SBIR/STTR
Opportunity
Wearable Sensors to Monitor Environmental and Occupational Impacts to Brain Health
Department:
U.S. Army
Open Date:
2025-03-26
Close Date:
2025-04-16
Technology Area:
Sensors Imagers and Sounders
Summary
OBJECTIVE
The goal of this topic is to develop a wearable (integrated into kit or stand-alone applique) that measures 360-degree blast exposure to the wearer. Additionally, it is desired to have a User dashboard for use on a Nett Warrior-enabled end user device which leverages Android, Windows, Linux, and HTML. The data collected from this sensor will need to be transferred off the device and into a data Lakehouse (repository) in a specified format that will allow the data to be distributed to multiple users and who may only want partial data sets.
DESCRIPTION
The blast gauge sensor is intended to be used in a variety of high risk of exposure scenarios where the wearer may be operating weapon systems and or in and around explosives. The environments for these type activities are both in open space (field, range, woods, etc.) as well as close quarters (rooms, buildings, around vehicles, etc.) where multiple reflections from blast waves can occur. This necessitates a sampling rate high enough to catch these multiple waves as well as the ability to read and write data at a high and reliable rate as these events are in the millisecond range of duration. The ability for this sensor to accurately measure and record the exposure (overpressure (psi), acceleration (g’s) and or acoustic (dB or Hz) as it relates to the fidelity of lab grade gauges is also sought. The sensor is intended to have a mechanism to locally store data until the data can be transferred wired or wirelessly to a repository for future use or dissemination of the raw data. The sensor should be able to be linked to the wearer by scanning their Common Access Card (CAC) to store the wearer's PKI as a part of any exposure data package. The sensor should be reusable, rechargeable and data retrieval/download should require minimal to no action by the wearer other than to come within proximity of a data collection point or a Nett Warrior type device. A User dashboard will also be developed, that can be an App integrated onto the Nett Warrior end user device, that can quickly inform leaders on concerning exposures in near real time once the blast sensor comes within range of the device. It is envisioned this feedback will be in the form of programmable ranges that will simply indicate a “green”, “yellow” or “red” status based on preprogrammed fields in the sensor or user dashboard on board software. The data generated from the blast gage sensor will ultimately be transferred off the sensor to a repository. It is expected the performer will need to work with ongoing database and repository efforts separate from this announcement to ensure operability and integration where needed.
The goal of this topic is to develop a wearable (integrated into kit or stand-alone applique) that measures 360-degree blast exposure to the wearer. Additionally, it is desired to have a User dashboard for use on a Nett Warrior-enabled end user device which leverages Android, Windows, Linux, and HTML. The data collected from this sensor will need to be transferred off the device and into a data Lakehouse (repository) in a specified format that will allow the data to be distributed to multiple users and who may only want partial data sets.
DESCRIPTION
The blast gauge sensor is intended to be used in a variety of high risk of exposure scenarios where the wearer may be operating weapon systems and or in and around explosives. The environments for these type activities are both in open space (field, range, woods, etc.) as well as close quarters (rooms, buildings, around vehicles, etc.) where multiple reflections from blast waves can occur. This necessitates a sampling rate high enough to catch these multiple waves as well as the ability to read and write data at a high and reliable rate as these events are in the millisecond range of duration. The ability for this sensor to accurately measure and record the exposure (overpressure (psi), acceleration (g’s) and or acoustic (dB or Hz) as it relates to the fidelity of lab grade gauges is also sought. The sensor is intended to have a mechanism to locally store data until the data can be transferred wired or wirelessly to a repository for future use or dissemination of the raw data. The sensor should be able to be linked to the wearer by scanning their Common Access Card (CAC) to store the wearer's PKI as a part of any exposure data package. The sensor should be reusable, rechargeable and data retrieval/download should require minimal to no action by the wearer other than to come within proximity of a data collection point or a Nett Warrior type device. A User dashboard will also be developed, that can be an App integrated onto the Nett Warrior end user device, that can quickly inform leaders on concerning exposures in near real time once the blast sensor comes within range of the device. It is envisioned this feedback will be in the form of programmable ranges that will simply indicate a “green”, “yellow” or “red” status based on preprogrammed fields in the sensor or user dashboard on board software. The data generated from the blast gage sensor will ultimately be transferred off the sensor to a repository. It is expected the performer will need to work with ongoing database and repository efforts separate from this announcement to ensure operability and integration where needed.