laboratory to ensure independent confirmation of results. If testing shows demonstrable reduction in energy being transmitted to the users brain, implementation will be by retrofit. REFERENCES: https://newatlas.com/materials/liquid-nanofoam-football-helmet-head-protection/ https://newatlas.com/materials/elastic-microlattice-helmet-padding/ https://www.infrastructure.gov.au/roads/safety/publications/2001/helmet_liner.aspx https://kaliprotectives.com/pages/the-future-of-protectives https://helmets.org/liners.htm