SBIR-STTR Award

This Small Business Technology Transfer (STTR) Phase I effort will demonstrate the feasibility of using piezoelectric fibers to detect shock waves from underwater explosions (UNDEX) and sensing physiological measures such as heart and respiratory rates on warfighters. Piezoelectric fibers will be characterized for their ability so sense different amplitudes and frequencies of shock and vibration. A controller will be developed that can adequately process and signals from the piezoelectric fibers and stores the data to a removable memory storage. The research performed in Phase I will identify piezoelectric fibers that can sense low frequency low amplitude shock, and different fibers that can sense high-frequency high-amplitude shocks.Low-frequency low-amplitude sensing fibers can be used to sense physiological measures such as heart and respiratory rates, whereas high-frequency high-amplitude sensing fibers can be used to sense UNDEX. Through the identification and characterization of the fibers that possess these qualities, a wearable e-textile will be developed consisting of multiple, interwoven, piezoelectric fibers with multiple sensing capabilities.

Advanced Materials and Devices, Inc. (AMAD), in a 12-month TRL Booster Pilot effort, will move the development and manufacturing of a wearable, wireless, in-air and underwater sensor from TRL 5-6 to a TRL of 6-7. At the end of the TRL Booster Pilot effort, the wearable sensor will be ready for qualification testing and manufacturing via Phase III funding. At the end of the current Phase II effort (June 2, 2021), it is anticipated that the AMAD’s wearable blast sensor will be at a TRL of 5-6. The focus of the TRL Booster Pilot project will be to: (1) Improve the wearable sensor user functionality and further develop data analysis software to analyze recorded blast data, (2) Test in a relevant environment to validate the sensor’s operation when it is worn on dummies underwater and/or inair, (3) Finalize sensor’s form factor (exterior geometry and material), (4) Scale-up manufacturing and (5) develop a manufacturing plan, such that the sensor will be ready for Low Rate Initial Production (LRIP), and (6) Plan a Technology Transition Agreement (TTA) to be in place for obtaining Phase III funding.